Hubble has photographed the near-Earth irregular galaxy ESO 174-1

Scientists have obtained an image of the object ESO 174-1. It is an irregular galaxy not far from us.

Here's What We Know

ESO 174-1 is 11 million light years from Earth. On a galactic scale, it can be considered a neighbour of the Milky Way.

The photographed galaxy looks like a thin cloud of white gas. Distant stars can be seen through ESO 174-1. The photo of the irregular galaxy was taken as part of a project to study the Milky Way's neighbours. Astronomers believe they can see the brightest stars within a radius of 32 million light years.

Irregular galaxies are widespread in the Universe. They can take the form of rings or spheres. This is thought to be due to interaction with larger galaxies. For example, as galaxies converge or merge. Scientists also believe that spiral galaxies can become elliptical over time.

Source: NASA