NGC
2403 in Camelopardalis
From
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
Magnificent
island universe NGC
2403 stands within the boundaries of the long-necked constellation Camelopardalis.
Some
10 million light-years distant and about 50,000 light-years across, the spiral
galaxy also seems to have more than its fair share of giant star forming HII regions, marked by the
telltale reddish glow of atomic hydrogen gas.
The
giant HII regions are energized by clusters of hot, massive stars that explode
as bright
supernovae at the end of their short and furious lives.
A
member of the M81 group of galaxies, NGC 2403 closely resembles another galaxy
with an abundance of star forming regions that lies within our own local galaxy
group, M33 the Triangulum
Galaxy.
Spiky in appearance,
bright stars in this colorful galaxy portrait of NGC 2403 lie in the
foreground, within our own Milky Way.
Image Credit & Copyright: Martin Pugh
