Uncover Lenticular Galaxies: NGC 6684

 Lenticular galaxies are intriguing cosmic structures, presenting a hybrid composition of elliptical and spiral galaxies. Their disk-like structure mirrors that of spiral galaxies, while their population of ancient stars and negligible star formation activity parallels elliptical galaxies. These unique combinations render lenticular galaxies as spectral entities, distinguished by their unusual shapes, faintly outlined spiral arms, and muted white hue.

A noteworthy illustration of a lenticular galaxy is NGC 6684, nestled 44 million light-years away in the Peacock constellation. Generally, these galaxies display dense brown dust bands across their images, yet NGC 6684 lacks these, contributing to its ghostly appearance.

The image was captured as part of the Every Known Nearby Galaxy survey, a Hubble telescope initiative documenting all galaxies within a 50 million light-year radius from Earth. Prior to this project, Hubble had already imaged 75% of these galaxies.

The survey’s ultimate aim is to examine the stellar populations within various galaxy types, illuminating the star formation events that have occurred throughout their existence. This will also provide insights into the conditions prevalent during their genesis. 

Credits: NASA, ESA, Hubble.