NGC 2903

Let's say not a frequent guest on our astro-hosting, shot at the end of March 29-30.03. NGC 2903 is a nearby isolated barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by William Herschel on November 16, 1784. It exhibits a high star formation rate in the circumnuclear region. The star formation rate within a radius of 650 pc around the center is estimated at 0.7 M⊙ per year. In this region, numerous massive young star clusters immersed in clouds of ionized hydrogen (HII) are observed in the visible and near-infrared ranges; bright emission is also evident in the ultraviolet and X-ray ranges. The star-forming regions in the center are fueled by a flow of interstellar gas along the central bar, extending 1′ (about 2.5 kpc) from the center. The rate of gas inflow into the galaxy's center is comparable to the aforementioned star formation rate, 0.7 M⊙ per year.