Located approximately 56 million light-years away in the constellation Fornax, NGC 1365 is a member of the Fornax Cluster, a group of more than 50 known galaxies.
NGC 1365 is a striking example of its kind, as the prominent bar passing through the central core of the galaxy and the spiral arms emerging from the ends of the bar suggest that there is much more to this galaxy than it seems. In addition, it is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, having a bright active galactic nucleus that in turn contains a supermassive black hole at its center.
"NGC 1365 is known as the great barred spiral galaxy because of its two central bar-shaped structures made up of stars," said the ESO astronomers. "Its two bars are a rare phenomenon and are believed to have originated from the combined effects of the rotation of galaxies and the complex dynamics of stars."
"Its largest star bar, too large for its structure to be visible in this image, connects its outer spiral arms to its center. What we can see is the second, much smaller star bar , located within the main bar." experts add.
