M74: The Perfect Spiral
If not perfect, then
this spiral galaxy is
at least one of the most photogenic. An island
universe of about 100 billion stars, 32 million light-years away
toward the constellation
Pisces, M74 presents a
gorgeous face-on view.
Classified as an Sc galaxy, the grand
design of M74's graceful spiral arms are traced by bright blue star clusters and
dark cosmic dust lanes.
Constructed from image
data recorded in 2003 and 2005, this
sharp composite is from the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera
for Surveys.
Spanning about
30,000 light-years across the face of M74, it includes exposures recording emission
from hydrogen atoms, highlighting the
reddish glow of the galaxy's large star-forming regions. Recently, many
astronomers are tracking a bright supernova that
has been seen in M74.
