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> Spiral galaxy NGC 45 in Cetus

Spiral galaxy NGC 45 in Cetus

author: R.Gendler/Novapix

reference: a-gax00-45001

Image Size 300 DPI: 12 * 9 cm

NGC 45 is one of the closest and lowest surface brightness spiral galaxies known. NGC 45 is so faint and its dust content so low, distant galaxies can easily be seen through its transparent nearly face-on disk. Once thought to be a true member of the Sculptor group it is now believed to lie just beyond it. The bright adjacent 6.5 magnitude foreground star has hindered previous investigations of NGC 45 but recent Chandra data has revealed X-ray sources through its disk believed to be a previously unknown galaxy cluster. NGC 45 lies in the constellation of Cetus, 14 million light years away.

Keywords for this photo:

2009 - ASTRONOMY - CETUS - GALAXY - NGC 45 - SPIRAL GALAXY - STAR -