NGC 3351 (M95)
Sig05 015

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team

Observation • September 15th, 2005 • sig05-015

sig05-015

This image of galaxy NGC 3351, located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Leo was captured by the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey (SINGS) Legacy Project using the telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC).

The remarkable galaxy is graced with beautiful "rings" of star formation as seen at the longer (red) wavelengths, pierced by a massive bar-like stellar structure (blue light) that extends from the nucleus to the ringed disk.

The SINGS image is a four-channel color composite, where blue indicates emission at 3.6 microns, green corresponds to 4.5 microns, and red to 5.8 and 8.0 microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) in this picture has been subtracted from the 5.8 and 8 micron images to enhance the visibility of the dust features.

About the Object

Name
Messier 95M95NGC 3351
Type
Galaxy > Type > Barred
Galaxy > Type > Spiral
Galaxy > Activity > Starburst
Distance
30,000,000 Light Years
Redshift
0.002595

Color Mapping

Band Wavelength Telescope
Infrared 3.6 µm Spitzer IRAC
Infrared 4.5 µm Spitzer IRAC
Infrared 5.8 µm Spitzer IRAC
Infrared 8.0 µm Spitzer IRAC

Astrometrics

Position (J2000)
RA =10h 43m 44.2s
Dec = 11° 40' 49.2"
Field of View
9.1 x 9.1 arcminutes
Orientation
North is 114.4° right of vertical