Grand Spiral NGC 5643
Explanation:
Viewed face-on,
grand spiral galaxy NGC 5643 has a
festive appearance
in this
colorful cosmic portrait.
Some 55 million light-years distant, the galaxy extends for over
100,000 light-years, seen within the boundaries of the
southern constellation Lupus.
Its
inner 40,000 light-years
are shown in sharp detail
in this composite of Hubble Space Telescope image data.
The galaxy's magnificent spiral arms wind
from a yellowish central region dominated by light from old stars,
while the
spiral arms themselves are traced by dust lanes, young blue stars and
reddish star forming regions.
The bright compact core of NGC 5643 is also known as
a strong emitter of
radio waves and
X-rays.
In fact, NGC 5643 is one of the closest examples of the
Seyfert class
of active galaxies,
where vast amounts of dust and gas are thought
to be falling into a central massive
black hole.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
