Astronomy Picture of the Day

NGC 4565: Galaxy on the Edge


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#76782 by @ 09.07.2005 00:00 - nach oben -
NGC 4565: Galaxy on the Edge


Explanation:

Magnificent spiral galaxy
NGC 4565
is viewed edge-on from planet Earth.

Also known as the Needle Galaxy
for its narrow profile, bright
NGC 4565 is a stop on many telescopic tours
of the northern sky as it lies in the faint but well-groomed
constellation Coma
Berenices
.

This
sharp color image
reveals the galaxy's bulging central core
dominated by light from a population of older, yellowish stars.

The core is dramatically cut by obscuring dust lanes which lace
NGC 4565's thin galactic plane.

A large island universe
similar to our own
Milky Way
Galaxy
, NGC 4565 is only about 30 million
light-years distant, but over 100,000 light-years in diameter.

In fact, some consider NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial
masterpiece Messier missed.




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