A spiral galaxy in Leo
This picture of the nearby galaxy NGC 3521 was taken using the FORS1 instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The large spiral galaxy lies in the constellation of Leo (The Lion), and is only 35 million light-years distant. This picture was created from exposures taken through three different filters that passed blue light, yellow/green light, and near-infrared light. These are shown in this picture as blue, green, and red, respectively.
Credit:ESO/O. Maliy
About the Image
| Id: | eso1129a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 10 August 2011, 12:00 |
| Related releases: | eso1129 |
| Size: | 2046 x 2046 px |
About the Object
| Name: | NGC 3521 |
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral |
| Distance: | 35 million light years |
| Constellation: | Leo |
| Category: | Galaxies |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 11 5 46.32 |
| Position (Dec): | 0° 1' 52.04" |
| Field of view: | 6.83 x 6.83 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 90.0° right of vertical |
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
|---|---|
| Optical B | Very Large Telescope FORS1 |
| Optical V | Very Large Telescope FORS1 |
| Infrared I | Very Large Telescope FORS1 |