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. 2026 February 5 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. NGC 1275 in the Perseus Cluster Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Michal Wierzbinski, [5]Hellas-Sky Explanation: [6]Active galaxy NGC 1275 is the central, dominant member of the large and relatively nearby [7]Perseus Cluster of Galaxies. Wild-looking at visible wavelengths, the active galaxy is also a prodigious source of [8]x-rays and [9]radio emission. NGC 1275 accretes matter as entire galaxies fall into it, ultimately feeding a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's core. Narrowband image data used in this sharp telescopic image highlights the resulting [10]galactic debris and [11]filaments of glowing gas, some up to 20,000 light-years long. [12]The filaments persist in NGC 1275, even though the turmoil of galactic collisions should destroy them. What keeps the filaments together? [13]Observations indicate that the structures, pushed out from the galaxy's center by the black hole's activity, are held together by magnetic fields. Also known as [14]Perseus A, NGC 1275 itself spans over 100,000 light years and lies about 230 million light years away. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space __________________________________________________________________ [15]< | [16]Archive | [17]Submissions | [18]Index | [19]Search | [20]Calendar | [21]RSS | [22]Education | [23]About APOD | [24]Discuss | [25]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell ([29]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [30]Specific rights apply. [31]NASA Web Privacy, [32]Accessibility, [33]Notices; A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC, [37]NASA Science Activation & [38]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2602/ngc-1275-perseus-cluster.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://app.astrobin.com/u/xultaeculcis 5. https://hellas-sky.com/ 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_galactic_nucleus 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090508.html 8. https://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_astro/history.html 9. https://public.nrao.edu/radio-astronomy/the-science-of-radio-astronomy/ 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030505.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050725.html 12. https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2008/news-2008-28.html 13. http://arxiv.org/abs/0808.2712 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_(constellation) 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260204.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 21. https://apod.com/feed.rss 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 24. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260205 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260206.html 26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 32. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 38. http://www.mtu.edu/