Spiral Galaxy NGC 4911 in the Coma Cluster

The majestic face-on spiral galaxy NGC 4911 is located deep within the Coma Cluster of galaxies. This immense cluster is home to almost 1,000 galaxies, making it one of the densest collections of galaxies in the nearby universe. NGC 4911 contains rich lanes of dust and gas near its center. These are silhouetted against glowing newborn star clusters and iridescent pink clouds of hydrogen, the existence of which indicates ongoing star formation. Hubble has also captured the outer spiral arms of NGC 4911, along with thousands of other galaxies of varying sizes. NGC 4911 and other spirals near the center of the cluster are being disturbed by the gravitational tug of their neighbors. In the case of NGC 4911, wispy arcs of the galaxy's outer spiral arms are being pulled and distorted by forces from a companion galaxy (NGC 4911A), to the upper right. The stripped material will eventually be dispersed throughout the core of the Coma Cluster, where it will fuel the intergalactic populations of stars and star clusters. Galaxies in this cluster are so densely packed that they undergo frequent interactions and collisions.