2026-11-04
NASA Science
Space never stops amazing us. Today: NASA Science. Here is the science:
Why this matters
Today's highlight centers on deep-space objects. Understanding how these objects form and move is the bridge between a pretty photo and the live, data-driven sky we render on the globe.
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The science, from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day
“I see” IC 342, the Hidden Galaxy! Today’s image peers through the plane of the Milky Way, through all its gas, dust and stars, to unveil this spiral galaxy. IC 342 (or Caldwell 5) is one of the brightest members of the IC 342/Maffei group of galaxies. Located about 10 million light years away, this group is quite close to the Local Group that includes our Milky Way. Inaccurate accounting of the crowded and dusty Milky Way foreground has led to misunderstandings in IC 342’s history, including the theory that the galaxy was ejected from the Local Group. IC 342 has its own dust intermittently blocking the glow of hydrogen gas, indicating the presence of bright, young stars. Magnetic field maps of IC 342 reveal that magnetic fields may contribute substantially to one of the biggest galactic puzzles: how do spiral arms form?Tomorrow's picture: open space
Source: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (public domain)