Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Reticulum (Ret)  ·  Contains:  NGC 1313

Image of the day 11/25/2018

    Topsy Turvy galaxy through IFN, Geoff
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    Topsy Turvy galaxy through IFN

    Image of the day 11/25/2018

      Topsy Turvy galaxy through IFN, Geoff
      Powered byPixInsight

      Topsy Turvy galaxy through IFN

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      Description

      NGC 1313 (also known as the Topsy Turvy Galaxy) is an isolated barred spiral galaxy discovered by James Dunlop in 1826. It has a diameter of about 50,000 light-years, or about half the size of the Milky Way. It has a strikingly uneven shape and its axis of rotation is not exactly in its centre. There is also strong starburst activity and associated supershells. The galaxy is dominated by scattered patches of intense star formation, which gives it a rather ragged appearance. The uneven shape, the ragged appearance and the strong starburst can all be explained by a galactic collision in the past. However, NGC 1313 is an isolated galaxy with no direct neighbours, so the source of the disturbance is unclear. Possibly it has swallowed a small companion in the past.

      There is also integrated flux nebulosity (IFN) throughout the field. This is an extremely faint glow caused by the combined light of the stars of the Milky Way reflected and re-emitted by interstellar gas and dust. It’s most easily seen in images far from the plane of the Milky Way.

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