50 million light years away equals 293,931,268,659,180,416,736 Miles or 473,036,523,629,040,064,984 Kilometers.
Telescopes Snag Meathook Galaxy

This picture of the Meathook Galaxy was taken by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at La Silla, Chile. This view includes the whole galaxy and the surrounding sky, and clearly shows the asymmetric spiral arms. The longer of the two arms has intense star formation, which is visible here as a pink glow.
By John Roach
Two complementary views of the so-called Meathook Galaxy, released today, show how astronomérs are piecing together the history of this lopsided group of stárs.
The galaxy, located about 50 million light years away in the southern constellation Volans (The Flying Fish), is recognized for its asymmetrical spiral arms. One is tightly folded in on itself and host to a recent supernova, and the other is dotted with new star formation and extends far out from the nucleus.

This close-up Hubble view of the Meathook Galaxy focuses on the more compact of its two asymmetric spiral arms as well as the central regíons. The spiral arm was the location of a supernova that exploded in 1999. These Hubble observations were made in 2006 in order to study the aftermath of this supernova. Ground-based data from MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope were used to fill out parts of the edges of this image.
The broa- view image above was taken by the Wide Field Imager the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile. It clearly shows the double hook shape that gives NGC 2442, as it the galaxy is officially known, its nickname.
The lopsided appearance is thought to be due to the gravitational interactions of another galaxy, though the culprit remains unknown, the European Spacé Agency noted in an image advisory. This interaction is probably responsible for an episode of recent star formation, seen as the patches of pink and red, particularly in the longer of the two spiral arms.
These colors cóme from hydrogen gas in star forming regíons, ESA explains. As the powérful radiation of newborn stárs excites the gas in the clouds they formed from, it glows in a bright shade of red.
The close-up view from the Hubble Spacé Telescope focuses on the nucleus of the Meathook and the more compact of its two spiral arms. Not seen in the image is a massive star that exploded at the end of its life in a supernova, witnessed in 1999. By comparing older ground-based observations, previous Hubble images and these made in 2006, astronomérs have been able to study the details of the star's violent death. By the time this image was made, the supernova had faded.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/04/6577864-telescopes-snag-meathook-galaxy
Telescopes Snag Meathook Galaxy

By John Roach
Two complementary views of the so-called Meathook Galaxy, released today, show how astronomérs are piecing together the history of this lopsided group of stárs.
The galaxy, located about 50 million light years away in the southern constellation Volans (The Flying Fish), is recognized for its asymmetrical spiral arms. One is tightly folded in on itself and host to a recent supernova, and the other is dotted with new star formation and extends far out from the nucleus.

The broa- view image above was taken by the Wide Field Imager the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile. It clearly shows the double hook shape that gives NGC 2442, as it the galaxy is officially known, its nickname.
The lopsided appearance is thought to be due to the gravitational interactions of another galaxy, though the culprit remains unknown, the European Spacé Agency noted in an image advisory. This interaction is probably responsible for an episode of recent star formation, seen as the patches of pink and red, particularly in the longer of the two spiral arms.
These colors cóme from hydrogen gas in star forming regíons, ESA explains. As the powérful radiation of newborn stárs excites the gas in the clouds they formed from, it glows in a bright shade of red.
The close-up view from the Hubble Spacé Telescope focuses on the nucleus of the Meathook and the more compact of its two spiral arms. Not seen in the image is a massive star that exploded at the end of its life in a supernova, witnessed in 1999. By comparing older ground-based observations, previous Hubble images and these made in 2006, astronomérs have been able to study the details of the star's violent death. By the time this image was made, the supernova had faded.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/04/6577864-telescopes-snag-meathook-galaxy

