Object Analysis

NGC 891 is an edge-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Andromeda. It is located about 30 million light-years away and is often compared to our own Milky Way, as it would likely look very similar to an observer seeing our galaxy from the side. It is a favorite target for amateur astrophotographers.

The most striking feature of NGC 891 is the thin, dark lane of obscuring dust that bisects the galaxy's bright disk perfectly. High-resolution images show filaments of dust and gas extending hundreds of light-years above and below the galactic plane, likely blown out by intense star formation and supernova activity.

NGC 891 is part of a small group of galaxies that includes the spiral NGC 1023. Studies of its "extra-planar" gas have helped astronomers understand how galaxies "breathe"—exchanging gas between their disks and their halos as stars are born and die in violent explosions.