                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 June 8
     Grand spiral galaxy NGC 3344 is shown. Spiral arms with stars, star
    clusters, and nebula are visible. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                               Facing NGC 3344
                       Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

   Explanation: From our vantage point in the Milky Way Galaxy, we see NGC
   3344 face-on. Nearly 40,000 light-years across, the big, beautiful
   spiral galaxy is located just 20 million light-years away in the
   constellation of Leo Minor. This multi-color Hubble Space Telescope
   close-up of NGC 3344 includes remarkable details from near infrared to
   ultraviolet wavelengths. The frame extends some 15,000 light-years
   across the spiral's central regions. From the core outward, the
   galaxy's colors change from the yellowish light of old stars in the
   center to young blue star clusters and reddish star forming regions
   along the loose, fragmented spiral arms. Of course, the bright stars
   with a spiky appearance are in front of NGC 3344 and lie well within
   our own Milky Way.

   APOD Turns 30!: Free Public Lecture in Anchorage on Wednesday, June 11
                                   at 7 pm
                      Tomorrow's picture: cosmic double
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

