A spiral galaxy seen almost edge-on, NGC 253.
Caption: NGC 253a NGC 6822 is close enough to be resolved into individual stars, although because of its distance (about 1.8 million light years) only the brightest are seen even with a telescope as powerful as the AAT. It seems to be without symmetry and is classified as an irregular galaxy. At one end of a prominent bar a few clouds of glowing gas can be seen; at the other, bright bluish stars straggle out into what appears to be the first signs of a spiral arm. NGC 6822 is one of the nearest galaxies to us and is a member of a small cluster known as the Local Group to which our Milky Way belongs.
Copyright: (c) 1980 Anglo-Australian Telescope Board, photograph by David Malin
Credit: D. F. Malin