Hubble Space Telescope Observes NGC 3895

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured this vivid image of a barred spiral galaxy called NGC 3895.

NGC 3895 resides some 161 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major.

This galaxy was discovered by the German-born British astronomer William Herschel on March 18, 1790.

Otherwise know as LEDA 36907, UGC 6785 and KPG 303b, NGC 3895 has a diameter of approximately 45,000 light-years.

Together with NGC 3894 (KPG 303a), it forms the gravitationally bound pair of galaxies KPG 303; and the pair forms a trio of galaxies with LEDA 36862.

NGC 3895 is also a member of the NGC 3963 group of galaxies.

The new color image of NGC 3895 was made from separate exposures taken in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument.

“Hubble’s orbit high above the Earth’s distorting atmosphere allows us to make the very high resolution observations that are essential to opening new windows on planets, stars and galaxies — such as this beautiful view of NGC 3895,” Hubble astronomers said.

“The telescope is positioned approximately 570 km (354 miles) above the ground, where it whirls around Earth at 28,000 km/h (17,400 mph) and takes 96 minutes to complete one orbit.”