M90, seen in this #HubbleFriday image, is one of the rare galaxies approaching the Milky Way. Located about 55 million light-years away, M90 has gained such speed within the Virgo Cluster that it is on its way to escaping the cluster altogether. Luckily, its movement is in our direction. As M90 continues on its path for billions of years, it will have a large galactic disk and will lose its spiral arms, becoming a lenticular galaxy.

Image description:

A spiral galaxy. It has a bright nucleus that shines outwards. Its disk contains thick clumps of dark reddish dust that swirl around the galaxy as it rotates. Brighter and hotter stars, shown in blue, speckle parts of the disk. A faint halo of gas wraps around the galaxy, extending beyond the edges of the image.

 

Image credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Tully

What will it look like when it transforms?