Tag Archives: NGC 247

Behold: spiral galaxy NGC 247, 11 million light years from us toward the southern constellation Cetus, smaller than the Milky Way and strangely redolent of something even smaller. To wit:

The pronounced void on one side of the galaxy’s disk recalls for some its popular name, the Needle’s Eye galaxy. Many background galaxies are visible in this sharp galaxy portrait, including the remarkable string of four galaxies just below and left of NGC 247 known as Burbidge’s Chain. Burbidge’s Chain galaxies are about 300 million light-years distant. NGC 247 itself is part of the Sculptor Group of galaxies along with the shiny spiral NGC 253.

(Image: Acquisition – Eric Benson, Processing – Dietmar Hager)

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