Astronomers have produced a stunningly detailed image of the Sculptor Galaxy, utilizing over 50 hours of observations with the Very Large Telescope. This work resulted in a composite image that showcases vibrant colors reflecting the ongoing star formation in this bright spiral galaxy. The research team identified around 500 planetary nebulae, which provide critical measurements for the galaxy's distance. Such advancements allow astronomers to study both individual star formation regions and the galaxy's overall structure.
According to co-author Kathryn Kreckel, 'We can zoom in to study individual regions where stars form at nearly the scale of individual stars, but we can also zoom out to study the galaxy as a whole.'
Co-author Fabian Scheuermann noted, 'Beyond our galactic neighbourhood, we usually deal with fewer than 100 detections per galaxy.'
Adam Leroy stated, 'Finding the planetary nebulae allows us to verify the distance to the galaxy - a critical piece of information on which the rest of the studies of the galaxy depend.'
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