NGC 55: A Galaxy of Nebulas
Can you see nebulas in other galaxies?
Yes, some
nebulas shine brightly enough -- if you know how to look.
Clouds of
hydrogen and
oxygen
emit light at very specific colors,
and by isolating them, astronomers and astrophotographers
can reveal structures that would otherwise be
too faint to notice.
This deep, 50-hour exposure highlights glowing
hydrogen (red) and
oxygen (blue) across galaxy
NGC 55, viewed nearly
edge-on.
Also known as the
String of Pearls Galaxy,
NGC 55 is often compared to our
Milky Way's satellite galaxy the
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC),
although NGC 55 lies much farther away at about 6.5 million
light-years.
The resulting image
uncovers a sprinkling of
emission nebulas
within and sometimes above the galaxy's
dusty disk,
offering a detailed look at distant
star-forming regions.