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Spiral Galaxy Messier 83*
This dramatic image of the galaxy Messier 83 was captured by the Wide Field Imager at ESO's La Silla Observatory, located high in the dry desert mountains of the Chilean Atacama Desert. Messier 83 lies roughly 15 million light-years away towards the huge southern constellation of Hydra (the sea serpent). It stretches over 40 000 light-years, making it roughly 2.5 times smaller than our own Milky Way. However, in some respects, Messier 83 is quite similar to our own galaxy. Both the Milky Way and Messier 83 possess a bar across their galactic nucleus, the dense spherical conglomeration of stars seen at the centre of the galaxies.
Credit:
ESO
About the Image
| Id: | eso0825a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 2 September 2008 |
| Related releases: | eso0825 |
| Size: | 4432 x 4432 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Messier 83 |
| Type: | • Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral • Galaxies |
| Distance: | 15 million light years |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 13h 37m 0.91s |
| Position (Dec): | -29° 51' 56.57" |
| Field of view: | 17.59 x 17.59 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 0.0° left of vertical |
View in Worldwide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Optical B |
MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope WFI |
| Optical V |
MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope WFI |
| Optical R |
MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope WFI |
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