Optical CCD image of NGC 2997, an impressive spiral galaxy (type Sc) located about 30 million light years away in the constellation of Antlia. The pin

---

Optical CCD image of NGC 2997, an impressive spiral galaxy (type Sc) located about 30 million light years away in the constellation of Antlia. The pink concentrations in the spiral arms are HII regions, where populations of massive stars have recently formed; their colour is due to their strong emission of H-alpha light. The picture is a composite of two frames recorded with a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera mounted on the metre telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile. A CCD is a type of light- sensitive silicon chip.

---

Size: 5358px × 3272px
Photo credit: © DR WILLIAM C. KEEL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 2997, astronomy, ccd, cerro, cosmology, galactic, galaxy, imagery, ngc, optical, science, spiral, tololo