NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured this side-on view of NGC 3568, a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Centaurus around 57 million light-years from the Milky Way.
In 2014, light from a supernova explosion in NGC 3568 reached Earth – a brief burst of light triggered by the colossal explosion accompanying a giant star’s demise. This supernova was discovered in New Zealand by amateur astronomers participating in the Backyard Observatory Supernova Search. Amateur astronomers frequently make fascinating findings – especially on transient celestial events such as supernovae and comets.
This Hubble observation is based on a plethora of data obtained in preparation for future science with NASA’s planned James Webb Space Telescope.
