APOD Entry #3 on Extra Galaxies

A composite image, which is a larger picture composed of many smaller pictures, of the area near the constellation Ursa Major shows a lot of galaxies. The biggest is NGC 3718, also classfied Arp 214, which is a spiral galaxy that is warped. Originally, it was not known as a spiral galaxy, but later pictures with longer exposures provided evidance that it is a barred, warped spiral galaxy. To the right of that, in the space of about 150 thousand light-years, is NGC 3729. The pair of them are interacting, gravitationally, which causes the warping on NGC 3718. Together they are about 52 million light-years away. Underneath NGC 3718 is Hickson Group 56. It contains 5 galaxies which all interact together. It lies over 400 million light-years away.