Galaxy NGC 4013

A striking dark band of dust dramatically bisects the spiral galaxy NGC 4013 in this edge-on view, creating a sharp division that reveals the galaxy's flattened disk structure. Located 55 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, home to the Big Dipper, NGC 4013 presents itself to us nearly perfectly edge-on, offering astronomers a unique perspective to study the vertical structure and dust distribution within spiral galaxies. The prominent dust lane running along the galaxy's midplane appears as an opaque ribbon, blocking the light from stars behind it and highlighting the concentration of interstellar material in the galactic plane. This orientation allows scientists to examine how dust, gas, and stars are distributed at different heights above and below the disk, providing insights into galactic dynamics, magnetic fields, and the processes that maintain the thin structure of spiral galaxy disks over billions of years.