Explanation:
Gorgeous spiral galaxy NGC 3521 is a mere 35 million light-years
distant, toward the
constellation Leo.
Spanning some 50,000 light-years, its central region is shown in
this dramatic image,
constructed from data drawn from the
Hubble Legacy Archive.
The close-up view highlights this galaxy's
characteristic
multiple, patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust and
clusters of young, blue stars.
In constrast, many
other spirals exhibit grand, sweeping arms.
A relatively bright galaxy in planet Earth's sky,
NGC 3521 is
easily visible in small telescopes, but often overlooked by
amateur imagers in favor of other Leo spiral galaxies,
like M66 and M65.
