Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

UGC 12591: The Fastest Rotating Galaxy Known

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 19, 2020 is “UGC 12591: The Fastest Rotating Galaxy Known,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Hubble ; Processing & Copyright: Leo Shatz). The original explanation runs about 145 words.

UGC 12591: The Fastest Rotating Galaxy Known
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Hubble ; Processing & Copyright: Leo Shatz Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why does this galaxy spin so fast? To start, even identifying which type of galaxy UGC 12591 is difficult — featured on the lower left, it has dark dust lanes like a spiral galaxy but a large diffuse bulge of stars like a lenticular .”

— APOD editors, February 19, 2020

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 19, 2020
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , Hubble ; Processing & Copyright: Leo Shatz
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 145 words

All of February 2020 → · 2020 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Milky WayGalaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 19 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

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.