NGC1365 is a large barred spiral galaxy and is one of the most impressive examples of this kind in the sky. The central bar is composed mainly of older yellow stars but it terminates abruptly into the long straight arms where the light from young blue super giants is dominating. Clearly visible is also many pink emission nebulae where new stars are continually born, typically concentrated along the arms where the rotating density wave compresses the galaxy's gas and dust. NGC1365 located in the Fornax cluster of galaxies about 60 million light years away.

OPTICS 10" Newtonian f/5.2
MOUNT Losmandy G11 equatorial
CAMERA Philips ToUCam Pro SC1 webcam
FILTERS None
EXPOSURE 27 x 245s
DATE/TIME 23/10/2005 13:02 UTC
LOCATION My backyard observatory in west Auckland, New Zealand