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> Barred spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in Pavo

Barred spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in Pavo

author: Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images/Novapix

reference: a-gax67-44005

Image Size 300 DPI: 40 * 51 cm

This beautiful galaxy is about 25 million light years away in the direction of Pavo, a constellation of the southern hemisphere winter. It sits in a rich starfield, and is strongly inclined to our line of sight. NGC 6744 is believed to one of the most Milky Way-like of all the nearby spirals, with fluffy (flocculent) spiral arms and a large and distinctly elongated nucleus. It also has other similarities to the Milky Way that are not visible here  with at least one distorted companion galaxy superficially similar to one of the Magellanic Clouds.

Keywords for this photo:

AAO - ASTRONOMY - BARRED SPIRAL GALAXY - GALAXY - INTERACTING - NGC 6744 - PAVO - POSTER - SBbc - SIDING SPRING - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - SPIRAL GALAXY - STAR - STAR FORMATION -