NGC 2787: A Barred Lenticular Galaxy
Lenticular galaxies aren't supposed to be photogenic.
Like
spiral galaxies, they contain a
disk, but like
elliptical galaxies, they are usually short on
dust, gas, and
pretty spiral arms.
Lenticulars are relatively little
studied, possibly because of their seemingly benign nature.
Famous galaxies historically classified as lenticular include
M84,
M85, and
M86.
Recent pictures and evidence, however, indicate that
lenticulars can be both photogenic and scientifically interesting.
For example, the
above image of
NGC 2787 taken with the
Hubble Space Telescope
shows that the center of
this lenticular galaxy has interesting structure.
The image was taken to help determine how
lenticular galaxies formed,
and what happens in their centers.
The span of
NGC 2787
in the above image is about 4500
light years, while the galaxy lies about 25 million
light years away toward the constellation of
Ursa Major.