Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2024 May 23
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             Unraveling NGC 3169
    Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Christophe Vergnes, [5]Aziz Kaeouach

   Explanation: Spiral galaxy NGC 3169 looks to be unraveling like a ball
   of cosmic yarn. It lies some 70 million light-years away, [6]south of
   bright star Regulus toward the faint constellation Sextans. Wound up
   spiral arms are pulled out into sweeping tidal tails as NGC 3169 (left)
   and neighboring NGC 3166 [7]interact gravitationally. Eventually the
   galaxies will merge into one, a common fate even for bright galaxies in
   [8]the local universe. Drawn out stellar arcs and plumes are clear
   indications of the ongoing gravitational interactions across the deep
   and colorful [9]galaxy group photo. [10]The telescopic frame spans
   about 20 arc minutes or about 400,000 light-years at the group's
   estimated distance, and includes smaller, bluish NGC 3165 to the right.
   NGC 3169 is also known to shine across the spectrum from radio to
   X-rays, [11]harboring an active galactic nucleus that is the site of a
   supermassive black hole.

                    Tomorrow's picture: Chamaeleon Cloud
     __________________________________________________________________

      [12]< | [13]Archive | [14]Submissions | [15]Index | [16]Search |
   [17]Calendar | [18]RSS | [19]Education | [20]About APOD | [21]Discuss |
                                    [22]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [27]Specific rights apply.
               [28]NASA Web Privacy, [29]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2405/N3169N3166Final.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/Chris.V/
   5. https://www.astrobin.com/users/aziz5200/
   6. http://www.eso.org/public/videos/eso1114a/
   7. https://noirlab.edu/public/images/noao-ngc3166/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120604.html
   9. http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galgrps/leoii.html
  10. https://www.astrobin.com/ai8tao/
  11. http://arxiv.org/abs/0801.4382
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240522.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240523
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240524.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/