JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Galaxy's Pencil-Thin Profile

June 28, 2013
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows NGC 4565, one of the nearest and brightest galaxies not included in the famous list by 18th-century comet hunter Charles Messier.

This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows NGC 4565, one of the nearest and brightest galaxies not included in the famous list by 18th-century comet hunter Charles Messier.

From Earth, we have an edge-on view of this galaxy, located about 30 to 50 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices.

The galaxy is very nearly perpendicular to our own Milky Way galaxy and is situated near the galactic pole. It is more luminous than the Andromeda galaxy, and if our view had been face-on, it would have been one of the most spectacular galaxies in the sky.

JPL managed the GALEX mission and built the science instrument. The mission's principal investigator, Chris Martin, is at Caltech. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., developed the mission under the Explorers Program it manages. Researchers sponsored by Yonsei University in South Korea and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in France collaborated on the mission. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

Graphics and additional information about the Galaxy Evolution Explorer are online at: http://www.nasa.gov/galex.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Mission
Spacecraft
  • GALEX Orbiter
Instrument
  • GALEX Telescope
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Keep Exploring

Geometry of the Blue Ring Nebula (Animation)

The Blue Ring Nebula

Flaring Red Dwarf Star (Illustration)

Pulsar Candidate in Andromeda

Frankenstein Galaxy

Andromeda in High-Energy X-rays

After the Explosion: Investigating Supernova Sites

Galaxies Grow from Inside Out

Big Brother to the Milky Way

Ultraviolet Ring of Stars

Related Topics

Mission .

SPHEREx

News .

NASA’s Chandra, Webb Telescopes Combine for Arresting Views

News .

NASA’s Spitzer, TESS Find Potentially Volcano-Covered Earth-Size World

News .

NASA’s Webb Takes Closest Look Yet at Mysterious Planet

News .

Webb Looks for Fomalhaut’s Asteroid Belt and Finds Much More

News .

Caught in the Act: Astronomers Detect a Star Devouring a Planet

Video .

What's Up - May 2023

News .

NASA’s Voyager Will Do More Science With New Power Strategy

Mission .

Psyche

Mission .

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018