Sideways Galaxy NGC 3628

This week I chose to do the picture of the galaxy NGC 3628. This picture clearly shows dust lanes running through the galaxy, evidence that points towards it actually being a spiral galaxy that we are looking at from the side. Located in Leo about 35 million light years away, it is the only galaxy in the Leo Triplet that was not part of Messier's catalog. The tidal tail, as well as the slightly distorted shape of the galaxy, is likely a result of this galaxy interacting with the other two galaxies in the triplet, M65 and M66.

The Dark Tower in Scorpius 4.6

This week, I chose to do the picture of the column of dust and gas in the constellation Scorpius. This 40 light year structure could possibly contain zones of star formation. This cometary globule is shaped by the UV radiation from the very hot stars in NGC6231. Within the dust, hot stars can be seen as small bluish reflection nebulae. All of these structures are approximately 5000 light years away.

The Giants of Omega Centauri 4.5

This week I chose to do the picture of Omega Centauri, the largest of the 200 globular clusters in the Milky Way. It contains about 10 million stars, and is located about 15,000 light years away and is about 150 light years in diameter. The giant stars in the cluster are colored yellow as a result of the combination of numerous colors. Some of the red spots, most of which are red giant stars, are actually more distant background galaxies.

Cygnus Without Stars 4.4

For this week, I chose to do the picture of a 12 degree view of northern Cygnus, using a filter that transmits only red light emitted by hydrogen atoms (An h-alpha filter). The picture has clouds of cosmic hydrogen gas, and most of the stars have been removed by digital processing. However, we can see Deneb because it is so bright, and also visible are the North America, Pelican, Butterfly, and Crescent Nebulae.

IC 2948: The Running Chicken Nebula 4.3

This week I chose to do the picture of the nebula that is in and around the constellation Centaurus, IC 2948. Located near the star Lambda Centauri, it is not far from the better-known Eta Carina nebula. We can also see Thackeray's Globules, small clouds of interstellar dust that are believed to be candidates for star formation.

A Large Magellanic Cloud Deep Field 4.2

This week I chose to do the picture of the Large Magellanic Cloud, the largest satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy. The galaxy lies about 180, 000 light years away and is in the constellation Dorado, and it spans abot 15, 000 light years. It was the sight of the closest and brightest supernova of modern times, and is visible with the naked eye in the souther hemisphere.

Galaxy Wars: M81 vs M82 4.1

This week, I chose to do the photograph that contains the two galaxies M81 and M82. These two galaxies have been tearing each other apart by the force of their gravity for the past billion years, over the course of numerous hundred-million year periods in which they are located close to each other. Last time, M82 caused density waves to ripple around M81, which made the spiral arms of M81 extremely spectacular. On the other hand, M81 left M82 with violent star forming regions and colliding gas clouds, so violent that the galaxy literally glows with X-Rays. A few billion years from now, the battle between the galaxies will be finished and only one will remain.