Thousand-ruby Galaxy: Pinwheel Shines In The Darkness
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 - 13:07
in Astronomy & Space
ESO's Wide Field Imager has captured the intricate swirls of the spiral galaxy Messier 83, a smaller look-alike of our own Milky Way. Shining with the light of billions of stars and the ruby red glow of hydrogen gas, it is a beautiful example of a barred spiral galaxy, whose shape has led to it being nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel.