The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured a stunning image of NGC 3783, a barred spiral galaxy located approximately 130 million light-years away from Earth. This galaxy is the namesake of the NGC 3783 galaxy group, which is a collection of gravitationally bound galaxies. While galaxy clusters can consist of hundreds or even thousands of galaxies, galaxy groups are smaller and less massive compared to galaxy clusters. Our own Milky Way galaxy is part of a galaxy group known as the Local Group, along with two other large galaxies (Andromeda and Triangulum) as well as dozens of satellite and dwarf galaxies. The NGC 3783 galaxy group itself contains 47 galaxies and appears to be in an early stage of its evolution, making it a compelling subject for further study. By examining this fascinating cosmic structure, scientists can gain valuable insights into the formation and development of galaxies within these smaller structures.
