IC 2554 is a peculiar irregular galaxy (sometimes classified as a spiral galaxy) located about 100 million light-years away in the constellation of Carina, with a diameter of approximately 60,000 light-years.
The galaxy features a bright central bar and a disturbed, asymmetric disk. Its asymmetrical structure suggests a past merger or tidal disruption, and it may have interacted with the nearby elliptical galaxy NGC 3136B, which could explain the massive hydrogen gas (H I) plume extending from it. This plume, spanning 30 kiloparsecs (98,000 light-years) and holding 2 billion solar masses, forms an arc, hinting at tidal forces at play.
IC 2554 is the only galaxy in its compact group actively forming stars, at a rate of 4 solar masses per year, despite its chaotic environment. Its internal gas dynamics remain surprisingly regular, and though obscured by heavy foreground extinction at a low Galactic latitude, its star-forming regions stand out.
Surrounded by quiescent neighbors like ESO 092-G009, RKK 1959, and a faint dwarf (ATCA J1007-6659), IC 2554 is a dynamic system shaped by its interactions, particularly with NGC 3136B.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby