Perseus dwarf galaxy

This object, [CGW2003] J031931.7+4131, is one of four dwarf galaxies that is part of a census of small galaxies in the tumultuous heart of the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster.

The galaxies appear smooth and symmetrical, suggesting that they have not been tidally disrupted by the pull of gravity in the dense cluster environment. Larger galaxies around them, however, are being ripped apart by the gravitational tug of other galaxies.

The image, taken by NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 2005, is an evidence that the undisturbed galaxies are enshrouded by a "cushion" of dark matter, which protects them from their rough-and-tumble neighborhood.