Caption: The two spiral arms of NGC 2997 appear to originate in the nucleus and are peppered with bright red blobs of ionized hydrogen that are similar to regions of star formation in our own Milky Way. Within these gas clouds the hot blue stars that generate most of the light in the arms of the galaxy are formed. A much older population of yellowish stars is concentrated around the nucleus. The disc of NGC 2997 is inclined at about 45í to our line of sight, revealing its internal structure and giving the galaxy an oval appearance.
Copyright: (c) 1980 Anglo-Australian Telescope Board, photograph by David Malin
