Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Centaurus (Cen)  ·  Contains:  NGC 4945  ·  The star ξ1Cen  ·  ksi01 Cen
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NGC 4945, Geoff
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NGC 4945

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NGC 4945, Geoff
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NGC 4945

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New image loaded to remove slight yellow colour cast.

NGC 4945 is one of many peculiar galaxies that populate Centaurus. This remarkable spiral galaxy is seen almost edge-on, and the spiral structure is chaotic and difficult to discern. In part this is because the galaxy is itself extremely dusty, and is seen through dust in the Milky Way. These effects together account for its yellowish hue. The dust in NGC 4945 absorbs most of the visible light, especially the blue light from the numerous bright stars known to be present within the galaxy. This energy is re-radiated at infrared wavelengths, which penetrate dust more readily, which is why the galaxy is found to be unusually bright in the infrared.

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NGC 4945, Geoff