Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 September 4 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]José Rodrigues ([5]IA, [6]OFXB) Explanation: Magnificent spiral galaxy [7]NGC 4565 is viewed edge-on from planet Earth. Also known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, bright NGC 4565 is a stop on many telescopic tours of the northern sky, in the faint but well-groomed constellation [8]Coma Berenices. [9]This sharp, colorful image reveals the galaxy's [10]boxy, bulging central core cut by [11]obscuring dust lanes that lace NGC 4565's thin galactic plane. NGC 4565 lies around 40 million [12]light-years distant while the spiral galaxy itself spans some 100,000 light-years. That's about the size of our own Milky Way. Easily spotted with small telescopes, [13]deep sky enthusiasts consider NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial masterpiece [14]Messier missed. Tomorrow's picture: not a star __________________________________________________________________ [15]< | [16]Archive | [17]Submissions | [18]Index | [19]Search | [20]Calendar | [21]RSS | [22]Education | [23]About APOD | [24]Discuss | [25]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell ([29]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [30]Specific rights apply. [31]NASA Web Privacy, [32]Accessibility, [33]Notices; A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC, [37]NASA Science Activation & [38]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2509/NGC4565_APOD_sRGB.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://joserodrigues.space/ 5. https://iastro.pt/ 6. https://www.ofxb.ch/ 7. http://www.messier.seds.org/xtra/ngc/n4565.html 8. http://www.dibonsmith.com/com_con.htm 9. https://joserodrigues.space/deep-sky/ 10. https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.10073 11. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/needle-edge.html 12. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html 13. http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1059 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080419.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250903.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 21. https://apod.com/feed.rss 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 24. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250904 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250905.html 26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 32. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 38. http://www.mtu.edu/