Hubble Snaps Heavyweight of the Leo Triplet

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    Image Release April 8, 2010

    Hubble has snapped a spectacular view of M 66, the largest "player" of the Leo Triplet, and a galaxy with an unusual anatomy: it displays asymmetric spiral arms and an apparently displaced core. The peculiar anatomy is most likely caused by the gravitational pull of the other two members of the trio.

    The unusual spiral galaxy, Messier 66, is located at a distance of about 35 million light-years in the constellation of Leo. Together with Messier 65 and NGC 3628, Messier 66 is the member of the Leo Triplet, a trio of interacting spiral galaxies, part of the larger Messier 66 group. Messier 66 wins in size over its fellow triplets — it is about 100 000 light-years across.

    This is a composite of images obtained through the following filters: 814W (near infrared), 555W (green) and H-alpha (showing the glowing of the hydrogen gas). They have been combined so to represent the real colours of the galaxy.

    Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration. Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin and Robert Gendler

    To learn more about this image go to: www.spacetelescope.org/images/html/heic1006a.html

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

    Farrisx, p_v a l d i v i e s o, and 190 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    View 20 more comments

    1. ACE1787 8 months ago | reply

      This is amazing and it gives one a sense of awe. Our Maker truely is an incredible artist!

    2. vasi1999 8 months ago | reply

      amazingggg

    3. incadog08 6 months ago | reply

      thank you.

    4. curioso22 5 months ago | reply

      e bellissima ed e ancora piu bello sapere che ne facciamo parte, in ognuno di noi c'e un pezzetto di quest'universo.

    5. GauRota 4 months ago | reply

      hau

    6. kasinsky 4 months ago | reply

      Estou na mira sua

    7. kasinsky 4 months ago | reply

      Só não venha armada

    8. mshadab94 4 months ago | reply

      wonderful

    9. abunavy 4 months ago | reply

      this is wonderful from my Good

    10. kasinsky 3 months ago | reply

      E somente as distancias entre meus sentimentos por esta grandeza quro me aproximar de voce

    11. Willian Vilela 3 months ago | reply

      Simplesmente Fantástico
      mostra quanto somos pequenos na imensidão do universo.

    12. kiki-2013 3 months ago | reply

      el impresionante poder de DIOS.

    13. pumas en el corazon 3 months ago | reply

      es agrdable saber las maravillas que esconde el mundo exterior

    14. FormerlyKnownAsGlam 2 months ago | reply

      Faszinirend und spannend der Weltraum

    15. kwps03 5 weeks ago | reply

      süper und unendliche energie of gots power

    16. Indo Richard T 4 weeks ago | reply

      Awesome and Beautiful *_*

    17. abalosjuan213 2 weeks ago | reply

      Tan desconocido como la vida alienigena...

    18. tahq888 2 weeks ago | reply

      hiiiii

    19. purpleflute206 6 days ago | reply

      soooooo much 2 explore still!!!!!! isn't it magnificent :)

    20. (nighthawk)76732164 5 days ago | reply

      Thank you

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