 M. Gieles / ESO |
The spiral galaxy Messier 83 is a delicate wisp in infrared wavelengths, as seen at left by the HAWK-I instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. But it looks like a fiery pinwheel in the visible-light image at right, captured by the MPG/ESO telescope. Click on the picture for a larger view. |
The spiral galaxy Messier 83, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a spectacular fireworks show when it’s seen through a big telescope in visible light. But when the European Southern Observatory looked at the pinwheel in infrared wavelengths, the result was a much more delicate, no less beautiful picture of the galaxy’s hottest young stars with the surrounding gas stripped away.
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