The massive spiral galaxy NGC 5643 is a feast for the eyes in this colorful cosmic landscape. Located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Lupus (Wolf) in the Southern Hemisphere, the galaxy is about 100,000 light-years across. The galaxy's 40,000-light-year-long interior is clearly revealed in this detailed composition of images from the Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 5643's impressive spiral arms curve outward from a yellow-toned central region dominated by the light of old stars. Along these arms are clouds of dust, young blue stars and reddish regions symbolizing star formation. The galaxy's bright and dense core also emits powerful radio waves and X-rays. Among active galaxies, NGC 5643 is known as a close example of the Seyfert type. In such galaxies, large amounts of gas and dust are thought to be sucked into the massive black holes at their centers.

December 26, 2024 Astronomy Photo of the Day (NASA APOD)

Image Source: ESA / Hubble & NASA