Article Posted on : - Mar 03, 2011

The image reveals the fine details of NGC 247 spiral galaxy and its rich backdrop. Photo: ESO

CALIFORNIA (BNS): Astronomers have found the spiral galaxy NGC 247 as one of the closest spiral galaxies of the southern sky.

According to ESO, the new images of the galaxy have revealed the fine details of this highly inclined spiral galaxy and its rich backdrop.

The image of NGC 247 was taken by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile.

NGC 247 is part of the Sculptor Group, a collection of galaxies associated with the Sculptor Galaxy and this is the nearest group of galaxies to our Local Group, which includes the Milky Way.

The team has already reported that NGC 247 is more than a million light-years closer to the Milky Way than was previously thought, bringing its distance down to just over 11 million light-years.