Dwarf Irregular Galaxy, I Zwicky 18
Dwarf irregular galaxy, I Zwicky 18, has a youthful appearance that resembles galaxies typically found only in the early universe. Hubble data allowed astronomers for the first time to identify Cepheid variable stars in I Zwicky 18, marked by the red circles. These flashing stellar mile-markers were used to determine that I Zwicky 18 is 59 million light-years from Earth, almost 10 million light-years more distant than previously believed. The concentrated bluish-white knots embedded in the heart of the galaxy are two major starburst regions where stars are forming at a furious rate. The wispy blue filaments surrounding the central starburst regions are bubbles of gas that have been blown away by stellar winds and supernovae explosions from a previous generation of hot stars. Besides the bluish-white young stars, white-reddish stars also are visible in both I Zwicky 18 and its companion. These stars may be as old as 10 billion years. The reddish extended objects surrounding I Zwicky 18 and its companion are ancient, fully formed galaxies of different shapes that are much farther away.
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Keywords: 18, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, body, celestial, deep, dwarf, galaxies, galaxy, heavenly, hst, hubble, image, irregular, object, science, sky, space, telescope, zwicky
