A Galactic Sliver in the Deep Sky
NGC 4565 is the archetype of an edge-on spiral galaxy. From our vantage point, we see its disk tilted almost perfectly at 90 degrees. This perspective allows us to see its 'boxy' central bulge, which astronomers believe is caused by a central bar seen from the side. The galaxy is famous for its dark, mottled dust lane that cuts across the entire length of its 100,000 light-year span. It is a member of the Coma I Group and serves as a classic comparison to how our own Milky Way might look to an observer in a distant galaxy.
Imaging Challenges
- • Resolving the 'clumpiness' of the dust lane within the very thin galactic disk.
- • Capturing the extremely faint 'tips' of the needle which taper off into the background noise.
- • Managing the high contrast between the bright, yellowish core and the dark, silhouette-like dust features.
NGC 4565 is actually larger and more luminous than the Andromeda Galaxy, but its edge-on orientation makes it appear fainter to us.