An infrared/visible comparison view of Messier 83

This image is a comparison of the view of the galaxy Messier 83 in visible and infrared light. The visible light image (right) was taken with the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla in Chile. The new infrared image (left) was taken with the HAWK-I instrument on the VLT at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. In the infrared, the dust that obscures many stars becomes nearly transparent, making the spiral arms less dramatic, but revealing a whole host of new stars that are otherwise invisible.