The quiet architecture of a barred spiral, far beyond our own
IC 2367 is a barred spiral galaxy in the southern constellation Puppis, classified morphologically as an SB(r)b system with a well-defined central bar and an inner resonance-like ring feeding a pair of tightly wound spiral arms. A luminous bulge anchors the disk, while dust lanes and star-forming ridges trace the spiral pattern outward into a faint, extended envelope.
At a distance of approximately 100 million light-years, IC 2367 spans an apparent size of about 2.4 × 1.3 arcminutes, corresponding to a physical diameter of roughly 70–75 thousand light-years. With an integrated visual magnitude near 12.4, it is a moderately luminous spiral whose structure becomes increasingly rich at high angular resolution.
Beyond the bright bar and primary arms, the galaxy reveals a subtle inner pseudo-ring shaped by resonant dynamics within the bar, together with a slight asymmetry between the two main arms, suggesting long-term secular evolution rather than a recent strong interaction. Compact blue star-forming complexes punctuate the inner disk, while a faint, smooth stellar envelope extends beyond the brightest spiral structure, giving the system a layered and gently evolved appearance.
The surrounding field is unusually deep and textured, populated by a dense background of distant galaxies and faint field stars that recede far beyond IC 2367 itself. This rich extragalactic backdrop adds depth and scale to the scene, placing the galaxy within a crowded but beautifully ordered cosmic landscape.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby