IC 2574, known as the Codington Nebula. /Courtesy of Laurent Fenis

The small galaxy, the dwarf galaxy IC 2574, is located about 12 million light-years away (1 light-year is the distance light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers) and is part of the M81 galaxy group in the direction of Ursa Major. Discovered in 1898 by American astronomer Edwin Hubble, this galaxy, also known as the "Hubble Nebula," has a diameter of about 50,000 light-years. In IC 2574's red glowing hydrogen gas region, strong stellar winds and supernova explosions spread the material within the galaxy, actively promoting star formation.