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.

                                2024 March 6
   [2]A starfield is shown with an unusual horizontal line segment running
   throug the middle. The segment is an edge-on galaxy and many brown dust
     filaments are visible. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                          M102: Edge-on Disk Galaxy
       Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]Hubble; Processing: [6]Ehsan
                                  Ebahimian

   Explanation: What kind of celestial object is this? A relatively normal
   galaxy -- but seen from its edge. Many disk galaxies are actually just
   as thin as NGC 5866, the Spindle galaxy, [7]pictured here, but are not
   [8]seen edge-on from our vantage point. A perhaps more familiar galaxy
   seen edge-on is our own [9]Milky Way galaxy. Also cataloged as M102,
   the [10]Spindle galaxy has numerous and complex dust lanes appearing
   dark and red, while many of the bright stars in the disk give it a more
   blue underlying hue. The blue disk of young [11]stars can be seen in
   this [12]Hubble image extending past the [13]dust in the extremely
   [14]thin galactic plane. There is evidence that the [15]Spindle galaxy
   has cannibalized smaller galaxies over the past billion years or so,
   including [16]multiple streams of faint stars, dark dust that extends
   away from the main galactic plane, and a [17]surrounding group of
   galaxies (not shown). In general, many [18]disk galaxies become thin
   because the gas that [19]forms them collides with itself as it rotates
   about the gravitational center. The [20]Spindle galaxy lies about 50
   million [21]light years distant toward the constellation of the Dragon
   ([22]Draco).

              Tomorrow's picture: not a distant galactic nebula
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn; [38]Specific rights apply.
              [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2403/M102_HubbleEbrahimian_3615.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://esa.int/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/
   6. https://www.instagram.com/anugrafy/
   7. https://www.astrobin.com/xhlow5/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010510.html
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/the-milky-way-galaxy/
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_5866
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990919.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180725.html
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle_(textiles)#/media/File:Drop_spindles.jpg
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180206.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_5866_Group
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230531.html
  19. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_formation_and_evolution
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160309.html
  21. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  22. http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/draco.htm
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240305.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240306
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240307.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/