Galactic structure bar serves cosmic scorpion

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This striking image, obtained using the Hubble Space Telescope, was published last month (L. Colina _et al._ _Astrophys. J._ 484, L41-L45;

1997). Resembling a giant scorpion, with the galactic nucleus as its sting, the tapering spiral structure consists of clumpy regions of bright emission – clear indicators of hot, newly

formed stars. NGC4303 is a barred spiral galaxy. The term derives from a linear grouping of stars, the ‘bar’, from which the curved arms are observed to emanate. Theoretical simulations

suggest that the bars in spiral galaxies may serve a particular function, in gravitationally directing the flow of gas from the outer to the inner nuclear regions. This is a preview of

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ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support Authors * Karen Southwell View author publications You can also

search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Southwell, K. Galactic structure Bar serves cosmic

scorpion. _Nature_ 388, 719 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/41888 Download citation * Issue Date: 21 August 1997 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/41888 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the

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