Galaxies
When we look up at the night sky, pretty much everything we see with our unaided eyes exists as part of the Milky Way galaxy, the galaxy we reside in. Containing around 200 billion stars, the Milky Way galaxy is not only vast, but rather invisible from our regular point of view, with only just over 9,000 stars visible to the naked eye. Though the Milky Way is just one of trillions of galaxies that exist in the visible Universe. Some nearby and interacting with the Milky Way, others are so distant that their light is billions of years old.
Different seasons of the year will offer us better views of galaxies. For example, autumn is a great time to catch views of the Andromeda Galaxy, the largest galaxy in the Local Group, due it's high altitude in our sky. Though springtime is galaxy time, with May being considered galaxy month. This is because the Virgo Supercluster rises into our night sky, passing overhead.
The Virgo Supercluster is comprised of thousands of galaxies spread across upwards of 100 galactic groups and clusters. The Local Group, which is where the Milky Way galaxy resides, is part of the Virgo Supercluster. Found among the constellations Virgo, Leo, and Coma Berenices, the Virgo Supercluster gives us fabulous views of dozens of galaxies easily visible in our telescopes.
This is a collection of galaxies that have been captured at Frosty Drew Observatory or by Frosty Drew Observatory astronomers. Enjoy!
Last Entry: April 5, 2022
