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 May 17
    [2]The featured image shows a the big beautiful barred spiral galaxy
    NGC 1300 with encompassing spiral arms tinted blue from young stars.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                       NGC 1300: Barred Spiral Galaxy
              Image Credit: [3]NASA [4]ESA, [5]Hubble Heritage

   Explanation: Across the center of this spiral galaxy is a [6]bar. And
   at the center of this bar is smaller [7]spiral. And at the center of
   that spiral is a [8]supermassive black hole. This all happens in the
   big, beautiful, [9]barred spiral galaxy cataloged as NGC 1300, a galaxy
   that lies some 70 million light-years away toward the [10]constellation
   of the river Eridanus. This [11]Hubble Space Telescope composite
   [12]view of the gorgeous [13]island universe is one of the [14]most
   detailed Hubble images ever made of a complete galaxy. [15]NGC 1300
   spans over 100,000 [16]light-years and the Hubble image reveals
   striking details of the galaxy's dominant central bar and majestic
   spiral arms. How the giant bar formed, how it remains, and how it
   affects [17]star formation remains an [18]active topic of research.

              Jigsaw Universe: [19]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                    Tomorrow's picture: spiral unraveling
     __________________________________________________________________

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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/2605/NGC1300_HST_6637.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/the-hubble-heritage-project/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barred_spiral_galaxy#Bars
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080517.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241124.html
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barred_spiral_galaxy
  10. https://noirlab.edu/public/education/constellations/eridanus/
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/
  12. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2005/01/1636-Image.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200426.html
  14. https://peopleimages.com/image/zoomgate/3040965
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1300
  16. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  17. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  18. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021MNRAS.502.2238M/abstract
  19. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260516.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=260517
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260518.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/