Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Hydra (Hya)  ·  Contains:  M 83  ·  NGC 5236  ·  Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83), Janith Perera
The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)
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The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)

The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83), Janith Perera
The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)
Powered byPixInsight

The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)

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Description

M83 is a barred spiral galaxy that is approximately 15 million light years away located in the constellation Hydra. Its high rate of star formation has resulted in it being classified as a starburst galaxy and six supernova explosions have been observed in the past century. It is a member of the The Centaurus A/M83 group of galaxies. The core of the galaxy has an unusual double nucleus. The nature of this is unknown, but astronomers think it could have been a result of a merger between M83 & a smaller galaxy. Therefore, the additional 'nucleus' is thought to be the remnant core of the smaller galaxy. This bright galaxy is also a favourite target among the visual observers.

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The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83), Janith Perera