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> Lenticular galaxy NGC 4710 in Coma Berenices

Lenticular galaxy NGC 4710 in Coma Berenices

author: Nasa/Esa/Novapix

reference: a-gax47-10001

Image Size 300 DPI: 33 * 17 cm

Edge-on galaxy located at about 60 million light years away. NGC 4710 is a member of the giant Virgo Cluster of galaxies and lies in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices (the Hair of Queen Berenice). It is not one of the brightest members of the cluster, but can easily be seen as a dim elongated smudge on a dark night with a medium-sized amateur telescope. In the 1780s, William Herschel discovered the galaxy and noted it simply as a "faint nebula". It is an example of a lenticular or S0-type galaxy – a type that seems to have some characteristics of both spiral and elliptical galaxies. Image taken by the Hubble space telescope.

Keywords for this photo:

2009 - ASTRONOMY - COMA BERENICES - EDGE-ON - GALAXY - HST - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - LENTICULAR GALAXY - NGC 4710 - STAR -