Hubble captures galaxy NGC 4698 spinning in two directions at once

The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged NGC 4698, a spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster about 55 million light-years away. Its inner and outer regions rotate in opposite directions, likely due to an external disturbance.

• NGC 4698 lies in the Virgo Cluster, 55 million light-years away
• Its inner and outer regions rotate in opposite directions
• An external disturbance is the likely cause