Astronomers revealed a spectacular panoramic view of the nearby Sculptor spiral galaxy, captured in thousands of colours by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, according to AP News.
The dazzling image, released on Wednesday, spans 65,000 light-years, nearly the galaxy’s full extent, and serves as an intricate stellar map due to its extraordinary detail. Scientists compiled the shot from over 100 exposures totalling 50 hours of observation, transforming NGC 253 into a glowing montage of purples, pinks, and yellows.
Located 11 million light-years away in the Southern Hemisphere’s Sculptor constellation, this starburst galaxy exhibits intense stellar activity and remains visible through binoculars or small telescopes. Research lead Enrico Congiu highlighted its unique position.
The Sculptor Galaxy is in a sweet spot. It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.
The elaborate colour spectrum, far exceeding traditional astronomical images’ limited palette, provides critical clues about stellar age, composition, and motion within the galaxy. Each hue in the gas, dust, and star formations acts as a cosmic fingerprint for researchers.
Already, the team has identified 500 new planetary nebulae, clouds of gas and dust ejected by dying stars that function as cosmic mile markers for measuring galactic distances. As Congiu notes, the richness of colour unlocks deeper analysis of “building blocks” within this vibrant stellar nursery, offering astronomers unprecedented tools to decode galactic evolution.
