Free Astronomy Magazine July-August 2021

JULY-AUGUST 2021 A stronomy enthusiasts might wonder why a camera called the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) would be used to image a single spiral galaxy. DECam has in fact already finished its main job, as the instrument was used to com- plete the Dark Energy Survey, which ran from 2013 to 2019. Like many people, rather than enjoying a quiet retirement, DECam is remaining oc- cupied. Members of the astronomi- cal community can apply for time to use it, and the data collected are processed and made publicly avail- able, thanks to the Astro Data Archive at the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC) Program at NSF’s NOIRLab. DECam’s continued operation also makes sumptuously detailed images like this one possi- ble. Messier 83, or the Southern Pin- wheel, is located in the southern constellation of Hydra and is an ob- vious target for a beautiful astro- nomical image. It is oriented so that it is almost entirely face-on as seen The spiral of the Southern Pinwheel by NOIRLab - Amanda Kocz