Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                              2018 September 21
                                      [2]
                           Irregular Galaxy NGC 55
                Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Martin Pugh [4]

Explanation: Irregular galaxy NGC 55 is thought to be similar to the Large
Magellanic Cloud (LMC). But while the LMC [5]  is about 180,000 light-years
away and is a well known satellite of our own Milky Way Galaxy, NGC 55 is more
like 6 million light-years distant [6] and is a member of the Sculptor Galaxy
Group [7] . Classified as an irregular galaxy [8] , in deep exposures [9]  the
LMC itself resembles a barred disk galaxy. Spanning about 50,000 light-years,
NGC 55 is seen nearly edge-on though, presenting a flattened, narrow profile
in contrast with our face-on view of the LMC. Just as large star forming
regions create emission nebulae [10] in the LMC, NGC 55 is also seen to be
[11] producing new stars. This highly detailed galaxy portrait [12]
highlights a bright core crossed with dust clouds, telltale pinkish star
forming regions, and young blue star clusters in NGC 55.

                        Tomorrow's picture: equinox -1

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [24] (MTU [25] ) & Jerry Bonnell [26]
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1809/NGC55_HaLRGBpugh.jpg
  [3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [4] https://www.martinpughastrophotography.space/
  [5] ap180516.html
  [6] http://www.kencroswell.com/NGC55Cepheids.html
  [7] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galgrps/ scl.html
  [8] http://www.le.ac.uk/ph/faulkes/web/ galaxies/r_ga_irregular.html
  [9] ap080409.html
  [10] ap080426.html
  [11] http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0501173
  [12] https://www.martinpughastrophotography.space/...
  [13] ap180920.html
  [14] archivepix.html
  [15] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [16] lib/aptree.html
  [17] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
  [18] calendar/allyears.html
  [19] /apod.rss
  [20] lib/edlinks.html
  [21] lib/about_apod.html
  [22] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
  [23] ap180922.html
  [24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [26] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
  [27] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [28] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [29] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
  [30] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [31] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [32] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [33] http://www.mtu.edu/

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