... Our Galaxy in Stars, Gas, and Dust . ... The red nebulae visible in the above contrast-enhanced picture are primarily emission nebulae, glowing clouds of hydrogen gas heated by nearby, bright, young stars. M83: A Barred Spiral Galaxy . ... M83 is a bright spiral galaxy that can be found with a small telescope in the constellation of Hydra. ... M83 is quite a typical spiral - much like our own Milky Way Galaxy. ... Bright clusters of stars form and disperse near the center of our Galaxy. ...