NGC 5643: Nearby Spiral Galaxy from Hubble
Explanation:
What's happening at the center of spiral galaxy NGC 5643?
A swirling disk of stars and gas,
NGC 5643's appearance is dominated by blue spiral arms and brown
dust, as shown in the
featured image taken by the
Hubble Space Telescope.
The core of this active galaxy glows brightly in
radio waves and
X-rays
where twin jets have been found.
An unusual central glow makes
M106 one of the closest examples of the
Seyfert class of galaxies,
where vast amounts of glowing gas are thought
to be falling into a central massive
black hole.
NGC 5643,
is a relatively close 55 million light years away,
spans about 100 thousand
light years across, and
can be seen with a small telescope
towards the
constellation of the Wolf
(Lupus).
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.
