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3. Where is NGC 2985 Located?
- Constellation: Ursa Major (The Great Bear)
- Coordinates: Right Ascension 09h 50m 22.9s – Declination +72° 16′ 43″
The constellation of Ursa Major is one of the best-known northern constellations, within which other marvelous objects such as the Big Dipper reside. Hidden away in this cosmic neighborhood, NGC 2985 glows dimly, invisible to naked human eyes but resplendent alive in the eyes of space telescopes.
4. Anatomy of a Spiral Galaxy: Understanding the Structure
Before diving deeper into NGC 2985’s specific features, let’s first understand what defines a spiral galaxy:
- Galactic Core: Bright, densely packed with older stars and housing a supermassive black hole.
- Spiral Arms: Regions of ongoing star formation, containing gas, dust, and young, hot stars.
- Halo: A spherical zone filled with older stars and globular clusters surrounding the galaxy.
- Dark Matter Halo: An invisible structure enveloping the entire galaxy, providing gravitational support.
Spiral galaxies such as NGC 2985 are arguably the most gorgeous and dynamically fascinating shapes in the universe.
