This is a mosaic-like inset of C72, with a high concentration of stars on the left (the center of the galaxy) fading out to be thinner on the right (the galactic edge).

C7 Inset Mosaic Image

The mosaic at the bottom captures countless stars in an outer portion of the disk of Caldwell 72 (NGC 55). It was created from multiple observations taken in visible and infrared light by Hubble’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). The ground-based image of the galaxy from the European Southern Observatory (ESO), at top right, shows the part of the galaxy captured in the Hubble mosaic.

Credits: Ground-based image: European Southern Observatory; Hubble image: NASA, ESA, and J. Dalcanton (University of Washington); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)