NGC 247

NGC 247
NGC 247 is a relatively small spiral galaxy in the southern constellation of Cetus at a distance of around 11 million light-years from us, and is part of the Sculptor Group.
NGC 247’s nucleus is visible as a bright patch, surrounded by a mixture of stars, gas and dust. The dust forms dark patches and filaments that are silhouetted against the background of stars, while the gas has formed into bright knots known as H II regions, mostly scattered throughout the galaxy’s arms and outer areas.
This galaxy displays one very unusual feature for which there is no current explanation. The northern part of NGC 247’s disc hosts an apparent void, a gap in the usual mass of stars and H II regions that spans almost a third of the galaxy’s total length.
There are stars within this void, but they are quite different from those around it. They are significantly older, and as a result much fainter and redder. This indicates that the star formation taking place across most of the galaxy’s disc somehow stopped in this area.
Imaged in LRGB and H alpha on the RiDK 700 at El Sauce, Obstech, Chile
Integration time: 34 hours
Image Processing: Mike Selby