A mysterious galaxy named LEDA 12535, also known as MCG+07-07-072 or SDSS J032041.39+424814.8, has caught the attention of astronomers. Situated approximately 320 million light years away in the constellation Perseus, this galaxy belongs to the category of spiral galaxies with a peculiar feature – a jumper.
LEDA 12535 is distinct in its appearance, sporting thin spiral arms that extend from the ends of the jumper and almost encircle the galaxy’s disk. According to the extended Hubble scheme classification, this galaxy is labeled as SBC (R), with “C” denoting poorly wound spiral arms and “(R)” indicating the ring structure they form.
Galactic rings can vary in shape and structure, ranging from rare to highly significant in astrophysical terms. For instance, lenticular galaxies, which fall between elliptical and spiral galaxies, often exhibit ring structures in their disks despite lacking spiral arms.
There are also galaxies with ring structures resulting from galactic collisions. These rings, known as Einstein rings, are distorted images of distant galaxies caused by the bending of light due to gravitational lensing. However, such rings only form under specific alignment conditions between the observable and distant galaxies.
Due to its unique structure and characteristics, LEDA 12535 has piqued the interest of astrophysicists and is poised to become a significant subject for further study.