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Credit & Copyright: Mike Siniscalchi
Explanation:
Lurking behind dust and stars near the plane of our
Milky Way Galaxy,
IC 10 is
a mere 2.3 million light-years distant.
Its light dimmed by the intervening dust, the irregular
dwarf galaxy still shows off vigorous star-forming regions
that shine with a telltale reddish glow in
this colorful skyscape.
In fact, also a member of the Local Group of galaxies, IC 10 is
the closest known
starburst galaxy.
Compared to other
Local Group
galaxies, IC 10 has a large
population of newly formed stars that are massive and
intrinsically very bright, including a luminous
X-ray binary
star system thought to contain a
black hole.
Located within the boundaries of the northern constellation
Cassiopeia,
IC 10 is about 5,000 light-years across.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: starburst - irregular galaxy - Local Group of Galaxies
Publications with words: starburst - irregular galaxy - Local Group of Galaxies
See also: