![](\"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Settling_into_old_age_small.jpg\")
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\nNGC 3384, visible in this image, has many of the features characteristic of so-called\u00a0elliptical galaxies. Such galaxies glow diffusely, are rounded in shape, display few visible features, and rarely show signs of recent\u00a0star formation. Instead, they are dominated by old, ageing, and red-hued stars. This stands in contrast to the sprightliness of\u00a0spiral galaxies\u00a0such as our home galaxy, the\u00a0Milky Way, which possess significant populations of young, blue stars in spiral arms swirling around a bright core.\n<\/p>\n
\nHowever, NGC 3384 also displays a hint of disc-like structure towards its centre, in the form of a central \u2018bar\u2019 of stars cutting through its centre. Many spirals also boast such a bar, the Milky Way included; galactic bars are thought to funnel material through and around a galaxy\u2019s core, helping to maintain and fuel the activities and processes occurring there.\n<\/p>\n
\nNGC 3384 is located approximately 35 million light-years away in the constellation of\u00a0Leo (The Lion). This image was taken using the\u00a0NASA\/ESA Hubble Space Telescope\u2019s\u00a0Advanced Camera for Surveys.\n<\/p>\n