Wide view of Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1512
The NASA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 snapped this wide view of the nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1512. A wispy bar of material can barely be seen slicing vertically through the galaxy. The bar is funneling gas to the heart of the galaxy, fueling a ring of star birth. Blue-colored stars along the galaxy's outer edge trace the grand spiral arms.
NASA, ESA, and D. Maoz (Tel-Aviv University and Columbia University)