The appearance of a galaxy can depend heavily on the color of the light with which it is observed. This Hubble Heritage image of NGC 6782 illustrates a pronounced example of this effect. This spiral galaxy, seen in visible light, has tightly coiled spiral arms that give it a pinwheel shape similar to many other spirals. However, when the galaxy is observed in ultraviolet light with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, its shape is strikingly different.

Credit:
NASA/ESA and the Hubble Heritage team (STScI/AURA)

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