Astronomy Picture of the Day

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Explanation:
Why is this galaxy so discombobulated?

Usually, galaxies this
topsy-turvy
result from a recent collision with a neighboring galaxy.

Spiral galaxy NGC 1313, however, appears to be alone.

Brightly lit with new and blue massive stars, star formation appears so rampant in
NGC 1313 that it has been labeled a
starburst galaxy.

Strange features of
NGC 1313 include that its spiral arms are lopsided and its
rotational axis is not at the center of the nuclear bar.

Pictured above,
NGC 1313 spans about 50,000
light years and lies only about 15 million light years away toward the
constellation of
Reticulum.

Continued
numerical modeling
of galaxies like NGC 1313 might shed some light on its unusual nature.




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