Arp 284 (NGC 7714) – Hubble Space Telescope Image
Arp 284 (NGC 7714) – Hubble Space Telescope Image
Arp 284, centred here on the interacting galaxy NGC 7714, unfolds across a dark field in Pisces. Seen by the Hubble Space Telescope at a distance of 100 million light-years, the galaxy is markedly asymmetrical: a brilliant core and tightly worked inner structure occupy the left of the composition, while long, delicate extensions reach into the surrounding blackness.
Blue light dominates the galaxy’s contorted form, interrupted by warm orange patches and narrow regions of shadow. The brightest material appears concentrated around the centre, where luminous arcs curl around darker folds. Farther out, the structure becomes finer and more tenuous, dissolving into filaments rather than ending at a clean boundary. The generous darkness to the right gives these outer traces room to register, while a faint elongated object near the edge adds a quieter counterpoint to the main galaxy.
Officially classified as an interacting galaxy system, Arp 284 is remarkable here for the visible irregularity of its structure. Instead of a neat, evenly balanced disc, the image presents a galaxy stretched into arcs, knots and trailing strands—a complex form whose disturbed appearance is particularly compelling at large scale.
A closer look
Near the nucleus, the image is at its most densely layered. A compact white-blue glow sits amid darker channels and mottled orange light, creating the impression of depth within the central region. Around it, the blue structure broadens into uneven curves, some sharply defined and others fading gradually into grey-black space.
Along the upper edge of the galaxy, a slender blue filament threads through a much darker region. Towards the far left, bright and shadowed material meet abruptly, revealing a finely textured boundary rather than a smooth outline. Below the centre, softer orange tones mingle with cooler blue-grey forms, while small red and white points punctuate the wider field.
The image’s scale of presentation brings out these changes in texture: the concentrated brilliance of the core, the intricate surrounding shadows and the extremely faint outer strands. What first appears to be a single sweep of blue light resolves into a complicated arrangement of narrow ridges, diffuse patches and isolated points.
How this image was made
This astronomical image was produced with the Hubble Space Telescope and released on 29 January 2015. The supplied metadata do not specify the instrument, observation dates, exposure time, filters or colour treatment, so the visible palette is best understood simply as the appearance of the finished released image rather than interpreted as a documented colour map.
Image details and provenance
- Subject: Arp 284, NGC 7714
- Object type: Interacting galaxy
- Constellation: Pisces
- Distance from Earth: 100 million light-years
- Telescope or observatories: Hubble Space Telescope
- Original release date: 29 January 2015, 16:00
- Image credit: ESA, NASA Acknowledgement: A. Gal-Yam (Weizmann Institute of Science)
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