Wide Field Imager view of a Milky Way look-alike, NGC 6744
This picture of the nearby galaxy NGC 6744 was taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at La Silla. The large spiral galaxy is similar to the Milky Way, making this image look like a picture postcard of our own galaxy sent from extragalactic space. The picture was created from exposures taken through four different filters that passed blue, yellow-green, red light, and the glow coming from hydrogen gas. These are shown in this picture as blue, green, orange and red, respectively.
Credit:
ESO
About the Image
| Id: | eso1118a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 1 June 2011, 12:00 |
| Related releases: | eso1118 |
| Size: | 5312 x 4472 px |
About the Object
| Name: | NGC 6744 |
| Type: | • Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral • X - Galaxies |
| Distance: | 30 million light years |
| Constellation: | Pavo |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 19 9 46.19 |
| Position (Dec): | -63° 51' 28.80" |
| Field of view: | 21.07 x 17.74 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 90.0° right 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 665/12 |
MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope WFI |
| Optical H-alpha |
MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope WFI |

