IC 5332

IC 5332, also known as PGC 71775 is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor. IC 5332 is a delicate spiral galaxy that is unusually faint and beautifully symmetrical. As viewed from earth it is nearly face on. It has a very small central bulge and open spiral arms accounting for its classification (SABc). The galaxy lies in the direction of the galactic south pole.

IC 5332 is a late type spiral galaxy with observable star formation ongoing, though at such a low rate as to be a stable non-starburst galaxy. It is a somewhat tenuous spiral galaxy with a very low surface brightness of just 23.8 mag/squ arc sec.

IC 5332 has also been observed in detail by the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI). MIRI's high-resolution mid-infrared image pierced the dust clouds obscuring the galaxy's spiral arms, revealing intricate structures in unprecedented detail. These structures were previously hidden in both visible and ultraviolet light observations. This observation exemplifies the power of mid-infrared astronomy to study the previously hidden components of galaxies and unveil their secrets.