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Hubble Catches a Side-on Spiral Streak


Waspie_Dwarf

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Hubble Catches a Side-on Spiral Streak

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This thin, glittering streak of stars is the spiral galaxy ESO 121-6, which lies in the southern constellation of Pictor (The Painter's Easel). Viewed almost exactly side-on, the intricate structure of the swirling arms is hidden, but the full length of the galaxy can be seen — including the intense glow from the central bulge, a dense region of tightly packed young stars sitting at the center of the spiral arms.

Tendrils of dark dust can be seen across the frame, partially obscuring the bright center of the galaxy and continuing out towards the smattering of stars at its edges, where the dust lanes and shapes melt into the inky background. Numerous nearby stars and galaxies are visible as small smudges in the surrounding sky, and the brightest stars are dazzlingly prominent towards the bottom left of the image.

ESO 121-6 is a galaxy with patchy, loosely-wound arms and a relatively faint central bulge. It actually belongs to a group of galaxies, a clump of no more than 50 similar structures all loosely bound to one another by gravity. The Milky Way is also a member of a galactic group, known as the Local Group.

ESA/Hubble & NASA

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It's a pity we will only ever see all this cosmic beauty in pictures.. not with our own eyes at a favorable vantage point...

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It's a pity we will only ever see all this cosmic beauty in pictures.. not with our own eyes at a favorable vantage point...

You see the Milky Way-rising here from earth if you like.

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You see the Milky Way-rising here from earth if you like.

Hi

Those are photos and camera film or an image sensor will gather more (star) light over (long exposure) time than we can see with our human eyes in real time..

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Regardless, space is stunning, I would wish the same as Taun. I just love Galaxies. That photo is nothing short of breathtaking.

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Hi

Those are photos and camera film or an image sensor will gather more (star) light over (long exposure) time than we can see with our human eyes in real time..

Yeah, you're right, it requires a bit of manipulation, so it's not visible in real-time.

It would be nice though to have a few other planets than our moon close to us, for our viewing pleasure.

Like a Saturnus and few more moons. :)

gazebo2k3.jpg

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