Explanation:
Irregular galaxy NGC 55 is thought to be similar to the Large Magellanic
Cloud (LMC).
But while
the LMC is about 180,000 light-years away
and is a well known satellite of our own Milky Way Galaxy,
NGC 55 is more like 6 million light-years
distant
and is a member of the
Sculptor Galaxy Group.
Classified as an
irregular galaxy, in
deep exposures the LMC itself
resembles a barred disk galaxy.
However, spanning about 50,000 light-years, NGC 55 is
seen nearly edge-on,
presenting a flattened, narrow profile in contrast
with our face-on view of the LMC.
Just as large star forming regions create
emission nebulae
in the LMC, NGC 55 is also
seen to be
producing new stars.
This highly detailed
galaxy portrait highlights a bright core crossed with dust clouds,
telltale pinkish star forming regions, and young blue star clusters
in NGC 55.
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