Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Edge-on NGC 3628

NASA ^ | June 20, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Sharp telescopic views of magnificent edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 3628 show a puffy galactic disk divided by dark dust lanes. Of course, this deep galactic portrait puts some astronomers in mind of its popular moniker, The Hamburger Galaxy. The tantalizing island universe is about 100,000 light-years across and 35 million light-years away in the northern springtime constellation Leo. NGC 3628 shares its neighborhood in the local Universe with two other large spirals M65 and M66 in a grouping otherwise known as the Leo Triplet. Gravitational interactions with its cosmic neighbors are likely responsible for the extended flare and warp of this spiral's disk.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Alessandro Falesiedi]

[SunkenCiv]

The big one.

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[Tainan]

Wow...thanks.

[Gefn]

I never told you how beautiful these photos make me

Thank you for posting them

[schm0e]

not impressed. ;)

[left that other site]

Thank you for your daily dose of magnificence and awesome beauty, Sunky!

[Lx]

MMmmm, hamburger galaxy.

[Verginius Rufus]

Shouldn’t it be called the Cheeseburger Galaxy?

[SunkenCiv]

my pleasure.

And, it would only be the cheeseburger galaxy if it had been discovered by the Swiss.

[left that other site]

naw...Galileo Prefers provolone.

With some gabbagoo and prozhoot (RIP, Tony Soprano)

[schm0e]

hey, yer photos make me beautiful, too!