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Credit & Copyright: Roth Ritter  
(Dark Atmospheres)  
  
Explanation:
Is our Galaxy this thin?   We believe so.    
  
Magnificent spiral galaxy  
NGC 4565  
is likely similar to our own spiral galaxy, but viewed edge-on from far away.  
  
Also known as the Needle Galaxy  
for its narrow profile, bright  
NGC 4565 is a stop on many   
telescopic tours  
of the northern sky as it lies in the faint but well-groomed  
constellation Coma  
Berenices.  
  
This   
sharp color image reveals the galaxy's bulging central core  
dominated by light from a population of older, yellowish stars.  
  
The core is dramatically cut by obscuring   
dust lanes which lace  
NGC 4565's thin galactic plane.  
  
NGC 4565 lies about 30 million   
light-years distant and spans over 100,000 light-years in diameter.   
  
Visible through a small telescope,   
some sky enthusiasts consider   
NGC 4565 to be  
a prominent celestial  
masterpiece Messier missed.  
  
   
  
  
  
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: NGC 4565 - spiral galaxy - edge-on galaxy
Publications with words: NGC 4565 - spiral galaxy - edge-on galaxy
See also:
- APOD: 2025 September 4 Á NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge
- APOD: 2025 August 22 Á A Tale of Two Nebulae
- APOD: 2025 August 19 Á Giant Galaxies in Pavo
- APOD: 2025 August 18 Á NGC 1309: A Useful Spiral Galaxy
- APOD: 2025 July 4 Á NGC 6946 and NGC 6939
- APOD: 2025 June 30 Á NGC 4651: The Umbrella Galaxy
- APOD: 2025 June 19 Á NGC 3521: Galaxy in a Bubble
