Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672

NGC 1672 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Dorodo. As seen in this image, dust lanes extend away from the galaxy's nucleus and follow the inner edges of the spiral arms. Clusters of hot, young, blue stars form along the spiral arms and ionize surrounding clouds of hydrogen gas that glow red. Delicate curtains of dust partially obscure and redden the light of the stars behind them by scattering blue light. Astronomers believe that barred spirals have a unique mechanism that channels gas from the disk inward toward the nucleus. This allows the bar portion of the galaxy to serve as an area of new star generation. NGC 1672 is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a subset of galaxies with active nuclei. The energy output of these nuclei, powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes, can sometimes outshine their host galaxies.