The Edge On Spindle Galaxy
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,
pictured here, but are
not
seen edge-on from our vantage point.
A perhaps more familiar galaxy seen edge-on is our own
Milky Way Galaxy.
Cataloged as M102 and NGC 5866, the
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
stars
can be seen extending past the
dust in the extremely thin galactic plane.
There is evidence that the Spindle galaxy has cannibalized
smaller galaxies over the past billion years or so, including
multiple streams of faint stars,
dark dust that extends away from the main galactic plane, and a
surrounding group
of galaxies (not shown).
In general, many
disk galaxies become thin because the
gas that
forms them collides with itself as it rotates about the gravitational center.
The
Spindle galaxy
lies about 50 million
light years distant toward the constellation of the Dragon
(
Draco).
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.
