Abstract
NGC 55 is a member of the Sculptor group of galaxies near the South Galactic Pole. At a distance of about 2 Mpc, the brightest stars, clusters and associations can be clearly distinguished. The galaxy is therefore very useful for the calibration of the various standard indicators for determining the distance scale of the universe. Photographs in red light show the presence of a small spheroidal component which is just resolved on long-exposure photographs taken with the CTIO 4-m telescope. The Yale 1-m telescope plus image tube camera has been used to take photographs through a narrow band [0 III] 5007 filter. In addition to the numerous normal H II regions, these photographs reveal a large falnt nebulous arc, approximately 1.5 kpc in diameter. It is roughly centered on a bright stellar knot which is probably an unusually active region of star formation located in the main plane of the galaxy.
