Galaxy’s giant ‘twin’ revealed by telescope

The bird’s eye view of NGC 6744 gives a good idea of what our own galaxy would look like to a passing space traveller.

The spiral galaxy is around 30 million light years away in the southern constellation of Pavo, the Peacock.

In the new image from European Southern Observatory astronomers it is seen almost face on, so that the striking spiral arms are clearly visible.

NGC 6744 would almost be an identical twin of the Milky Way were it not for its size.

While our own galaxy is roughly 100,000 light years across, it has nearly twice that diameter. Its dusty spiral arms are home to many star-forming regions.

Astronomers took the picture using the 2.2 metre telescope at La Silla, Chile, jointly operated by the Max Planck Society (MPG) and ESO.

The observatory is sited on the edge of the Atacama desert, a location specifically chosen because it is remote from civilization and is not affected vy pollution from urban lights.

The colours of the images have been enhanced by passing the light through special filters.

La Silla’s powerful telescopes have also recently captured unique images of a huge atmospheric storm on Saturn and a previously undiscovered ‘superstar’ deep within a galaxy neighbouring the Milky Way.