This photo shows the central region of a beautiful spiral galaxy, Messier 83, as observed with the FORS1 instrument at VLT ANTU. This galaxy is located in the southern constellation Hydra (The Water-Snake) and is also known as NGC 5236; the distance is about 15 million light-years. The spiral structure resembles that of the Milky Way Galaxy in which we live, but Messier 83 also possesses a bar-like structure at the centre.