(Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Filippenko; Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç)QUICK FACTS
What it is: NGC 6000, a helical galaxy
Where it is: Located 102 million light-years away in the Scorpius constellation
When it was released: Sept. 29, 2025
Behold a narrative for the ages — or perhaps a chronicle of eras.
The yellow narrates the core of NGC 6000, where the stars are aged, diminutive, and fairly frigid. These luminaries have radiated for eons. Within astronomy, cool stars appear red, whereas the hottest stars are blue. The latter reign over the edges of this galaxy, where its whirling arms teem with stars that are more youthful, blazing, and substantial. Such stars are cosmic newborns.
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The depiction, also accessible as a panning video, resulted from Hubble’s search for supernova bursts — hence the fragmented framing. The aging space telescope zoomed in on the subtle luminescence of supernovas dubbed SN 2007ch and SN 2010as, stars which detonated in 2007 and 2010, correspondingly.
However, while capturing NGC 6000, Hubble also seized another element altogether. Scan the rightmost area of the depiction, and observe four faint, discontinuous streaks — the trajectory of an asteroid that traversed Hubble’s scope as it amassed four prolonged-exposure captures of NGC 6000. The broken trails are hued red and blue because Hubble leveraged red and blue filters to accumulate visible light, thus enabling astronomers to assess stars by their shades.
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Despite its location within the Scorpius constellation, manifest during the Northern Hemisphere’s summertime, NGC 6000 sits south of the celestial equator, as noted by The Sky Live. Consequently, it is more effortlessly observable from the Southern Hemisphere. Nevertheless, catching a glimpse calls for at least a 10-inch aperture telescope and an inky sky.
For further wondrous celestial depictions, browse our Space Photo of the Week compilation.
TOPICSHubble Space Telescopespace photo of the week
Jamie CarterSocial Links NavigationLive Science contributor
Jamie Carter is a self-employed journalist and frequent Live Science ally situated in Cardiff, U.K. He is the writer of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and presents lectures on astronomy and nature. Jamie routinely contributes to Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine and Scientific American, and numerous others. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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