Hubble Scores Stunning Close-Up View of NGC 4455 | Astronomy – Sci-News.com
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has snapped a beautiful photo of a barred spiral galaxy called NGC 4455.
This Hubble image shows NGC 4455, a barred spiral galaxy located some 22 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The image was taken by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / I. Karachentsev et al.
NGC 4455 was discovered by the German-born British astronomer William Herschel on April 10, 1785.
The galaxy lies at a distance of approximately 22 million light-years from Earth.
Otherwise known as LEDA 41066 and UGC 7603, it is located in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair).
“This might sound like an odd name for a constellation — and in fact it is somewhat unusual,” Hubble astronomers said.
“It’s the only modern constellation to be named in honor of a real person from history: Queen Berenice II of Egypt.”
“The story of Queen Berenice II is an interesting one,” they added.
“A ruling queen of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene in modern-day Libya, and later a queen of Ptolemaic Egypt through her marriage to her cousin Ptolemy III Euergetes, Berenice became known for sacrificing locks of her hair as an offering to ensure her husband’s safe return from battle.”
“Her husband did indeed return safely and her hair, which she had left in a Zephyrium temple, had disappeared — it had apparently been stolen and placed among the stars.”
