Galaxy UGC 5189A in the constellation Leo
This image shows a relatively small galaxy known as UGC 5189A, which is located about 150 million light-years away in the constellation Leo.
This galaxy was studied by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency to study a supernova explosion in 2010 known as SN 2010jl.
This particular supernova is noteworthy because it was an exceptionally luminous supernova event.
In fact, over the course of three years, SN 2010jl released at least 2.5 billion times more visible energy than our Sun did during the same time frame across all wavelengths.
Even after supernovae fade to unobservable levels, it is still interesting to study the environments in which they occurred
Such studies can provide astronomers with valuable information: supernovae can occur for a variety of reasons, and understanding the environments in which they occur helps improve our understanding of the conditions that led to their occurrence.
Follow-up studies after supernovas are also improving our understanding of the immediate consequences of such events: from their powerful effects on the gas and dust surrounding them, to the stellar remnants they leave behind.
The Hubble Telescope has observed UGC 5189A several times since 2010.
This image is from data collected in three of Hubble's most recent studies of UGC 5189A.
These studies also examined several relatively nearby galaxies that recently hosted supernovas.
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