Dwarf Galaxy UGC 1281

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ESA/Hubble & NASA; Acknowledgement: Luca Limatola
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014: Slightly warped dwarf galaxy UGC 1281 cuts diagonally across the image here, taken by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This galaxy lies roughly 18 million light-years away in the constellation of Triangulum (The Triangle). The small galaxy PGC 6700 (2MASX J01493473+3234464) sits below UGC 1281. Other prominent stars also populate the frame. Earth’s side-on view of UGC 1281 makes it ideal for studying how gas is distributed within galactic halos, the roughly spherical regions of diffuse gas extending out from a galaxy’s center.