Sunny Priyan
The jellyfish galaxy JW39, located 900 million light-years away in Coma Berenices, is one of the many jellyfish galaxies studied by Hubble in the past two years.
Compared to their more isolated counterparts, the galaxies in galaxy clusters are often distorted by the gravitational pull of larger neighbors, which can twist galaxies into a variety of shapes.
As JW39 moves through the hot plasma between galaxies, the pressure strips away its gas, creating long trailing tendrils.
Despite the harsh environment, star formation in JW39’s trailing ribbons is similar to that in its galaxy disk.
Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 provided detailed images of these unique star-forming tentacles.
The tendrils of JW39 provide a unique environment for star formation, offering valuable insights into galaxy-surrounding interactions.