"Spiral Barred Galaxy NGC1365"
- Deepsky 3411mm LRGB
- Constellation Fornax

NGC 1365 is a Hubble-type SBb barred spiral galaxy in the southern constellation of Fornax. The shape of the bars is striking and it is one of the best-known barred spiral galaxies. NGC 1365 has a magnitude of 9.5 and an angular extent of 11′.0 × 6′.2. The galaxy is about 68 million light-years distant and over 200,000 light-years across. NGC 1365 is a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy and belongs to the Fornax cluster of galaxies. It rotates clockwise as seen from Earth; a complete rotation takes about 350 million years.

The astronomers are particularly interested in the complex movement of interstellar matter in the galaxy and how it affects the gas supplies from which new stars are formed. The massive bar perturbs the galaxy's gravitational field, compressing gas in certain areas and stimulating star formation. Countless young star clusters can be seen in the spiral arms, each containing hundreds or thousands of young and bright stars, all formed within the last ten million years.

As is usual with spiral galaxies, the center of NGC 1365 is a supermassive black hole (SMBH). By a stroke of luck (a cloud of gas moved into the line of sight between Earth and the center of the galaxy), the space-based Chandra X-ray telescope was recently able to map the X-ray emitting gas disk around the black hole. According to the measurement, the gas disk has a diameter of 7 AU, which is only ten times the calculated event horizon.[5] Four supernovae have been observed in NGC 1365 so far: SN 1957C (type unknown), SN 1983V (type Ic), SN 2001du (type II-P) and SN 2012fr (type Ia).

The object was discovered on November 24, 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.

Taken with a Planewave CDK 20", focal 3411m, f/6.8 and a FLI PL 16803 CCD, filter: Astrodon Gen2 series E.
Lights: 26x 900s L, 17x 900s R, 19x 900s G, 18x 900s B.
14-day premium image data set from iTelescope (T59 setup), sited at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia.

Shooting Conditions: Clear nights, Bortle 1 sky