Messier 83

AAT image of the magnificient spiral galaxy M83, also called the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy.

This beautiful galaxy, of intermediate type between "normal" and barred spirals, shows up in prominent colors. Aligned with the spiral arms, reddish diffuse nebulae can be found which are giant star-forming regions, together with blueish young star clusters and stellar associations which have just formed from these nebulae. The spiral pattern of this galaxy is also nicely traced by dark lanes of interstellar dust. The central region of the disk of M83, together with the central nucleus, has a distinct yellowish color, indicating an older stellar population. The brightest individual stars of the galaxy are just visible in this photograph.

This image is a magnification from a wider field exposure.

This images is copyrighted by the Australian Astronomical Observatory; see their usage policy.

More images by David Malin

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Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: June 1, 2000