Dusty Galaxy
The red colors in this image show the galaxy M66 as it appears at the sub-mm wavelength of 850 microns, while the white background shows the galaxy as it appears in visible light. Regions of cold dust that appear as dark streaks in the white image glow brightly in the red image. The center of the galaxy contains much more dust than is obvious from looking at the visible image and the sub-mm image also picks out an unusual compact cloud in the southern part of the galaxy that is a prime site for future star formation.
Image: VLT/ESO, JAC, G. Bendo [high-resolution]
Caption: VLT/ESO, JAC, G. Bendo