skypointer2000
A Mirror in the Dark
NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy, is one of the most striking examples of an edge-on spiral galaxy visible from Earth. Located in the constellation Coma Berenices, it lies roughly 40 million light-years away. Its thin, elongated appearance comes from our vantage point, which allows us to see its disk almost perfectly from the side.
Its prominent central bulge and the dark lane of dust running along the midplane create a dramatic contrast between the bright core and the dimmer outer regions, offering insight into the structure of spiral galaxies.
As this image shows, the plane of NGC 4565 is not perfectly flat. A subtle warp is visible in the galaxy’s outer disk, with the edges bending slightly above and below the main plane. This is similar to our own galaxy, the Milky Way, whose disk is also warped, likely due to gravitational interactions with nearby galaxies or dark matter structures.
NGC 4565 shares many features, as well as a similar size, with the Milky Way. Because of these similarities, it is sometimes considered a “twin” of our home galaxy, offering a glimpse of what the Milky Way might look like from tens of millions of light-years away.
EXIF
Telescope: Sharpstar SQA106
Mount: Skywatcher Wave 150i
Camera: ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro
Filters: Baader RGB with ZWO EFW
Guiding: ZWO ASI 385MC with Artesky UltraGuide 32mm
Rig control: ZWO ASIAir Pro
150x 45s in RGB
Total exposure time 4h30min
A Mirror in the Dark
NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy, is one of the most striking examples of an edge-on spiral galaxy visible from Earth. Located in the constellation Coma Berenices, it lies roughly 40 million light-years away. Its thin, elongated appearance comes from our vantage point, which allows us to see its disk almost perfectly from the side.
Its prominent central bulge and the dark lane of dust running along the midplane create a dramatic contrast between the bright core and the dimmer outer regions, offering insight into the structure of spiral galaxies.
As this image shows, the plane of NGC 4565 is not perfectly flat. A subtle warp is visible in the galaxy’s outer disk, with the edges bending slightly above and below the main plane. This is similar to our own galaxy, the Milky Way, whose disk is also warped, likely due to gravitational interactions with nearby galaxies or dark matter structures.
NGC 4565 shares many features, as well as a similar size, with the Milky Way. Because of these similarities, it is sometimes considered a “twin” of our home galaxy, offering a glimpse of what the Milky Way might look like from tens of millions of light-years away.
EXIF
Telescope: Sharpstar SQA106
Mount: Skywatcher Wave 150i
Camera: ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro
Filters: Baader RGB with ZWO EFW
Guiding: ZWO ASI 385MC with Artesky UltraGuide 32mm
Rig control: ZWO ASIAir Pro
150x 45s in RGB
Total exposure time 4h30min