About This Image
This picture shows the inner region of NGC 2976, located roughly 11 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Despite the lack of well-defined arms visible in this image, NGC 2976 is a spiral galaxy.
Scientific Significance
NGC 2976 links environment-driven gas evolution with changing star-formation activity. As a nearby group member, it provides resolved evidence for how interactions alter small spiral galaxies.
Observation Details
Hubble optical imaging resolves bright stellar populations and dust features, enabling spatial age mapping from inner active zones to outer quieter regions.
Location in the Universe
Constellation
Ursa Major
Distance from Earth
11 million light-years
Fun Facts
- 1
NGC 2976 belongs to the M81 group and likely experienced tidal shaping.
- 2
Its recent star formation is concentrated in inner regions.
- 3
The galaxy is frequently used in nearby dark-matter profile studies.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Space Telescope
