APOD: 2022 May 5 - NGC 3521: Galaxy in a Bubble

Good evening, Rallypoint, and welcome to the May 5th Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD): "Galaxy in a Bubble." NGC 3521 is located 35 million light years away in the constellation Leo. It was first discovered by William Herschel in 1784. Through backyard telescopes, NGC 3521 can have a glowing, rounded appearance, giving rise to its nickname: the 'Bubble Galaxy.'

Astronomers classify today's 'bubble' as a flocculent spiral galaxy. Why? Fluffy, almost 'wooly' patches of stars and dust show up here and there throughout their disks. Here, the tufts of stars are arranged in a generally spiraling form. But we can also see illuminated star-filled regions appearing as short or discontinuous spiral arms.