Most galaxies are traveling away from our galaxy, not closer to it. Still, there are exceptions.
Take Messier 90, one of the few galaxies that appears to be traveling towards our own Milky Way galaxy. Recently, NASA’s Hubble telescope caught an awe-inspiring photo of the galaxy.
Here it is in full.
Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA, W. Sargent et
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Because the universe is expanding, most galaxies are moving away from the Milky Way galaxy. Consequently, these galaxies appear to be on the red side of the spectrum, a phenomenon known as redshift.
Messier 90, however, compresses the frequency of its light as it moves closer to us. That makes it fall closer to the blue side of the spectrum, a phenomenon known as blueshift.
It’s important to note that the Virgo cluster, of which Messier 90 is a part, is moving away from us. But Messier 90 is actually moving faster than other galaxies in the cluster, making it appear as if it’s racing towards the Milky Way. The cluster’s colossal mass accelerates some of these galaxies to very high velocities.
Just look at how pretty it makes them.
Image: NASA, ESA, STScI, and V. Rubin (Carnegie Institution of Washington), D. Maoz (Tel Aviv University/Wise Observatory) and D. Fisher (University of Maryland)
I would totally take a selfie with this galaxy.
