Shell Galaxy NGC 7600
The story
Similar in size to the Milky Way, elliptical galaxy NGC 7600 is about 160 million light-years distant. In this deep image, spanning about 1/2 degree on the sky toward the constellation Aquarius, NGC 7600 sports a remarkable outer halo of nested shells and broad circumgalactic structures. The tantalizing features can be explained by the accretion of dark matter and stars on a cosmic timescale. In fact, a movie generated by simulating galaxy formation using a cosmological model
Highlights
More from the cosmos
Frequently asked
What is this image of?
Similar in size to the Milky Way, elliptical galaxy NGC 7600 is about 160 million light-years distant. In this deep image, spanning about 1/2 degree on the sky toward the constellation Aquarius, NGC 7600 sports a remarkable outer halo of ne…
Who captured it?
This image is credited to Rancho Del Sol Observatory, featured via NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.
When was it published?
NASA featured this image on 2011-12-23.
Can I use this image?
NASA imagery is generally free to use for education; check the official APOD page for specific credit and licensing.
See it in full resolution
Open NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for the high-resolution image, full explanation and credits.
View on NASA APODOpens the official source in a new tab.
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