In the celestial theater of the southern hemisphere, the Dorado Group emerges as a captivating ensemble of galaxies both spirals and ellipticals. Spanning an expanse of approximately 10 square degrees in the Dorado constellation, this celestial gathering hosts around 80 members, putting itself between a galaxy group and a galaxy cluster. Situated some 50 million light-years distant, it stands as one of the richest galaxy groups in the Southern Hemisphere.

The most prominent member is NGC 1566, affectionately known as "the Spanish Dancer." This intermediate spiral galaxy defies conventional classification with its enigmatic characteristics. Diverging from typical barred spirals, it presents a nuanced absence of a distinct central bar while maintaining an arrangement within its spiraling arms. NGC 1566 is the second brightest Seyfert galaxy visible in the sky as well as one of the closest to us. Seyfert galaxies have a very luminous nucleus with many of the characteristics of a quasar, though much less energetic. Cloaked in a dance of star formation, its inner arms reveal a tapestry of youthful blue stars intermingled with the blush of hydrogen knots, signs of stellar creation.

Nestled within the heart of the Dorado Group lie the dynamic duo of NGC 1553 and NGC 1549. Positioned in the bottom left quadrant of the image, these galaxies present a lenticular and an elliptical morphology, respectively. Their cosmic interaction appears in its early stages, manifesting through subtle yet discernible tidal shells of stellar matter, alongside an enigmatic jet emanating from NGC 1549. Another notable galaxy within this cosmic ensemble is NGC 1546, located near the bottom left corner of the image. It is characterized by a complex network of dust lanes crossing its core and an extended halo.

Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (330m) L (600m) R (80m) G (80m) B (80m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile. Image processing M.Lorenzi.