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Credit & Copyright: Volker Wendel (Spiegelteam)
Explanation:
From our vantage point in the
Milky Way Galaxy, we see
NGC 6946
face-on.
The big, beautiful
spiral galaxy
is located just 10 million light-years away, behind a veil of
foreground dust and stars in the high and far-off
constellation of Cepheus.
From the core outward, the galaxy's colors change from the yellowish
light of old stars in the center to young blue star
clusters and reddish star forming regions along the loose, fragmented
spiral arms.
NGC 6946 is also bright in
infrared light and
rich in gas and dust, exhibiting a high star birth and
death rate.
In fact, since the early 20th century at least nine supernovae, the
death explosions
of massive stars, were
discovered in NGC 6946.
In this deep color
composite image, a small
barred structure
is just visible at the galaxy's core.
Nearly 40,000 light-years across, NGC 6946 is also known as the
Fireworks Galaxy.
Watch: Saturday's partial lunar eclipse -
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: NGC 6946 - spiral galaxy
Publications with words: NGC 6946 - spiral galaxy
See also: