Galaxy IC 1101 — 17 times larger than the Milky Way

The image shows the blurred, bright elliptical disk of the giant galaxy IC 1101, surrounded by a dense field of stars and dozens of neighboring galaxies. Its faint, extended halo highlights the colossal size of the object, which exceeds the Milky Way by 17 times. The picture vividly illustrates why astronomers consider IC 1101 one of the largest and still growing galaxies in the universe.