NASA has released a Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 4449, a dwarf irregular galaxy that is part of the Galaxies Losing Oxygen via Winds (GLOW) study. The photo was released on Nov. 2, 2026, according to the agency.

Researchers using Hubble examined 37 nearby dwarf galaxies, described as small galaxies containing a few thousand to hundreds of millions of stars. The study, which includes NGC 4449, found that much of the oxygen expected to be seen in these galaxies is missing. The agency said dwarf galaxies can hold onto only a small fraction of the oxygen produced by their stars.

The image is credited to NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage–ESA/Hubble Collaboration and Alessandra Aloisi of STScI and ESA. NASA points readers to further material about the unexplained oxygen shortfall.