Hubble Captures Highly Disturbed Spiral Galaxy, NASA Shares Photo

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released an image of a galaxy captured by the Hubble telescope, which space scientists say has an unusual, distorted form that resembles the letter "S" from Earth, as well as a narrow filament of black material snaking across it.

Hubble's view of this portion of NGC 3718 reveals the sinuous, twisting dust lane in detail, as it sweeps by the core of the galaxy and bends into the surrounding gas, the researchers said. NASA shared a picture of the spiral galaxy on Twitter On Wednesday.

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According to NASA, Hubble captured this image in visible and infrared light as part of a study of the centre regions of disk-shaped galaxies with significant star bulges in multiple configurations.

Since the massive dust lane conceals much of the visible and ultraviolet light, the galaxy's nucleus is difficult to observe in visible or ultraviolet light, but it may be seen in infrared light, which passes through dusty parts, it added.

NGC 3718, also known as Arp 214, is considered to have developed its distinctive form as a result of gravitational interaction with NGC 3729, which is a neighbouring spiral galaxy around 150,000 light years away.

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The line of reddish star formation that extends toward the 9 o'clock position, as well as the black tendril of dust that stretches toward the 7 o'clock position, are probably caused by this encounter.

The goal of the research was to better understand the link between the mass of supermassive black holes and the features of galactic bulges, as well as to look into star formation on a galactic scale, from the nucleus to the disc, NASA said.