Classic Model of a Familiar System | Space Wallpaper

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Classic Model of a Familiar System
A first-rate example of a barred spiral galaxy, NGC 4394 rests some 55 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices. (Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA)

In 1784, William Herschel discovered NGC 4394. The pristine barred spiral galaxy resides roughly 55 million light-years away making its home in the Virgo Cluster inside the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy offers an ideal specimen of this type of galaxy with its brilliant arms spiraling out from the barred midline of the galaxy. Along the arms young blue stars, dark strands of cosmic dust and glowing sections of star nurseries are sprinkled. [More stunning galactic images.]

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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.