Astronomy Picture of the Day

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2841


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#106283 by @ 30.03.2008 00:00 - nach oben -
Spiral Galaxy NGC 2841


Explanation:

Some 50 million light-years distant, spiral galaxy NGC 2841
can be found in the northern constellation of
Ursa Major.

This sharp view of the
gorgeous island universe
shows off a striking yellow nucleus and galactic disk with tightly
wound
spiral arms.

NGC 2841 has a diameter of over 150,000 light-years, even larger than
our own
Milky Way Galaxy.

The galaxy's dust lanes and turbulent star-forming regions are found
along the spiral arms, but
X-ray images
suggest that resulting winds and stellar explosions create
plumes of hot gas extending into a halo around NGC 2841.

Of course, the prominent stars with a
spiky appearance in
the picture are close foreground objects within the Milky Way
and not associated with
NGC 2841.



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