NGC 2683: Spiral Edge On

Does spiral galaxy NGC 2683 have a bar across its center? Being so nearly like our own barred Milky Way Galaxy, one might guess it has. Being so nearly edge-on, however, it is hard to tell . Either way, this gorgeous island universe , cataloged as NGC 2683 , lies a mere 20 million light-years distant in the northern constellation of the Cat ( Lynx ). NGC 2683 is seen nearly edge-on in this cosmic vista , with more distant galaxies scattered in the background. Blended light from a large population of old yellowish stars forms the remarkably bright galactic core . Starlight silhouettes the dust lanes along winding spiral arms, dotted with the telltale blue glow of young star clusters in this galaxy 's star forming regions.