Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  Helix Galaxy  ·  NGC 2685

Image of the day 04/26/2022

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NGC 2685 The Helix Galaxy, Peter Goodhew
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NGC 2685 The Helix Galaxy

Image of the day 04/26/2022

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
NGC 2685 The Helix Galaxy, Peter Goodhew
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 2685 The Helix Galaxy

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Description

NGC 2685 is a very unusual galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major.
It is a rare  polar ring galaxy - meaning it has a ring of gas, stars and dust orbiting in a plane almost perpendicular to the normal flat plane of NGC 2685. Physically it contains two separate velocity systems whose axes are perpendicular. The most popular view says that such galaxies are the result of an interaction, up to and including a complete merger, with another galaxy.
This feature can be seen in the image as helical filaments around the central part of the galaxy.
NGC 2685 is about 50,000 light years across, and about 42 million light years from Earth.
Image captured on my remote dual rig at Fregenal de la Sierra in Spain between 26 March and 7 April 2022.

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NGC 2685 The Helix Galaxy, Peter Goodhew

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Entre Encinas y Estrellas (e-EyE)