NGC 1792 is a turbulent and highly active spiral galaxy located in the southern constellation of Columba.
This Hubble image shows the active spiral galaxy NGC 1792. Image credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble/D. Tilker/F. Belfiore/J. Lee/PHANGS-HST Team.
NGK 1792 is located approximately 36.4 million light years from Earth in the southern constellation of Columba, almost bordering the constellation Caelum.
This galaxy, also known as AGC 24019 or LEDA 16709, was discovered Scottish astronomer James Dunlop October 4, 1826.
NGC 1792's appearance is quite chaotic due to the heterogeneous distribution of dust across the disk.
The galaxy is very rich in neutral hydrogen and new stars are rapidly forming in it.
“NGC 1792 is every bit as interesting to astronomers as its chaotic appearance suggests,” the Hubble astronomers wrote in a statement.
“Classified as a starburst galaxy, it is a star-forming powerhouse with spiral arms rich in star-forming regions.”
“It is actually surprisingly luminous for its mass,” they noted.
“The galaxy is not far from a larger neighbor, NGK 1808and it is believed that it was the strong gravitational interaction between them that led to the increase in gas reserves in this galaxy.”
“The result is a stream of star formation concentrated on the side where gravity has a stronger effect.”
“This is an ideal target for astronomers seeking to understand the complex interactions between gas, star clusters and supernovae in galaxies.”
In 2020, astronomers used Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) tool for observe NGK 1792.
The new image includes additional data from WFC3 collected through 2025, providing greater insight into the vigorous astrophysical activity occurring in the galaxy.
“The blooming red lights in the arms mark so-called H-alpha emission from dense clouds of hydrogen molecules,” the astronomers said.
“Stars form within these clouds and glow powerfully with ultraviolet radiation.”
“They ionize the gas around them, causing the gas to emit light at a particular red wavelength—a telltale sign of new stars.”
