Closer Euclid view of NGC 6744’s centre

This image is released as part of the Early Release Observations from ESA’s Euclid space mission. All data from these initial observations are made public on 23 May 2024 – including a handful of unprecedented new views of the nearby Universe, this being one. This image is a higher resolution close-up cutout from a larger frame featuring the spiral galaxy NGC 6744. This frame shows the galaxy’s bulge and disc in detail. The central bulge is composed mostly of older, lower-mass stars, while the spiral arms host a diversity of stars. Most of NGC 6744’s star formation occurs in these arms, and this is marked by trails of bright, hot, blue-hued stars. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi;