Astronomy Picture of the Day

NGC 3521 Close Up Credit: Data - Hubble Legacy Archive, ESA, NASA Processing - Robert Gendler Explanation: Gorgeous spiral galaxy NGC 3521 is a mere 35 million light-years distant, toward the constellation Leo. Spanning some 50,000 light-years, its central region is shown in this dramatic image, constructed from data drawn from the Hubble Legacy Archive. The close-up view highlights this galaxy's characteristic multiple, patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust and ... Full Story