To the casual observer Maffei 2 does not appear to be a galaxy, yet under close scrutiny it reveals its true nature. In this image, a very long exposure made in red light, the most visible feature is the bright nucleus. In most large galaxies, the nucleus has the highest concentration of stars and thus appears brightest. Around this bright nucleus is a fuzzy ΓÇ£bulge,ΓÇ¥ another characteristic of spiral galaxies. Although the bulge is the thickest part of a spiral galaxy, it is much smaller than the disk in which the spiral arms reside. As in most spirals, the disk in Maffei 2 is the dimmest feature, virtually impossible to see in this image.
The real story of Maffei 2 is told by images made at wavelengths less
