NGC6744 · Pavo Galaxy
| Chinese name | 孔雀座星系 |
|---|---|
| Type | Galaxy |
| Constellation | Pav |
| RA | 19h10m |
| Dec | −64° |
| Apparent magnitude | 8.5ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Best season | Summer |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Focal length | 中焦 600–1000mm |
About
The Pavo Galaxy lies about 30 million light-years away in the southern constellation Pavo and is a giant barred spiral often called a 「twin of the Milky Way」 for its similar structure. About 175,000 light-years across—larger than our Galaxy—it has loosely spread, intricately wound flocculent arms and an elongated barred core. It is accompanied by the distorted little companion NGC 6744A, reminiscent of a Magellanic Cloud, with which it gravitationally interacts. Large in apparent size and face-on, it shows a magnificent full view even at a medium focal length, while deep exposures reveal fine dust and star-forming regions in the arms. It is one of the most photogenic large spirals in the southern sky.