Messier 83

constellation of Hydra. Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille discovered M83 on 23 February 1752 at the Cape of Good Hope and Charles Messier added it to his catalogue in 1781.
It is one of the closest and brightest barred spiral galaxies in the sky, having an apparent magnitude of +7,6 – this makes it visible even in binoculars. Its diameter is 120.000 light-years, being slightly larger than our Milky Way. The galaxy has a weak bar and loose arms and it’s considered a grand design galaxy.
Messier 83 is at the center of one of two subgroups within the Centaurus A/M 83 Group, a nearby galaxy group. Centaurus A is at the center of the other subgroup. These are sometimes identified as one group, and sometimes as two. However, the galaxies around Centaurus A and the galaxies around M83 are physically close to each other, and both subgroups appear not to be moving relative to each other.