NGC 3521
NGC 3521 is a flocculent (patchy-armed) spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo, approximately 26–40 million light‑years from Earth. It spans about 50,000 light‑years and is viewed nearly face‑on. The galaxy features a soft, “woolly” appearance due to its discontinuous spiral arms, with regions of active star formation spread throughout.
Source: science.nasa.gov
APODs including "NGC 3521"
In the Center of Spiral Galaxy NGC 3521
30/11/2015
This huge swirling mass of stars, gas, and dust occurs near the center of a nearby spiral galaxy. Gorgeous spiral NGC 3521 is a mere 35 million light-years distant, toward the constellation Leo. Spanning some 50,000 light-years, its central region is shown in this dramatic image, constructed from data from the Hubble Space Telescope. The close-up view highlights this galaxy's characteristic multiple, patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust and clusters of young, blue stars. In contrast, many other spirals exhibit grand, sweeping arms. A relatively bright galaxy in planet Earth's sky, NGC 3521 is easily visible in small telescopes, but often overlooked by amateur imagers in favor of other Leo spiral galaxies, like M65 and M66.