Spiral Galaxy Messier 96
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows Messier 96, a spiral galaxy just over 35 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo (The Lion). It is of about the same mass and size as the Milky Way. It was first discovered by astronomer Pierre MÌ©chain in 1781, and added to Charles Messier's famous catalogue of astronomical objects just four days later. The galaxy resembles a giant maelstrom of glowing gas, rippled with dark dust that swirls inwards towards the nucleus. Messier 96 is a very asymmetric galaxy; its dust and gas is unevenly spread throughout its weak spiral arms, and its core is not exactly at the galactic center. Its arms are also asymmetrical, thought to have been influenced by the gravitational pull of other galaxies within the same group as Messier 96.
Size: 4393px × 4800px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 96, astronomical, astronomy, body, celestial, deep, dust, exploration, formation, forming, galaxies, galaxy, gas, heavenly, hubble, interstellar, m96, messier, nebula, nebulae, object, radiation, science, sky, space, spiral, star, stellar, telescope, universe, wind
