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21h ago

Ultra-Detailed Thousand-Color Image Reveals Sculptor Galaxy’s Internal Structure

Captured in over 50 hours of observation with ESO’s VLT, the map will inform research into how gas flows shape star formation in Sculptor.

An image of the Sculptor Galaxy created using images from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope.
Image

Overview

  • Astronomers used the MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope to observe NGC 253 for more than 50 hours and combined over 100 exposures into a 300 GB mosaic containing some 9 million spectra.
  • The composite image spans about 65,000 light-years of the galaxy and resolves roughly 4,000 distinct optical wavelengths to highlight variations in stars, gas, and dust.
  • Initial analysis identified around 500 planetary nebulae, allowing a revised distance estimate that is nearly 17% greater than earlier measurements.
  • Because Sculptor lies 11 million light-years away yet appears large enough for whole-galaxy views, it offers a unique bridge between detailed Milky Way studies and broader surveys of distant galaxies.
  • Researchers will leverage the detailed color map to trace how gas composition and flows drive star formation across different regions of the galaxy.