Astronomer Elio Quiroga Rodriguez of Mid-Atlantic University in Spain made an interesting discovery while analyzing images of the Sombrero Galaxy taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). He identified a strange object within the galaxy, a galaxy with an active galactic nucleus (AGN). AGNs are compact regions in the center of galaxies that emit more light than the surrounding galaxies. They are known for their high energies due to the presence of black hole or star formation activity. Objects found in the Sombrero galaxy, previously classified as globular cluster candidates, turned out to be SBC-type barred spiral galaxies with an AGN at their center. The discovered galaxy, cataloged as PSO J190.0326-11.6132, has two spiral arms containing a dominant central arm, a nucleus, and possibly young stars and dust. Based on its radial velocity, it is estimated that this galaxy is either a satellite of the Sombrero Galaxy about 1,000 light-years distant, or an independent galaxy about 65 million light-years distant. His X-ray radiance of the newly discovered galaxy indicates the presence of an active galactic nucleus. Further observations are needed to determine if it is a Type 1 or Type 2 AGN. This discovery sheds new light on the complexity and diversity of galaxies in the universe. Rodriguez proposed naming the newly discovered galaxy the “Iris galaxy.” Further study and analysis of these interesting objects will provide valuable insights into the nature of AGNs and galaxy formation.

Sources:

– E. Quiroga, A peculiar galaxy near M104, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2308.06187