Image Credit: NASA/ESA/Brian Campbell

This image, which was discovered by Brian Campbell, won first place in a contest hosted by NASA and ESA, inviting talented individuals to pour through Hubble data, looking for hidden treasures that were previously unpublished. Needless to say, he found a gem.

NGC 6300, as its called, is a barred spiral galaxy that can be found in the constellation of Ara, more than 50 million light-years from Earth. Most notably, we see that the galaxy contains several rings of gas that are very prominent. After accumulating in one area, the rings are swept out into the distant reaches surrounding the central portion of the galaxy, causing the filaments to twist around in a manner resembling a pretzel in shape.

See a larger image here


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