The NGC 4303 galaxy as seen with MUSE on ESO’s VLT and ALMA

These images of the nearby galaxy NGC 4303 were taken with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE, left) on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA, right), in which ESO is a partner. The MUSE data combines green, red and infrared filters to reveal the distribution of stars, while ALMA was used to map cold clouds of molecular gas, which provide the raw material from which stars form. 

NGC 4303 is a spiral galaxy, with a bar of stars and gas at its centre, located approximately 55 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. 

The images were taken as part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) project, which is making high-resolution observations of nearby galaxies with telescopes operating across the electromagnetic spectrum. By comparing the images at different wavelengths, astronomers can better understand what triggers, boosts or holds back the birth of new stars.