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File:The VLT goes lion hunting.jpg

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English: The Very Large Telescope has captured another member of the Leo I group of galaxies, in the constellation of Leo (The Lion). The galaxy Messier 95 stands boldly face-on, offering an ideal view of its spiral structure. The spiral arms form an almost perfect circle around the galactic centre before they spread out, creating a mane-like effect of which any lion would be proud.

Another, perhaps even more striking, feature of Messier 95 is its blazing golden core. It contains a nuclear star-forming ring, almost 2000 light-years across, where a large proportion of the galaxy’s star formation takes place. This phenomenon occurs mostly in barred spiral galaxies such as Messier 95 and our home, the Milky Way.

In the Leo I group, Messier 95 is outshone by its brother Messier 96 (see potw1143). Messier 96 is in fact the brightest member of the group and — as “leader of the pride” — also gives Leo I its alternative name of the M 96 group. Nevertheless, Messier 95 also makes for a spectacular image.
Date
Source http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1212a/
Author ESO

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19 March 2012

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Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current12:24, 23 March 2012Thumbnail for version as of 12:24, 23 March 20122,043 × 2,044 (2.25 MB)Fabian RRRRhigher resolution
11:37, 19 March 2012Thumbnail for version as of 11:37, 19 March 20121,280 × 1,281 (254 KB)Jmencisom

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