M83
Return to Galaxy Menu
Telescope: Meade LX 200 14" GPS Camera: SBig ST-8 Filters: C:R:G:B Exposure: 65 x 25sec : 160 x 25 sec : 156 x 25sec : 160 x 25 sec Processing: 9 x median dark subtracted, LRGB Colour combine, 30% L, R= 1, G = 1, B = 1.6. Stretch and exponential histogram. Maxim DL. Date: March 2007 Where: Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran Lat: 31 16 35.05 S, Long 149 11 33.99 E, Elevation 547metres
Common Name: The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy Other Names: M83, NGC 5236 RA: 13 : 37.0 Dec -29 : 52 Constellation: Hydra Distance: 15 million light years Magnitude: 7.6 Notes: M83 was discovered by Abbe Nicholas Louis de la Caille at the Cape of Good Hope on February 23, 1752. It was the first galaxy to be discovered beyond the Local Group, and the third of all galaixes, after M31 and M32. M83 was classified as intermediate between normal and barred spiral galaxies this is SAB(s)c. Dark dust lanes follow the spiral structure throughout the disk, and may be traced well into the central region to the nucleus, which has only 20" diameter. This nucleus shows strong emission lines. It is composed of an older yellowish stellar population which dominates the whole central region, and extends along the barlike structure. M83 recedes at 337 km/sec. This galaxy is sometimes called the "Southern Pinwheel". It forms a small physical group, the M83 group, with the peculiar radio galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) and the unusual galaxy NGC 5253 in Centaurus. The group also includes NGC 4945, NGC 5102, NGC 5164, NGC 5408, ESO 381-20 (MCG-6-28-017; 1243-33), ESO 324-24 (MCG-6-30-003; 1324-41), ESO 444-84 (MCG-5-32-000; 1334-27), ESO 325-11 (1342-41), and ESO 383-87 (MCG-6-30-025; 1346-35). Five or six supernovae have been reported in M83.