This image captures two very different galaxies, in both distance and structure, at a declination of +46 degrees in the constellation of Lynx. The 2 galaxies are not interacting as once believed. Their common feature is that they are both blue in color.
The long, thin edge-on galaxy at lower left is IC2233, one of the
flattest galaxies known. The 12.6 magnitude galaxy is 40 million light years away and 5 arc-minutes in length, which corresponds to a diameter of 60,000 light years. The bright star is just in the foreground and is not part of the galaxy.
The blue dwarf irregular galaxy at upper right, known as both Arp 6 and NGC 2537, is nicknamed the Bear Paw Galaxy. This magnitude 11.7 galaxy is located 22 million light years away and spans 1 arc-minute in our apparent view, which corresponds to a small diameter of 8000 light years. The structure of this galaxy is difficult to interpret. Studies indicate that it may be the result of a merger of 2 small compact galaxies.
The small spiral galaxy to the left of Arp 6 is LEDA 23057, located 20 times further away at 0.5 billion light years. LEDA 23057 is 10 times larger in diameter, at 80,000 light years.
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