M 108 (NGC 3556)

M 108 is a type Sc spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. Almost edge-on, it shows little or no bulge and no noticeably strong center, being a motley collection of features often referred to, in classic understatement, as very dusty. The spiral structure is not very clearly delineated, unsurprisingly. M 108 is around 40 to 50 million light years away in a loose galaxy grouping which includes M 109. This picture was created from observations using the T2KA CCD camera at the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 0.9-meter telescope in January of 1997.

Courtesy: AURA/NOAO/NSF