Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2025 August 18
      [2]A large spiral galaxy appears with stars in the foreground and
   smaller galaxies far in the background. The picturesque spiral has dark
      dust lanes between blue arms. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                      NGC 1309: A Useful Spiral Galaxy
   Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]Hubble; Processing: [6]L. Galbany, S.
                           Jha, K. Noll, A. Riess

   Explanation: This galaxy is not only pretty -- it's useful. A gorgeous
   spiral some 100 million light-years distant, [7]NGC 1309 lies on the
   banks of the constellation of the River ([8]Eridanus). NGC 1309 spans
   about 30,000 [9]light-years, making it about one third the size of our
   larger [10]Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of [11]young stars and
   dust lanes are seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they
   [12]wind around an older yellowish star population at its core. Not
   just another [13]pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC
   1309's two recent supernovas and multiple [14]Cepheid variable stars
   contribute to the [15]calibration of [16]the expansion of the Universe.
   Still, after you get over this beautiful galaxy's grand design,
   [17]check out the array of more distant background galaxies also
   recorded in [18]this sharp image from the [19]Hubble Space Telescope.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([34]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [35]Specific rights apply.
            [36]NASA Web Privacy, [37]Accessibility, [38]Notices;
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC,
                         [42]NASA Science Activation
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2508/Spiral1309_HubbleGalbany_4000.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/overview/about-hubble/
   6. https://lgalbany.github.io/
   7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1309
   8. http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/eri/index.html
   9. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/the-milky-way-galaxy/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140925.html
  12. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GhF-nwZbkAA2UhU.jpg
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080824.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960110.html
  15. https://lco.global/spacebook/distance/cepheid-variable-stars-supernovae-and-distance-measurement/
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-highlights/discovering-a-runaway-universe/
  17. https://esahubble.org/images/potw2530a/zoomable/
  18. https://esahubble.org/images/potw2530a/
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250817.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  29. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250818
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250819.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/