Peekaboo Galaxy
The Peekaboo Galaxy, officially known as HIPASS J1131-31 and PGC 5060432, is a small irregular blue dwarf galaxy in the Hydra constellation. It’s about 1,200 light-years across and sits roughly 22 million light-years from Earth. It is one of the most metal-poor galaxies known, meaning it has very few heavy elements.
The galaxy got its name because it was hidden behind a fast-moving foreground star, TYC 7215-199-1; when the star moved aside in the late 20th century, the galaxy became visible.
In 2022, observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and other instruments allowed astronomers to study about 60 individual stars in Peekaboo, all of which are relatively young—only a few billion years old or younger. This supports its status as one of the most metal-poor galaxies detected in the Local Volume.
The exact age of Peekaboo is uncertain, and its story helps scientists learn about how the first stars formed and how heavier elements spread through the universe. Future studies with Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope are planned to learn more.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:02 (CET).