The colorful ring in this false color image shows the distribution of H I gas in Maffei 2. Fortunately, Maffei 2ΓÇÖs H I spectral line is at a wavelength of 21 centimeters (just under a foot) and is not blocked by dust. Through the H I gas, astrono- mers can observe the motion of gas in Maffei 2. At first glance, H I gas seems to form a ring around the galaxyΓÇÖs nucleus. But in fact, the ring is broken into two ridges that follow the spiral arms. The arm on the galaxyΓÇÖs left side is about twice as long as the one on the right, and it contains about twice as much gas. In the lower portion of the long arm, a faint blob of gas extends well beyond the stars seen in the infrared image.
Because the differences between the two arms are observed at many
