FOR RELEASE: August 5, 2004

PHOTO NO.: STScI-PRC04-25

HUBBLE IMAGES MAJESTIC COUSIN OF THE MILKY WAY

Our Sun and solar system are embedded in a broad pancake of stars deep within the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. Even from a distance, it is impossible to see our galaxy's large-scale features other than the disk. The next best thing is to look farther out into the universe at galaxies that are similar in shape and structure to our home galaxy. Other spiral galaxies like NGC 3949, pictured in the Hubble image, fit the bill.

This new image was created from Hubble data taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in October 2001. Separate exposures through blue, visible, and near-infrared filters have been combined to make the natural color picture. This image was produced by the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI).

Image Credit: NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI) Acknowledgment: S. Smartt (The Queen's University of Belfast)

To see and read more, please visit:
http://hubblesite.org/news/2004/25
http://heritage.stsci.edu/2004/25
The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA), for NASA, under contract with the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).