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 March 21
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                Galaxies in the River: NGC 1300 and NGC 1297
        Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Dietmar Hager, [5]Eric Benson

   Explanation: Spiral NGC 1300 and elliptical NGC 1297 are galaxies that
   lie on the banks of the southern constellation [6]Eridanus (The River).
   At 70 million light-years distant or more, both are members of the
   [7]Eridanus Galaxy Cluster. About 100,000 light-years across, at lower
   left in this sharp, galaxy group photo [8]NGC 1300 is seen face-on with
   a prominent central bar and grand, sweeping spiral arms. Like other
   [9]spiral galaxies, including our own barred spiral Milky Way Galaxy,
   NGC 1300 is thought to have a supermassive central black hole. A
   contrast in appearance and slightly more distant, NGC 1297 is the
   roughly spherical large elliptical galaxy near the top of the frame.
   With little active star formation, [10]elliptical galaxies are composed
   of older populations of stars and are likely he result of multiple
   [11]collisions and mergers with spirals.

                  Tomorrow's picture: farewell fair planet
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    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [27]Specific rights apply.
            [28]NASA Web Privacy, [29]Accessibility, [30]Notices;
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2603/NGC1300-LRGB.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.facebook.com/StargazerObservatory/
   5. http://www.faintgalaxy.com/
   6. https://noirlab.edu/public/es/education/constellations/eridanus/?nocache=true
   7. http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galgrps/for.html
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/spiral-galaxy-ngc-1300/
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/types/#spiral-galaxies
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/types/#elliptical-galaxies
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251204.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260320.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260321
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260322.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/