Whirlpool Galaxy M51

Image of the “Silver Needle Galaxy” taken from my backyard. It's two hours of luminance taken through an IR filter and then 20 minutes through each of the RBG filters to get the color. So it's three hours total exposure. Edge on galaxy NGC 4244 (Caldwell 26) is also nicknamed the “Silver Needle Galaxy”. It's easy to see why since it appears needlelike. It's 13.5 million light years from Earth. It's part of the M94 group of galaxies in Canes Venatici. While NGC 4244 is fairly close (13.5 million light-years from Earth) there is a galaxy in this image nearly 1 Billion light years from Earth. That galaxy appears at the right edge of this image at roughly the 3 o'clock position. There are actually two distant galaxies at the 3 o'clock position. One is PGC139774 face on galaxy which is 930 million light years from Earth !! The other galaxy next to it is PGC4537090. . As usual, there are many other distant galaxies in this image.

Image taken last night from my backyard. NGC4302 edge on galaxy with NGC4298 face on galaxy. Planewave's CDK 17 inch telescope with SBIG 8300 CCD camera. One hour and 45 minutes of total exposure. One hour through luminance and 15 minutes to reach filter (RGB). Aside from the two bright galaxies there are many background galaxies in this image. There is also a UFO. Just above the galaxies are the hints of an unidentified object !! It appear as a series of dashes. Both galaxies were discovered by William Herschel on April 7, 1784. It is a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies located in the constellation of Coma Berenices. Both of these galaxies lie approximately 55,000,000 ly from Earth. NGC 4302 is about 85,000 light years in diameter and its mass is approximately 110 billion solar masses which is 1/10 the Milky Way's mass

Image taken last night from my backyard. NGC 2805 group of galaxies. Taken with SBIG 8300 CCD camera attached to Planewave CDK 17 inch telescope. One hour of luminance and 30 minutes thru each filter (RGB filters). Everything is controlled through Maxlm DL software (telescope, camera and dome). Assembled in Maxlm DL and Photoshop CS. This group of galaxies was discovered by William Herschel in 1781. NGC 2805 is the prominent face-on galaxy. NGC 2820 is the larger edge on galaxy in the upper left and NGC 2814 is a smaller edge on galaxy in the upper left. NGC 2805 is located 46,000,000 light years from Earth in the Ursa Major constellation. NGC 2805 is 65,000 light years across. To put that in context, our Milky Way galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years across so NGC 2805 is smaller than the Milky Way galaxy. If you could go at the speed of sound (Mach1) it would take you 40 trillion years to get to NGC 2805. There are a few other distant background galaxies in the image.

Andromeda Galaxy is visable to the naked eye under dark skies. Located 2.5 million light years from Earth.

This image appears in the August 2017 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine. Spiral galaxy M 81 lies 12,000,000 ly from Earth. This photograph was taken with my 16 inch Meade LX 850 telescope and the Sbig STT 8300 CCD camera on February 25, 2017 from my backyard in Taylors, South Carolina.

Supernova SN 2017eaw in spiral galaxy NGC 6946 appears at the end of the red arrow. This was photograph May 25th 2017 from my backyard in Taylors, South Carolina with my Meade16 inch LX 850 telescope. This supernova was discovered by Patrick Wiggins on May 14, 2017. Spiral galaxy NGC 6946 is also nicknamed the " Fireworks galaxy"

Double the fun. Two galaxies taken with my Meade Pictor 416xte ccd camera and 12 inch LX200 in 2000. Galaxies Ngc4302 & Ngc 4298. Taken on 4-23-03

Ngc6015 taken with 12 inch LX200 and Meade Pictor 416xte and 616 Color Filter Wheel. Taken September 5th 2001.

Ngc6503 taken with the Meade stuff. 12 inch LX200,Pictor 416xte and Meade 616 Color Filter Wheel.

Spiral Galaxy Ngc4244 Needle Like. Taken on April 29th 2001 with my Meade 12 inch LX200 and Pictor 416xte ccd camera with its Pictor 616 Color filter wheel.

Spiral Galaxy Ngc3675 taken on January 12th 2001 with my meade 12 inch LX200 ,Pictor 416xte ccd camera and Pictor 616 Color Filter Wheel.

Face-On Spiral Galaxy Ngc3184 lies in the constellation Ursa major. Taken with my meade stuff on March 22nd 2001.

The Whale Galaxy Ngc4631 . Taken with my Meade Pictor 416xte ccd camera and Meade 12 inch LX200 telescope. It lies 30 million light years from Earth and it is a "Huge" Edge-on Spiral Galaxy. Nice to see through a telescope. Taken 4/23/01

Edge-On Spiral Galaxy Ngc4565. This image appears in the Meade Catalog for 2003 and 2004. It also, was published in Astronomy Magazine ( July 2001) Taken with my Meade 12 inch LX200 ,Pictor 416xte and Pictor 616 Color Filter Wheel. Taken 3-8-01

Galaxy M108 lies 45 million light years from Earth. Discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1782. Taken with my Meade stuff on June 5th 2001.

Ngc6946 a faint Face-On Spiral Galaxy. Taken with Meade 416xte,Meade 616 Color Filter Wheel. Taken August 4th 2002.

Spiral Galaxy M100 is a bright member of the Virgo Cluster. Its Face-On shape can be seen fairly well with a six inch telescope under dark skies. Taken with my Meade LX200 ,Pictor 416xte and Pictor 616 Color Filter Wheel. Taken on March 18th 2001.

Barred Spiral galaxy Ngc2903 taken with my Meade Pictor 416xte and Pictor 616 Color Filter Wheel through the 12 inch LX200. This lies 20 million light years from Earth.

Spiral galaxy M101 discovered by Pierre Mechain on March 27th 1781. It lies 20 million light years from Earth. Taken with my 12 inch LX200 ,Pictor 416xte ccd camera and Pictor 616 Color Filter Wheel. Taken on April 16th 2002.

Ngc891 a nice Edge-On Spiral galaxy to see through a telescope. Ten million light years from Earth. Discovered by Caroline Herschel in August of 1783. Taken with my Meade stuff. Taken 12/22/02

Ngc6946 a faint Face-On Spiral Galaxy. Taken with Meade 416xte,Meade 616 Color Filter Wheel. Taken August 4th 2002.

Spiral Galaxy Ngc772 lies 100 million light years from Earth. Taken with Meade stuff. 2002

Spiral Galaxy Ngc7606 lies 96 million light years from Earth. Taken on Novenber 6th 2001 ( my birthday) . Taken with Meade LX200 ,Pictor 416xte ccd camera and Pictor 616 Color filter Wheel.

Spiral Galaxy Ngc5005 lies 49 million light years from earth. Taken with my Meade stuff on May 5th 2002.

Spiral galaxy Ngc7331 lies 48 million light years from Earth. Taken on September 7th 2001. Taken with meade LX200 and Pictor 416xte ccd camera with Pictor 616 color Filter Wheel.

Spiral Galaxy IC65 taken on september 10th 2002 with my Meade Pictor 416 xte ccd camera and 12 inch LX200 telescope.

The Andromeda Galaxy M31 taken on August 21st 2004 with my SBIG 2000XM ccd camera and Takahashi FSQ 106N telescope. Of course,it lies in the constellation of Andromeda and is just over 2 million light years from Earth. It is the farthest object you can see without the aid of a lens. You can see it with your "naked " eyes for a dark location.

Ngc 5907 a Needle Galaxy . Taken with my 12 inch LX 200 and Meade Pictor 416xte ccd camera. Taken on March 23rd 2002.

The Whale Galaxy and Galaxy Ngc4656 taken with my Takahashi FSQ 106N and SBIG 2000XM ccd camera on February 11th 2005. The Whale Galaxy (Ngc4631) lies 30 mi llion light years from Earth.