1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,500 Hubble has snapped a spectacular view of the largest “player” in the Leo Triplet, 2 00:00:04,700 --> 00:00:07,000 a galaxy with an unusual anatomy: 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:12,500 it displays asymmetric spiral arms and an apparently displaced core. 4 00:00:12,700 --> 00:00:16,500 The peculiar anatomy is most likely caused by the gravitational pull 5 00:00:16,700 --> 00:00:19,500 of the other two members of the trio. 6 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:37,000 This is the Hubblecast! 7 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,500 News and images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. 8 00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:47,500 Hubblecast Episode 34: Hubble snaps heavyweight of the Leo Triplet 9 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,000 The unusual spiral galaxy, Messier 66, is located at a distance 10 00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:00,000 of about 35 million light-years in the constellation of Leo. 11 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:08,000 Together with Messier 65 and NGC 3628, Messier 66 is one third of the Leo Triplet, 12 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:14,000 a trio of interacting spiral galaxies, part of the larger Messier 66 group. 13 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:18,500 Messier 66 wins out in size over its fellow triplets — 14 00:01:18,700 --> 00:01:22,500 it is about 100 000 light-years across. 15 00:01:22,700 --> 00:01:28,500 Messier 66 is the proud owner of exclusive asymmetric spiral arms 16 00:01:28,700 --> 00:01:33,000 which seem to climb above the galaxy’s main disc 17 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:34,500 and an apparently displaced nucleus. 18 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:39,500 This asymmetry is unusual; 19 00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:43,500 most often, dense waves of gas, dust and newly born stars 20 00:01:43,700 --> 00:01:47,500 wind about the galaxy’s centre in a symmetric way. 21 00:01:47,700 --> 00:01:51,500 Astronomers believe that Messier 66’s once orderly shape 22 00:01:51,700 --> 00:01:55,500 has most likely been distorted by the gravitational pull of its two neighbours. 23 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,500 Hubble has imaged Messier 66’s striking dust lanes and bright star clusters 24 00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:06,000 along the spiral arms in fine detail. 25 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,700 Star clusters — pictured in the blue and pinkish regions of the image — 26 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,500 are key tools for astronomers since they are used as indicators 27 00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:18,000 of how the parent galaxies assembled over time. 28 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:25,000 Messier 66 boasts a remarkable record of supernovae explosions. 29 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,000 The spiral galaxy has hosted three supernovae since 1989, 30 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,000 the latest one occurring in 2009. 31 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:39,500 A supernova is a stellar explosion that may momentarily outshine its entire host galaxy. 32 00:02:39,700 --> 00:02:44,000 It then fades away over a period lasting several weeks or months. 33 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,500 During its very short life the supernova radiates as much energy as 34 00:02:48,700 --> 00:02:53,000 the Sun would radiate over a period of about 10 billion years. 35 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,000 Transcribed by ESA/Hubble