Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Edge-On Galaxy NGC 5866

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 12, 2006 is “Edge-On Galaxy NGC 5866,” an image. It is credited to Credit: NASA , ESA , and The Hubble Heritage Team ( STScI / AURA ); Acknowledgment: W. Keel ( U. Alabama ). The original explanation runs about 190 words.

Edge-On Galaxy NGC 5866
Credit: NASA , ESA , and The Hubble Heritage Team ( STScI / AURA ); Acknowledgment: W. Keel ( U. Alabama ) Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why is this galaxy so thin? Many disk galaxies are actually just as thin as NGC 5866, pictured above , but are not seen edge-on from our vantage point.”

— APOD editors, June 12, 2006

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
June 12, 2006
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: NASA , ESA , and The Hubble Heritage Team ( STScI / AURA ); Acknowledgment: W. Keel ( U. Alabama )
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 190 words

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Topics in this entry

The Milky WayGalaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: June 12 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.