[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

Apparently the galaxy merged with a smaller galaxy at some stage, possibly causing a few mis-shapen aspects to it.

From wiki " Polarization studies of this galaxy indicate that it recently underwent a minor merger and that it is unique in the radio continuum, with arms opening in a direction opposite to the optical arms. This feature, along with the asymmetrical arms of the galaxy and the intense star formation activity are attributed to a merger with a smaller galaxy."

See?...knew it!