Sunny Priyan
NGC 685 takes center stage on an inky black canvas, its bright bar and patchy spiral arms glowing amid faintly twinkling stars.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Lee
Located about 58 million light-years away in Eridanus, NGC 685 shines from south of the celestial equator, visible from the southern hemisphere at select times of the year.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Lee
British astronomer John Herschel discovered NGC 685 in 1834, and early observers noted its apparent roundness.
Image Credit: Pixabay
The whole galaxy is about 60,000 light-years across- a little more than half the size of our Milky Way.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Bright blue patches along NGC 685’s arms reveal star clusters, while dark red wisps near its central bar trace interstellar gas and dust-the raw material for star formation.
Image Credit: Pixabay
About two-thirds of all spiral galaxies have a central bar like NGC 685. Its intense glow comes from many stars concentrated in a relatively small area.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Lee