Explanation:
Is our Galaxy this thin? We believe so.
Magnificent spiral galaxy
NGC 4565
is likely similar to our own spiral galaxy, but viewed edge-on from far away.
Also known as the Needle Galaxy
for its narrow profile, bright
NGC 4565 is a stop on many
telescopic tours
of the northern sky as it lies in the faint but well-groomed
constellation Coma
Berenices.
This
sharp color image reveals the galaxy's bulging central core
dominated by light from a population of older, yellowish stars.
The core is dramatically cut by obscuring
dust lanes which lace
NGC 4565's thin galactic plane.
NGC 4565 lies about 30 million
light-years distant and spans over 100,000 light-years in diameter.
Visible through a small telescope,
some sky enthusiasts consider
NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial
masterpiece Messier missed.
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