NGC 289：南天的涡漩

NGC 289：南天的涡漩

NGC 289: Swirl in the Southern Sky
Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Selby

Explanation: About 70 million light-years distant, gorgeous spiral galaxy NGC 289 is larger than our own Milky Way. Seen nearly face-on, its bright core and colorful central disk give way to remarkably faint, bluish spiral arms. The extensive arms sweep well over 100 thousand light-years from the galaxy’s center. At the lower right in this sharp, telescopic galaxy portrait the main spiral arm seems to encounter a small, fuzzy elliptical companion galaxy interacting with enormous NGC 289. Of course spiky stars are in the foreground of the scene. They lie within the Milky Way toward the southern constellation Sculptor.

Tomorrow’s picture: Pixel in Space

NGC 289：南天的涡漩
影像提供与版权: Mike Selby

说明: 在大约7千万光年远处的壮丽螺旋星系NGC 289，比我们的银河系还要大。这个几乎侧向的星系，在明亮的核心和色彩缤纷的中央盘面边缘，接着极为暗淡的泛蓝螺旋臂。而这些幅员宽广的螺旋臂，绵延至远离星系核心超过10万光年之处。此外，在这张清晰的望远镜星系影像的右下方，主螺旋臂看似遇到一个小型、弥漫而且正在和庞大NGC 289进行交互作用的椭圆伴星系。想当然耳，位在这片星野前景带着星芒的恒星，是位在南天玉夫座方向的银河繁星。

明日的图片: Pixel in Space