Mar 6, 2023
Into the galaxy NGC 1313 © Roger Bertuli
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Into the galaxy NGC 1313 © Roger Bertuli
Scattered Stars in Barred Spiral
NGC 1313
Barred Spiral Galaxy, NGC1313
About this image
This image of nearby spiral galaxy NGC1313 was taken with the National Science Foundation’s Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
NGC1313 is a late-type barred spiral galaxy. In visible light, NGC1313 appears dominated by scattered regions of star formation, giving it a rather ragged appearance. The clouds of bluish stars look to have burst into existence at random, without the normal trigger of gravitational interaction or even distinct spiral processes to prompt them. Deep images show that the outer parts of galaxy are also very disturbed.
When observed at radio wavelengths, the galaxy is found to be rich in hydrogen, the raw material of stars. The gas circulates around the center of the galaxy in a well-ordered way, as opposed to its irregular appearance in visible light.
NGC1313 is located about 15 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Reticulum.
credit line: T.A. Rector/University of Alaska Anchorage, T. Abbott and NOAO/AURA/NSF
NOAO
NGC 1313
NGC 1313 is a barred spiral galaxy located about 15 million light years away towards the constellation Reticulum. It spans about 50,000 light years. NGC 1313 is also classified as a starburst galaxy, one with an unusually high rate of star formation. However, NGC 1313 is unusual for this type of galaxy.
Most starbursts are caused by colliding or interacting galaxies, where the gravitational forces push material around, stimulating star formation. While NGC 1313 does appear lopsided, there is no evidence of a neighbor or remains of a smaller galaxy. The central bar also fails to account for NGC 1313′s starburst activity, as the star formation is occurring in the spiral arms. Also of interest are two ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX’s), possibly black holes only a few hundred times the mass of our Sun.
Image from NASA, information from ESA.
The Topsy Turvy Galaxy, NGC 1313 // Klaus Eikmeier & M. Levens
The Topsy Turvy Galaxy, NGC 1313 // Daniele Gasparri
The Topsy Turvy Galaxy, NGC 1313 // Gabriele Gegenbauer