Sunday, November 30, 2014

APOD 2.3

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This is an image of NGC 660, in the constellation Pisces, taken from the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea. NGC 660 is a polar ring galaxy, a rare type of galaxy in which there are rings of matter orbiting the center nearly perpendicular to the galactic disk. This is caused when a galaxy captures matter from another passing galaxy, and can give clues as to the composition and structure of both galaxies. This is a very interesting and unusual celestial object and studying it could give us a better understanding of the universe

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