Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy PGC 29388 in Ursa Major: Stealing the Show | Hubble

Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy PGC 29388 in Ursa Major: Stealing the Show | Hubble

As beautiful as the surrounding space may be, the sparkling galaxy in the foreground of this image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope undeniably steals the show.

This spotlight-hogging galaxy, seen set against a backdrop of more distant galaxies of all shapes and sizes, is known as PGC 29388. Although it dominates in this image, this galaxy is a small player on the cosmic stage, and is known as a dwarf elliptical galaxy. As the “dwarf” moniker suggests, the galaxy is on the smaller side, and boasts a “mere” 100 million to a few billion stars—a very small number indeed when compared to the Milky Way's population of around 250 to 400 billion stellar residents.

Elliptical galaxies are smooth, ellipsoidal galaxies dominated by older stars with minimal gas and star formation. They are often found at the centers of galaxy clusters.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, T. Armandroff
Release Date: April 20, 2020

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