Space exploration is one of the most intriguing things the human species looks out for. We are always keen to know what lies beyond our blue planet. And in this series, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has played a big part in exploring celestial outer space. 

NASA has just found a dwarf galaxy, which is 52 million light years away from our planet, and shared a mesmerising image on Instagram. This image of the Virgo galaxy was captured by the famous Hubble telescope.

Because of its habitat status for relatively dense gas, the Virgo Galaxy puts pressure on many other galaxies as well as on itself. We call this phenomenon "ram pressure."

NASA wrote in its Instagram post, “The NASA Hubble Space Telescope imaged this dwarf galaxy, which lives 52 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. The Virgo galaxy cluster is also home to some relatively dense gas, causing many galaxies like this one to live under the pressure it exerts, known as ram pressure.”

Next in the caption, NASA explained what “Ram Pressure" is and how it can affect the formation of stars in galaxies, just like in the Vrigo galaxy. This happens after the release of intergalactic gases. This force works in a dual capacity and has significant implications for celestial bodies. 

NASA wrote, “Ram pressure from intergalactic gas can dramatically impact star formation in galaxies like this one. On one hand, the force can drive out gases and dust that lead to star formation, slowing or stopping star production entirely. Conversely, the pressure can compress these star-forming ingredients, boosting the formation of new stars.”

NASA also provided a detailed description of the image they posted of the galaxy; this description offers clarity to the users. “In this image, black space is dotted with orange and yellow stars and galaxies, widely ranging in shape and size. Prominent in the left portion of the image is a dusty spray of stars making up the dwarf galaxy. It glitters with small white and light-yellow stars,” the space agency wrote.

The users in the comment section sparkled with amazing reactions. One user asked a question and wrote, “@nasa do we know if the pressure is working positively, boosting the formation of new stars or negatively, slowing down the star production?”

Another user wrote, “Mesmerising mess of sparkling beauty.” A third one said, “This is amazing tbh, I’m gonna live in space.”