NGC 1309: Spiral Galaxy and Friends
Explanation:
A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant,
NGC 1309 lies on the banks of
the constellation
of the River (
Eridanus).
NGC 1309 spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size
of our larger
Milky Way galaxy.
Bluish clusters of
young stars and
dust lanes are seen to trace out
NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older yellowish star
population at its core.
Not just another
pretty face-on
spiral galaxy, observations of
NGC 1309's
recent supernova and
Cepheid variable stars contribute to the
calibration of
the expansion of the Universe.
Still, after you get over this beautiful galaxy's
grand design,
check out
the array of more distant background galaxies also recorded
in the above, sharp, reprocessed,
Hubble Space Telescope view.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
