Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2026 July 3
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                           Three Galaxies in Pavo
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Mike Selby

   Explanation: Some 190 million light-years away, far beyond the bright
   stars and nebulae of the Milky Way, [5]these three galaxies are drawn
   together by gravity in a [6]mesmerizing cosmic dance. Clearly distorted
   by galactic-scale gravitational interactions, large spiral galaxies
   NGC6769 and NGC6770 are seen face-on, with luminous galactic disks
   scarred by obscuring interstellar dust lanes. Their young blue star
   clusters along drawn out spiral arms are spawned in star forming
   regions that result from collisions of [7]massive molecular clouds.
   Below, spiral NGC6771 presents a more edge-on perspective, its [8]boxy
   central bulge due to tidal [9]star streams. Of course, in the
   [10]distant future a merger of the three galaxies is inevitable. At the
   estimated distance of this galaxy trio, known to some as the
   [11]Devil's Mask, the sharp telescopic frame spans over 300 thousand
   light-years within the boundaries of the far southern [12]constellation
   Pavo.

                 Tomorrow's picture: beach balls from Earth
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      Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [27]Specific rights apply.
            [28]NASA Web Privacy, [29]Accessibility, [30]Notices;
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2607/NGC6769LRGBcropAZ-1500-20-May-2026.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://throughlightandtime.com/about/
   5. https://throughlightandtime.com/ngc-6769-lrgb-hi-crop-rev-1-az-1500-20-may-2026/
   6. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015arXiv150605218M/abstract
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-explores-largest-star-forming-cloud-in-milky-way/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251127.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240927.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220606.html
  11. https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0413/
  12. https://noirlab.edu/public/es/education/constellations/pavo/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260702.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260703
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260704.html
  24. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  25. https://www.mtu.edu/physics
  26. https://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/