![](\"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Galactic_maturity_small.jpg\")
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\nThis striking image was taken by the\u00a0NASA\/ESA Hubble Space Telescope\u2019s\u00a0Wide Field Camera 3, a powerful instrument installed on the telescope in 2009. WFC3 is responsible for\u00a0many of Hubble\u2019s most breathtaking and iconic photographs, including\u00a0Pictures of the Week.\n<\/p>\n
\nShown here, NGC 7773 is a beautiful example of a\u00a0barred spiral galaxy. A luminous bar-shaped structure cuts prominently through the galaxy’s bright core, extending to the inner boundary of NGC 7773’s sweeping, pinwheel-like spiral arms. Astronomers think that these bar structures emerge later in the lifetime of a galaxy, as star-forming material makes its way towards the galactic centre \u2014 younger spirals do not feature barred structures as often as older spirals do, suggesting that bars are a sign of galactic maturity. They are also thought to act as stellar nurseries, as they gleam brightly with copious numbers of youthful stars.\n<\/p>\n
\nOur galaxy, the Milky Way, is thought to be a barred spiral like NGC 7773. By studying galactic specimens such as NGC 7773 throughout the Universe, researchers hope to learn more about the processes that have shaped \u2014 and continue to shape \u2014 our cosmic home.\n<\/p>\n