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Messier 83
Messier 83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
Credit: NASA, ESA

M83 (NGC 5236) - Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

Messier 83 (NGC 5236), also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Hydra in the Centaurus A Group of galaxies. M83 is 14,700,000 light years away from Earth.

M83 is best viewed during mid-summer, is magnitude 7.5, and can be viewed with binoculars. M83 is 13' x 11.5' in apparent size. For reference, the full moon is 30' (arc minutes) in size.

      1. Name:
      2. Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
      1. Type:
      2. barred spiral galaxy
      1. NGC or IC:
      2. NGC 5236
      1. Magnitude:
      2. 7.5
      1. Viewing:
      2. binoculars
      1. Size:
      2. 13' x 11.5'
      1. Distance (light years):
      2. 14,700,000 LY
      1. RA:
      2. 13h 37.1m
      1. Dec:
      2. -29 52'
      1. Season:
      2. mid-summer
      1. Galaxy group:
      2. Centaurus A Group

    * The naked eye can see up to magnitude 8 objects under ideal dark sky conditions.