Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Eridanus (Eri)  ·  Contains:  NGC 1291
NGC 1291, Greg Allegretti
NGC 1291
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NGC 1291

NGC 1291, Greg Allegretti
NGC 1291
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 1291

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Description

NGC 1291 shows an unusual form. This galaxy is characterized by a small barred structure near the center and a smooth outer ring. NASA has chosen to classify this as a “transitional galaxy.” NGC 1291 is very old; roughly 12 billion years, but the outer ring is permeated with regions where young stars are currently forming. This was recently evidenced by infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

NGC 1291 lies 33 million light years distant in the direction of the southern constellation Eridanus.

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NGC 1291, Greg Allegretti