NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy: a stunning image.
We present this mind-blowing image of the legendary NGC 4565 galaxy, nicknamed “Needle” for its peculiar shape.
NGC 4565, the “Needle” galaxy.
The extraordinary image above comes from the average of 32, 300-second exposures, unguided, remotely taken with the “Elena” (PlaneWave 17″ + Paramount MEII + SBIG STL-6303E) robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project and installed in Manciano, Italy, under the best, darkest skies of the Italian peninsula.
It showcases one of the most captivating galaxies in the night sky: NGC 4565, also known as the “Needle” Galaxy. Located about 40 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices, this galaxy is a spectacular example of a spiral seen edge-on and is widely considered one of the finest of its kind.
Its slender, elongated shape—hence the nickname—resembles a luminous needle suspended in the deep space. A dark lane of interstellar dust slices through its central bulge, creating a dramatic contrast between the starlight and the shadows cast by cosmic dust. Its bright, compact core stands out from the galactic disk, which stretches over 100,000 light-years—a size comparable to that of our own Milky Way.
NGC 4565 was discovered on April 6, 1785, by the astronomer William Herschel, one of the most influential figures in the history of astronomy. Herschel was among the first to envision galaxies as disk-shaped systems, potentially “island universes” in their own right—an idea that would only be confirmed over a century later. The discovery of NGC 4565 came at a time of profound exploration, when increasingly powerful telescopes began revealing the beauty of the Universe.
Observing NGC 4565 is to embark on a journey through space and time: the light reaching us today left the galaxy when the modern placental mammals were evolving on Earth. Seeing it so clearly, remotely, is a testament to humanity’s ability to transcend its limitations and embrace the Universe with curious eyes and valuable instruments.
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