NGC 2997 Spiral Galaxy in Antlia (Ant)

Right Ascension: 9 : 45.6 (hours : minutes)
Declination: -31 : 11 (degrees : minutes)
Apparent Magnitude: 11. p
Apparent Diameter: 8.1 (arc minutes)

This highly enlarged field of approx. 20 x 12 arcminutes shows NGC 2997, a very nice mag 10.0 southern galaxy reminiscent of M 83 but with a disk that is inclined 45 degrees to our line of sight. The spiral arms are peppered with bright red blobs of ionized hydrogen where the bright blue stars are born that generate most of the light in the spiral arms. The nucleus concentrates an older population of yellowish stars.

ESO PR Photo 17a99 (6 march 1999)