The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy is a celestial treat for those who can see it. This galaxy measures 14′ by 13′. M83 also is bright at magnitude 7.5, making it the eighth-brightest galaxy in the sky. Its distance certainly plays a factor in both of these traits; the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy lies a mere 14.7 million light-years away.
Using a ½-inch refractor, French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille discovered M83 in 1752. Charles Messier added it to his now-famous catalog in 1781.
M83