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Messier Monday: The farthest Messier object (for now), M58 (Synopsis)

By esiegel on April 7, 2014.

“When we are sure that we are on the right road there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time.” -Orison Swett Marden

Every Messier Monday, we've taken a look at one of the 110 remarkable and unique deep-sky objects that make up the Messier catalogue. Of all these objects, the galaxies are the largest, most distant and also the most numerous. But only one of these galaxies can be the farthest of them all!

Image credit: Steve Mandel / Adam Block / NOAO / AURA / NSF, via http://gallery.rcopticalsystems.com/gallery/m58.html. Image credit: Steve Mandel / Adam Block / NOAO / AURA / NSF, via http://gallery.rcopticalsystems.com/gallery/m58.html.

This week's object, Messier 58, not only holds that distinction, it's also one of just four barred spiral galaxies in the entire catalogue, and it has a number of really remarkable properties, not to mention the beautiful pictures that highlight how amazing it truly is.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team, via http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2265-sig06-003-NGC-4579. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team, via http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2265-sig06-003-NGC-4579.

Go and read the whole thing!

Tags
Astronomy
Galaxies

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