Galaxies NGC 1055 and M77, optical image. The galaxies NGC 1055 and M77 are seen edge-on (upper left) and face-on (lower right) respectively. NGC 1055

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Galaxies NGC 1055 and M77, optical image. The galaxies NGC 1055 and M77 are seen edge-on (upper left) and face-on (lower right) respectively. NGC 1055's disc is seen as a dark band of dust crossing the brighter central bulge while the spiral arms are visible in M77. Both NGC 1055 and M77 are active galaxies that emit radiation from their nucleus, which ionises the gases in them and releases the light that makes them glow. Both galaxies lie about 50 million light years from Earth but are about 400 thousand light years apart from each other. They are found in the constellation Cetus.

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Size: 6012px × 4372px
Photo credit: © ROBERT GENDLER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1055, active, arms, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, cetus, dark, disc, dust, edge, edge-, face, face-, galactic, galaxies, galaxy, lane, m77, matter, ngc, optical, seyfert, space, spiral, telescope, universe