Dale — Among Stars

Astrophotography · Edinburgh, Scotland

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galaxy · NGC 5906

Splinter Galaxy

29 Apr 2026 Edinburgh 39m integration 50,000,000 light-years
Splinter Galaxy (NGC 5906) — astrophotography from Edinburgh

NGC 5906 is a nearly perfect edge-on spiral galaxy about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Draco. Viewed almost precisely along its equatorial plane, it presents a razor-thin profile bisected by a prominent dark dust lane that traces the full length of its disc. Its slim, elongated appearance — reminiscent of a wood splinter — gives rise to the popular nickname. The galaxy shows slight disc warping toward its outer edges, a telltale sign of past gravitational interactions with neighbouring galaxies.

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