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A hundred million light-years down the Celestial River.

Located in the constellation Eridanus, NGC 1266 offers astronomers a rare glimpse into a galaxy caught between two chapters of its life.

Known as a “post-starburst” galaxy, NGC 1266 once experienced an intense period of star formation. Today, however, it has largely quieted down. While the galaxy still contains a relatively young population of stars, very few new stars are currently being born.

Scientists believe this dramatic transformation may have been triggered by a minor merger with another galaxy around 500 million years ago. That encounter likely compressed gas, igniting a burst of star formation before eventually leaving the galaxy depleted of much of the material needed to continue creating stars.

In this Hubble image, NGC 1266 appears almost face-on. Subtle patterns hint at a spiral structure, but distinct spiral arms are absent. A striking band of reddish-brown dust cuts across the galaxy, while distant galaxies shine through the background — and even through some of the thinner regions of NGC 1266 itself.

Galaxies like this help astronomers understand how star formation can switch on, fade away, and reshape a galaxy’s future.

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Image credit: NASA, ESA, K. Alatalo (STScI); Image Processing: G. Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

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