Hubble Sees Plunging Galaxy Losing Its Gas
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope spotted galaxy D100 being stripped of its gas as the wayward spiral plunges towards the center of the giant Coma cluster containing more than 1,000 galaxies. Gas is the lifeblood of a galaxy, fueling the birth of new stars. Once it is stripped of all of its gas, D100 will enter retirement and shine only by the feeble glow of its aging, red stars (such as galaxy D99 -- just below and to the left of D100) in this image.