SUMMARY
The Hubble Space Telescope has released stunning images of IC 486, a barred spiral galaxy situated approximately 380 million light-years from Earth. This galaxy is characterized by a central bar structure from which its spiral arms extend. At the heart of IC 486 lies an active galactic nucleus (AGN) that emits a bright, "ethereal" white light, powered by a supermassive black hole over 100 million times the mass of our Sun. The images were created by combining Hubble's observational data with survey data to study the interactions within galaxy centers.
TAKEAWAYS
Hubble Telescope imaged the barred spiral galaxy IC 486.
IC 486 is located 380 million light-years from Earth.
The galaxy's active galactic nucleus emits an "ethereal" glow.
A supermassive black hole powers the galaxy's central light.