NGC 55, one of the brightest galaxies in the southern sky, is a large and bright member of the Sculptor Group. Astronomers have classified it as a barred spiral galaxy, but because we view it edge-on, the spiral structure is difficult to discern. Unlike most edge-on spirals, NGC 55 does not show an equatorial dust lane. Yet it is by no means lacking dust: patches are scattered throughout the disk, and a large cloud appears prominently just off-center. Bright knots or H II regions are strewn throughout the disk. If one looks closely, individual supergiant stars can be resolvedΓÇöa remarkable sight, given that NGC 55 is about 7.5 million light years away.
