M83: A Barred Spiral Galaxy
Explanation:
M83 is a bright
spiral galaxy
that can be found with a small telescope
in the constellation of
Hydra.
M83
is a member of the
Centaurus group of galaxies,
a nearby group dominated by the massive galaxy
Centaurus A.
It takes light about 15 million years to reach us from
M83.
The spiral arms are given a blue color by the many
bright young stars
that have recently formed there.
Dark dust lanes are also visible.
Stars and gas in spiral arms seem to be responding to
much more mass than is visible here,
implying that galaxies are predominantly
composed of some sort of
dark matter. Finding the nature of this
dark matter remains one of the great challenges of
modern science.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
