NGC 5301 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici. This edge-on galaxy features prominent dust lanes that stretch across its entire galactic disk. The striking contrast between the reddish central region and the bluish spiral arms enhances its beauty. Compared to NGC 5211 , a face-on spiral galaxy, this image illustrates how the inclination of a galactic disk can significantly change a galaxy's appearance. Since we can only observe a single galaxy from one angle, observing and comparing multiple galaxies with different inclinations is essential for understanding galactic structure.
(Credit: NAOJ; Image provided by Masayuki Tanaka)
Distance from Earth: 70 million light-years
Instrument: Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC)
Source: Subaru Telescope
