Sunny Priyan
It lies in the constellation Virgo and is located 43 million light-years from Earth. This highly detailed image uses data collected from six different filters.
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
The galaxy’s vibrant colors reveal glowing gas clouds, dark dust lanes, pink star nurseries, and a bright, trailing bar.
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
Barred spiral galaxies outnumber both regular spirals and elliptical galaxies put together, numbering around 60% of all galaxies.
Image Credit: Pixabay
The bar forms as stars and gas align in dense orbits, evolving with time—appearing in mature galaxies and sometimes fading if they become unstable.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Gravitational forces and orbital patterns fuel star formation by channeling matter into the galaxy's bar—an effect now being closely studied in NGC 4731.
Image Credit: Pixabay
NGC 4731’s extended spiral arms likely formed through gravitational tugs from neighboring galaxies in the Virgo Cluster.
Image Credit: Pexels