NGC 7331 and Beyond . ... Credit Copyright: Ralf Muendlein (data acquisition), Wolfgang Kloehr (processing) Explanation: Big, beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 7331 is often touted as an analog to our own Milky Way . ... The effect is further enhanced in this deep image by the galaxies that lie beyond the gorgeous island universe . The background galaxies are about one tenth the apparent size of NGC 7331 and so lie roughly ten times farther away. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...