The Hubble telescope has just discovered a new galaxy 60 million light years away. IC 335 as its called, is a lenticular galaxy, and is one of four galaxies in its galaxy group in the Fornax Galaxy Cluster. The stunning photo shared by NASA has since gone viral.

According to NASA, the "45,000 light-year-long galaxy could be classified as an SO type," or lenticular galaxy, which typically have a thin stellar disk and a bulge and fall between a true spiral and an elliptical galaxy. 

IC 335 is that it's 45 000 light years long, and is part of an aging troupe of galaxies in the Fornax cluster. In NASA's own words, "These lenticular galaxies are an intermediate state in galaxy morphological classification schemes between true spiral and elliptical galaxies. They have a thin stellar disk and a bulge, like spiral galaxies, but in contrast to typical spiral galaxies they have used up most of the interstellar medium."

This means that there is not enough material to keep making stars for much longer, galaxies of these type are at the end of their lifespans so to speak.

In the image, the disk of IC 335 appears edge-on from the vantage point of Earth. This makes it harder for astronomers to classify it, as most of the characteristics of a galaxy's morphology and shape, the arms of a spiral or the bar across the center, are only visable when viewed from a vantage point directly perpendicular to the galaxy. 

As S0 galaxies have only ill-defined spiral arms they are easily mistaken for elliptical galaxies if they are seen inclined face-on or edge-on as IC 335 here. And indeed, despite the morphological differences between S0 and elliptical class galaxies, they share some common characteristics, like typical sizes and spectral features.

NASA shared the stunning space image on Facebook Dec. 24, and it has been liked more than 33,000 times.