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.

                                2026 April 5
   [2]A starfield has a spiral galaxy in the center. Around the galaxy is
    a light blue faint halo. One of the spiral arms juts out at about 11
   o'clock. The galaxy center is red, white, and quite bright. Please see
               the explanation for more detailed information.

                     NGC 3310: A Starburst Spiral Galaxy
   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]AAO ITSO Office, [4]Gemini Obs./[5]AURA &
                  [6]T. A. Rector ([7]U. Alaska Anchorage)

   Explanation: The party is still going on in spiral galaxy NGC 3310.
   Roughly 100 million years ago, [8]NGC 3310 likely [9]collided with a
   smaller galaxy causing the large [10]spiral galaxy to light up with a
   tremendous burst of [11]star formation. The changing gravity during the
   collision created [12]density waves that compressed existing clouds of
   gas and triggered the [13]star-forming party. The featured image from
   the [14]Gemini North Telescope shows the galaxy in [15]great detail,
   color-coded so that pink highlights gas while white and blue highlight
   stars. Some of the [16]star clusters in the galaxy are quite young,
   indicating that [17]starburst galaxies may remain in star-burst mode
   for quite some time. [18]NGC 3310 spans about 50,000 [19]light years,
   lies about 50 million light years away, and is visible with a small
   telescope towards the [20]constellation of Great Bear [21]Ursa Major.

                     Tomorrow's picture: horsehead high
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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2604/ngc3310_gemini_1837.jpg
   3. https://aat.anu.edu.au/about-us
   4. http://www.gemini.edu/
   5. http://www.aura-astronomy.org/
   6. http://aftar.uaa.alaska.edu/
   7. https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/physicsandastronomy/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010117.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001102.html
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/types/
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_formation
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Density_wave_theory
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/star-lifecycle/
  14. https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-north/
  15. https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/1rxj4o/the_upside_of_having_a_blind_dog_sticking_a/#lightbox
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/star-clusters-inside-the-universes-stellar-collections/
  17. http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/starburst.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_3310
  19. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html
  20. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/
  21. http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/uma.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260404.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260405
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260406.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/