This striking mass of color is NGC 2276, a spiral galaxy in the constel- lation Camelopardalis. Although the spiral arms are visible, their structure is difficult to see. Clumpy and filamentary form- ations range over the entire disk of the galaxy.
Clearly, there is more star formation on the right side than in other parts of the galaxy. This region is so sharply defined partly because of an interaction between the galaxy and the intergalactic medium, which in this case is unusually dense. When gas inside the galaxy collides with the inter- galactic medium, the resulting shock wave creates a distinct galactic border and may also trigger star formation. Gravitational interaction with the
