NGC5068

NGC 5068 is a face-on barred spiral galaxy, meaning we see it directly from above and it has a central bar-shaped structure surrounded by spiral arms. It's located in the constellation Virgo and is estimated to be about 22 million light-years away with a diameter exceeding 45,000 light-years.
Here are some key features of NGC 5068:
Barred structure: The presence of a central bar suggests NGC 5068 is a mature galaxy. The bar is thought to be responsible for driving gas into the center, fueling star formation.
Spiral arms: Like most spiral galaxies, NGC 5068 has spiral arms where new stars are born from clouds of dust and gas.
Dust: NGC 5068 contains a significant amount of dust, which can be seen glowing in infrared light captured by telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.
Supermassive black hole: At the center of NGC 5068, like most galaxies, resides a supermassive black hole.
Scientists are particularly interested in studying NGC 5068 to understand star formation within spiral galaxies. The Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) program is one such effort that has used NGC 5068 as a target for observations.