This galaxy is known as NGC 6872 and is a giant spiral galaxy. From the end of the arms all the way across, it is thought to have a wingspan of over 400,000 Light-Years. Located 200,000 Light-Years away, this galaxy is more than 4x the size of our local Milky Way. It is located to the south in the constellation Pavo, the Peacock. Its spiral shape is believed to be a result of gravitational interaction with nearby galaxy IC 4970, stretching the galaxy until it eventually will form a merger according to predictions. This photograph was taken by the Gemini South Telescope in Chile and is a cosmic color portrait. This APOD was of particular interest to me because it really helped expand upon a topic that was being discussed in class, the sheer magnitude of space and all that is out there. A galaxy 4x as large as our Milky Way, which is already incomprehensible to me just amazes me and really spurs my imagination as to all that could possibly exist.
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