Sculptor Galaxy

Caldwell 65, also known as the Sculptor Galaxy or the "Silver Dollar Galaxy," is one of the most impressive starburst galaxies in the night sky. Located approximately 8 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor, it is a dominant member of the Sculptor Group, the nearest group of galaxies to our own Local Group. Measuring some 60,000 light-years in diameter, its full disk is so vast that it often extends beyond the field of view in high-resolution captures. This proximity makes it an ideal laboratory for observing the chaotic beauty of a galaxy undergoing intense, rapid star formation.

The high resolution of this image reveals a stunningly complex interior, characterized by clumpy and dark clouds of gas that thread through the disk. Interspersed within these dust lanes are bright blue and white star clouds—vast assemblies of massive, young stars—and vibrant pink HII regions. These HII regions are tremendous stellar nurseries of molecular hydrogen, glowing as they are ionized by the radiation of the newborn stars within them. Observers should also note the small companion galaxy visible just "above" the disk at the top left, a common occurrence in the gravitationally busy environments of galaxy groups.

This image was taken as part of the Advanced Observing Program (AOP) at the Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014. Because the Sculptor Galaxy is tilted nearly edge-on from our perspective, this AOP view provides a clear look at the "dust chimneys" and filaments of gas being blown out of the galactic disk by the collective power of supernova explosions and stellar winds. For users of your web app, C65 stands as a prime example of a "starburst" system, where stars are being born at a rate many times higher than that of the Milky Way.