Southern Pinwheel (M83)

Southern Pinwheel (M83) — galaxy, shown live in Cosmoscope, a real-time 3D map of the universe.

A blazing face-on barred spiral strung with pink star-forming knots, near enough that its individual giant nebulae and star clusters resolve in a backyard telescope.

Type
Barred spiral (SAB(s)c)
Distance
15 million light-years
Note
Six supernovae recorded — a record-holder

Seeing Southern Pinwheel (M83) in real time

Southern Pinwheel (M83) is placed at its true position on the sky and at its real measured distance, not as a flat backdrop. Fly out from the Sun in the live 3D view and watch it change from a point of light into structure as you approach, with the scale bar showing just how far out you have travelled.

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