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Hubble Captures Magnificent Grand Spiral Galaxy Face-On | SciTechDaily

By NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, May 30, 2022

Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 3631, the Grand Design Spiral, located about 53 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major. Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Filippenko (University of California – Berkeley), and D. Sand (University of Arizona); Image Processing: G. Kober (NASA Goddard/Catholic University of America)

This image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features the Grand Design Spiral, NGC 3631, located approximately 53 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major.

The “arms” of grand design spirals appear to wind around and into the galaxy’s nucleus.

In contrast to multi-arm and flocculent spirals, which have softer structural elements, a grand design spiral galaxy has obvious and well-defined spiral arms. A grand design galaxy’s spiral arms stretch clearly across the galaxy through many radians and may be seen over a considerable proportion of the galaxy’s radius.

Source: Hubble Captures Magnificent Grand Spiral Galaxy Face-On