NGC 4013 is an edge-on barred spiral galaxy
about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa
Major. The disk of NGC 4013 shows a distinct "peanut"-shaped
bulge in long exposure photographs that N-body computer
simulations suggest is consistent with a stellar bar seen
perpendicular to the line of sight. A recent deep color image of
NGC 4013 revealed a looping tidal stream of stars extending over
80 thousand light-years from the Galactic Center. This structure
is thought to be the remnants of a smaller galaxy that was torn
apart by tidal forces as it collided with NGC 4013.
