NGC 4826

NGC 4826, at 1000 pieces, is a breathtaking celestial spectacle that belongs in the collection of the most astronomy-driven puzzler.

NGC4826 — a spiral galaxy located 17 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair). This galaxy is often referred to as the “Black Eye”, or “Evil Eye”, galaxy because of the dark band of dust that sweeps across one side of its bright nucleus.

NGC4826 is known by astronomers for its strange internal motion. The gas in the outer regions of this galaxy and the gas in its inner regions are rotating in opposite directions, which might be related to a recent merger. New stars are forming in the region where the counter rotating gases collide.

This galaxy was first discovered in 1779 by the English astronomer Edward Pigott.

Credit:
ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team
Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt
https://esahubble.org/images/potw2108a/