<\/p>\n
The\u00a0spiral galaxy\u00a0NGC 2008 sits centre stage, its ghostly spiral arms spreading out towards us, in this image captured by the\u00a0NASA\/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This galaxy is located about 425 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of\u00a0Pictor (The Painter\u2019s Easel). Discovered in 1834 by astronomer John Herschel, NGC 2008 is categorised as a type Sc galaxy in the\u00a0Hubble sequence, a system used to describe and classify the various morphologies of galaxies. The \u201cS\u201d indicates that NGC 2008 is a spiral, while the \u201cc\u201d means it has a relatively small central\u00a0bulge\u00a0and more open spiral arms. Spiral galaxies with larger central bulges tend to have more tightly wrapped arms, and are classified as Sa galaxies, while those in between are classified as type Sb.<\/p>\n
Spiral galaxies are ubiquitous across the cosmos, comprising over 70% of all observed galaxies \u2014 including our own, the\u00a0Milky Way. However, their ubiquity does not detract from their beauty. These grand, spiralling collections of billions of stars are among the most wondrous sights that have been captured by telescopes\u00a0such as Hubble, and are firmly embedded in astronomical iconography.\u00a0<\/p>\n