APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
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.
Spiral Galaxy NGC 3628 Edge On
Explanation: Explanation : This is what a spiral galaxy looks like sideways. This view of NGC 3628 nearly resembles our own Milky Way Galaxy , which is also known to be a spiral . The dark band across the center is absorbed starlight caused by the galaxy's own interstellar dust . NGC 3628 is the faintest member of the Leo Triplet , a group of galaxies dominated by M65 and M66 . The Leo Triplet lies about 35 million light years distant. The center of NGC 3628 emits variable X-ray radiation perhaps indicating the presence of a massive black hole .
| Date | November 1, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Credit |
Spiral Galaxy NGC 3628 Edge On Credit: Anglo-Australian Telescope photograph by David Malin Copyright: Anglo-Australian Telescope Board |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |