M65 and M66 are a close pair of galaxies about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. M66 is on the left and M65 is on the right. M66 is in the process of active star formation out of its numerous dark dust lanes due to recent interaction with another galaxy. Thus, it exhibits red emission nebulae where star formation is occurring and bright blue spiral arms formed of OB star clusters that emerge from such nebulae. In contrast, its neighbor, M65, is rather quiescent and exhibits more of a yellow tinge, indicating large populations of older stars.

Exposures: L:R:G:B=

This image was published in the June, 2019 issue of Astronomy magazine.