Twisted Spiral Galaxy NGC 3718

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. NGC 3718 is the twisted spiral galaxy in the upper-right corner of the image. Its distinctive shape is likely the result of gravitational interactions with the smaller spiral galaxy, NGC 3729, to the left. Below and to the right of NGC 3718 is the Hickson Compact Group 56, which consists of five interacting galaxies. These galaxies aren't smaller. Instead, they are about eight times further away than NGC 3718 and NGC 3729. The image was generated with observations in the U (violet), B (blue), V (green), I (orange) and Hydrogen-Alpha (red) filters. This image is rotated 35 degrees counterclockwise from North is up, East is left.