The 2MASX J00482185−2507365 occulting pair is a pair of overlapping spiral galaxies found in the vicinity of NGC 253, the Sculptor Galaxy.

[4] This pair of galaxies illuminates the distribution of galactic dust beyond the visible arms of a spiral galaxy.

The heretofore unexpected extent of dust beyond the starry limits of the arms shows new areas for extragalactic astronomical study.

The dusty arms extend six times the radii of the starry arms of the galaxy, and are shown silhouetted in HST images against the central and core sections of the background galaxy.

This spiral galaxy article is a stub.