
Images
M6
Messier 6, also known as the Butterfly cluster, is an open cluster of stars in the southern constellation of Scorpius. The first astronomer to record its existence was Giovanni Battista Hodierna in 1654. 120 stars, ranging down to visual magnitude 15.1, have been identified as most likely cluster members. Most of the bright stars in this cluster are hot, blue B-type stars but the brightest member is a K-type orange giant star, BM Scorpii, which contrasts sharply with its blue neighbours in photographs.
M60 | Arp 116
Messier 60, is an elliptical galaxy approximately 57 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. Together with NGC 4647, it forms a pair known as Arp 116. NGC 4647 is an intermediate spiral galaxy. The galaxies are located on the outskirts of the Virgo Cluster. On 16 April, the Japanese amateur astrophotographer Kōichi Itagaki discovered a very bright Supernova, also known as SN 2022hrs.
M8 | Sh2-25
Messier 8, the Lagoon Nebula, is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Giovanni Hodierna in 1654 and included in the Messier catalog in 1764. Within the nebula is the open cluster NGC 6530. The Lagoon Nebula is estimated to be between 4,000–6,000 light-years away from the Earth.
M62
Messier 62, also known as the Flickering Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1771 by Charles Messier. M62 is about 21.5 thousand light years from Earth. The cluster may prove to be the galaxy's richest in terms of RR Lyrae variables. It is hypothesized that this cluster may be host to an intermediate mass black hole.
M11
Messier 11, also known as the Wild Duck Cluster, is one of the richest and most compact open star clusters known, located in the constellation Scutum. The cluster is approximately 6,200 light-years away from Earth and has an estimated age of around 220 million years. It contains thousands of stars, many of which are brighter and younger than our Sun.
M17 | Sh2-45
Messier 17, commonly referred to as the Omega Nebula or Swan Nebula, is an emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius. Spanning approximately 30 light-years in the longest direction, Messier 17 is located roughly 5,000 to 6,000 light-years from Earth. It is one of the most massive molecular clouds in our Galaxy.
Caldwell 21
Caldwell 21 is an irregular galaxy located approximately 12.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is part of the M94 Group, a collection of galaxies in the vicinity of the Milky Way. Caldwell 21 is notable for its active star formation, which is evident from the numerous young, blue star clusters and pinkish star-forming regions scattered throughout the galaxy.
M51 | Arp 85
Messier 51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, is one of the most striking and well-known galaxies in the night sky. What makes it special is the interaction with nearby galaxy NGC 5195, distorting its otherwise symmetric spiral pattern. This gravitational pull has triggered waves of star formation in the Whirlpool's arms, lighting them up with clusters of hot, young, blue stars. Here in a long >60h exposure.
M58
Messier 58 is one of the brightest galaxies in the constellation Virgo. Located roughly 62 million light-years from Earth, M58 is the most distant Messier object. The core contains high rates of star formation, known as starburst activity. It also houses a supermassive black hole around 70 million times the mass of our Sun.
Arp 25, Arp 114
Arp 25 and Arp 114 are a spiral and an elliptical galaxy respectively in the constellation Cepheus, at a distance of about 120 million lightyears away from Earth. Their gravitational interaction causes distortions in their morphology.