APOD: 2026 August 30 – M74: A Grand Design Spiral
The post APOD: 2026 August 30 – M74: A Grand Design Spiral appeared first on NASA Science .
On August 30, 2026, the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) showcased the grand design spiral galaxy M74, also known as the Phantom Galaxy. Located approximately 32 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces, M74 presents a spectacular face-on view of a galaxy housing roughly 100 billion stars. This Sc galaxy, characterized by its elegant spiral arms adorned with bright blue star clusters and dark cosmic dust lanes, was created from archival images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Spanning about 30,000 light-years across M74's face, the composite image highlights the reddish glow of the galaxy's large star-forming regions, captured through exposures recording hydrogen emissions. The Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration captured this remarkable image, which was later attributed to R. Chandar (U.
Toledo) and J. Miller (U. Michigan). The APOD team, comprising Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, and Keighley Rockcliffe, along with support from NASA's ASD at NASA/GSFC, NASA Science Activation, and Michigan Tech University, provided this captivating glimpse into the cosmos.
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