Celestial Composition

Date: 15 Sep 2003
Depicts: NGC 3370, IRAS 10444+1732
Copyright: NASA, The Hubble Heritage Team and A. Riess (STScI)

Amid a backdrop of far-off galaxies, the majestic dusty spiral, NGC 3370, looms in the foreground in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. Recent observations taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys show intricate spiral arm structure spotted with hot areas of new star formation. But this galaxy is more than just a pretty face. Nearly 10 years earlier NGC 3370, in the constellation Leo, hosted a bright exploding star.