NASA photo of the day showcases one of universe’s most photogenic galaxies

Tehran - BORNA - If M74 is not the most spectacular spiral galaxy, it is certainly among the most photogenic.

The vast “island universe,” home to around 100 billion stars, lies approximately 32 million light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Pisces.

NASA featured a striking, nearly face-on view of the spiral galaxy as its Astronomy Picture of the Day.

M74 displays its grand-design spiral structure through delicate arms traced by bright blue star clusters and dark lanes of cosmic dust.

The detailed composite was created using archival images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

M74 spans about 30,000 light-years. The image also incorporates data showing emissions from hydrogen atoms, causing the galaxy’s large star-forming regions to appear with a distinctive reddish glow.

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