The mystery of the three rings: the Japanese Subaru telescope recorded a unique galaxy
The Japanese Subaru Space Telescope captured a unique ring-shaped galaxy surrounded by three rings, which became a rare find for astronomers. The origin of these rings remains a mystery to science, and research will continue to clarify the reasons for this unusual structure. It is reported Live Science with reference to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
The picture of the galaxy, which is about 800 million light-years from Earth, was taken from the island of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Its three-tiered structure does not fit into any of the classic Hubble galaxy categories: elliptical, lenticular, spiral, or irregular. The presence of rings indicates a special mechanism of formation, which scientists still cannot clearly explain.
According to Hubble’s classification, each galaxy has a certain shape: elliptical galaxies are characterized by an egg-shaped shape, lenticular galaxies are flattened with a bulge in the center, and spiral galaxies, like the Milky Way, have “stellar arms.” Irregular galaxies, in turn, have a chaotic structure. However, ring galaxies have been found to fit none of these categories. This calls into question the accuracy of Hubble’s classification, which some scientists consider outdated.
There are several hypotheses regarding the formation of rings in such galaxies. Some researchers believe that the rings are formed as a result of collisions of galaxies. Another theory explains their appearance as a result of resonance phenomena in the galaxy – when interstellar gas and dust move under the influence of gravity and gather in certain zones, forming a ring structure. Another possible mechanism is the collision of a galaxy with a spiral, which creates pulsations of gas and dust, forming a ring.
Project Galaxy Cruise, responsible for classifying the images of the Subaru telescope, continues to analyze the ring galaxies found, considering them to be the result of intergalactic collisions.
Whether the triple ring was discovered as a result of a collision of galaxies or natural resonance processes remains only a matter of speculation.
