Spiral Symmetry
The delicate arms of NGC 3486 show the promise of starbirth with glittering
blue and pink patches. Background galaxies abound like self-referential
sign posts. Guests that I accommodated during my astronomical presentations would often say
they felt "small" or "insignificant" upon learning of astronomical distances and timescales.
However, self-similarity occurs at all scales. We live not in a special place. We live not
at a special time. And neither galaxies nor gluons hold greater sway over our perspective of the
universe. Thus neither our size nor our summary life characterize our significance. Instead our greatest
virtue is the capacity to ask questions and the courage to seek answers in our quest to understand the universe.
Click on the above image for a larger
version.
See Also NGC 3486 in the Best of AOP gallery.
Thanks to Jay GaBany for allowing me to acquire and process
this data.
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