NGC 5033 is a spiral galaxy located about 40 million light-years away in the constellation of Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs). The galaxy is similar in size to our own galaxy, the Milky Way, about 100,000 light-years across. Like in the Milky Way, NGC 5033’s spiral arms are dotted with blue regions where new stars are being born while the older, cooler stars populating the galaxy’s center cause it to appear redder in color.

Unlike the Milky Way, NGC 5033 has no central bar. Instead, it has a bright and energetic core (called an active galactic nucleus) powered by a supermassive black hole. As matter falls into the supermassive black hole, the core shines brightly across the entire electromagnetic spectrum from radio to x-rays.

Image Credit: ESA / NASA