Prepare to be mesmerized by the lenticular galaxy NGC 6684, as it illuminates this stunning image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Located a staggering 44 million light-years away in the constellation Pavo, which translates to “peacock” in Latin, this celestial beauty is part of the Southern Birds constellation group.
Lenticular galaxies, like NGC 6684, possess a large disk but lack the distinctive spiral arms seen in galaxies such as the Andromeda Galaxy. This unique characteristic places them in between elliptical and spiral galaxies, giving them an ethereal, otherworldly appearance. Unlike other galaxies, NGC 6684 is devoid of dark dust lanes, further enhancing its spectral allure.
This captivating image is part of the ambitious Every Known Nearby Galaxy project, which aims to survey all galaxies within 10 megaparsecs (32.6 million light-years) that the Hubble Telescope has yet to explore. Prior to this initiative, Hubble had already observed approximately 75% of these neighboring galaxies. By completing this census, we will gain valuable insights into the diverse stars that populate galaxies across a wide range of environments.
