Gallery

Springtime galaxies.  Jim Mazur captured these three large galaxies with a Meade 14-inch LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST-8300M imager.

Messier 87.  This is a very large elliptical galaxy in the Virgo Cluster.  At its center is a black hole that is ejecting a large “jet” of material, which can be barely seen to the right of the galaxy’s bright nucleus.  Other galaxies, near and far, can also be seen.

NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy.  This edge-on galaxy in Coma Berenices, with its prominent dust lane, offers a striking view through amateur telescopes. It has an apparent size of 16′, and it can stretch across the entire field of view with a medium-to-high power eyepiece.

Messier 94.  This face-on galaxy can be found in the constellation Canes Venatici.  It has a high surface brightness which makes it well suited for viewing in even small telescopes.