Scientists need to study this unusual phenomenon.
In a new image from the Hubble space telescope, presented by NASA, we see a Central area of a relatively small spiral galaxy NGC 247, located at a distance of about 11 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus.
This galaxy belongs to the nearest group of galaxies called the Sculptor group.
The bright core of NGC 247 is surrounded by a mixture of stars, gas and dust. Dark dust spots and threads loom on the background of stars and gas formed nodes, known as H II region, scattered along the spiral sleeve and the outer regions of the galaxy.
NGC 247 has one mysterious feature, which, however, in this image do not see. The Northern part of the disk contains an obvious void, a giant lapse in the usual star clusters and H II regions. Inside this void is inhabited by stars, but they are quite different from those around this area. These luminaries are much older and, as a result, much more dim and red.
As suggested by the astronomers, star formation processes, which cover most of the disk of the galaxy, were suspended in this area and does not leak now for maybe a billion years.
Astronomers do not yet know how this formed a void, but a recent study suggests that perhaps it is the result of gravitational interaction with another galaxy.
