Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2020 December 24
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                            Portrait of NGC 1055
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Martin Pugh

   Explanation: Big, beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 1055 is a dominant member
   of [5]a small galaxy group a mere 60 million light-years away toward
   the aquatically intimidating [6]constellation Cetus. Seen edge-on, the
   island universe spans over 100,000 light-years, a little larger than
   our [7]own Milky Way galaxy. The colorful, spiky stars decorating this
   cosmic [8]portrait of NGC 1055 are in the foreground, well within the
   Milky Way. But the [9]telltale pinkish star forming regions are
   scattered through winding dust lanes along the distant galaxy's thin
   disk. With a smattering of even more distant background galaxies, the
   deep image also reveals a boxy halo that extends far above and below
   the central bluge and disk of NGC 1055. The halo itself is laced with
   faint, narrow structures, and could represent the mixed and spread out
   [10]debris from a satellite galaxy [11]disrupted by the larger spiral
   some [12]10 billion years ago.

                 Tomorrow's picture: Postcard from the North
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
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                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2012/NGC1055_MP.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.martinpughastrophotography.space/about
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061215.html
   6. http://hawastsoc.org/deepsky/cet/index.html
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/gallery/galaxy-location.html
   8. https://www.martinpughastrophotography.space/ngc-1055
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160909.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080619.html
  11. http://arxiv.org/abs/1003.4860
  12. http://www.cosmotography.com/images/cosmological_modeling_overview.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201223.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=201224
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201225.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/