Explanation:
This gorgeous island universe, cataloged
as
NGC 2683, lies a mere
16 million light-years distant in the northern constellation
Lynx.
A spiral galaxy comparable to our own Milky Way, NGC 2683 is seen
nearly edge-on in
this
cosmic vista, with more distant galaxies
scattered in the background.
Blended light from a large population of old yellowish stars forms
the remarkably bright galactic core.
Starlight silhouettes the dust lanes along winding spiral arms, dotted
with the telltale pink glow of
ionized hydrogen gas from this
galaxy's star forming regions.
