NGC 5468 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the Virgo constellation, about 130-140 million light-years away, notable for its face-on orientation, which makes it ideal for studying star formation and supernovae. It features a distinct bar, open spiral arms with bright H II regions, and has hosted multiple supernovae, making it a key target for telescopes like Hubble and Webb to measure the universe's expansion rate using Cepheid
Type: Intermediate spiral galaxy (SAB(rs)cd)
Location: Constellation Virgo
Distance: Approximately 130-140 million light-years
Appearance: Seen face-on, with a central bar and open spiral arms that branch into fragments, filled with young blue stars and star-forming regions
Size: About 110,000 light-years across
Cosmic Distance Ladder: It's the farthest galaxy where Hubble has identified Cepheid variable stars, crucial for measuring cosmic distances.
Supernovae: It has hosted several supernovae (e.g., SN 2005P), providing data on different types of stellar explosions.
Hubble & Webb Collaboration: Combined data from Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope provides sharper images, helping to confirm distance measurements and study star formation. Image Credit ESA/Hubble & NASA, W. Li et al.
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