Galaxies are vast, gravitationally-bound systems of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter that make up the visible structure of the universe. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from small, irregularly shaped dwarf galaxies to massive, spiral or elliptical galaxies that can contain hundreds of billions of stars.
Galaxies are the basic building blocks of the universe and are thought to have formed early in its history through the process of gravitational collapse from small perturbations in the density of matter. Over time, galaxies grow through the accretion of gas and dust, and through mergers with other galaxies.
The stars in galaxies are not uniformly distributed, but instead are organized into various structures such as arms, bars, or bulges, depending on the shape of the galaxy. These structures are influenced by the gravitational interactions between the stars and the gas and dust in the galaxy.
Caldwell 12 – Firework Galaxy
The Fireworks Galaxy (Caldwell 12 or NGC 6946) is a face-on galaxy in Cygnus, 21.000.000LJ away and reaches its culmination at astronomical midnight at the end of July ...
Caldwell 38 – Needle Galaxy
The Needle Galaxy is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Coma Berenices, reaching its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around end March ...
Markarian’s Chain
Markarian's Chain is a visually striking alignment of galaxies in the Virgo constellation, showcasing a series of gravitationally interacting galaxies, such as Messier 84 and Messier 86. It reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around mid April ...
Messier 101 – Pinwheel Galaxy
Messier 101 is a spiral galaxy located about 21 million light-years away and is considered one of the brightest objects in the night sky. The yearly culmination at astronomical midnight is in the 2nd half of April ...
Messier 105
Messier 105, located in the constellation Leo, is an elliptical galaxy approximately 32 million light-years away, notable for its smooth appearance and central supermassive black hole. M105 reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around March 1st ...
Messier 108 – Surfboard Galaxy
Messier 108, also known as the Surfboard Galaxy, is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around March 8th ...
Messier 110
Messier 110 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Andromeda, approximately 2.69 million light-years from Earth, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight in early October ...
Messier 31 – Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy, located in the constellation Andromeda approximately 2.5 million light-years away, is the closest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight in early October. Around the 5th of October ...
Messier 32
Messier 32 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Andromeda, approximately 2.49 million light-years from Earth, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight in early October ...
Messier 33 – Triangulum Galaxy
Messier 33, also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Triangulum, approximately 2.73 million light-years from Earth, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight mid October. Around the 18th of October to be more exact ...
Messier 58
Messier 58 (M58) is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo, reaching its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around end-March ...
Messier 59
Messier 59 (M59) is an elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo, and it reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around April 1st ...
Messier 60
Messier 60 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo, reaching its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around April 1st ...
Messier 65
Messier 65 is a spiral galaxy situated in the constellation Leo. It reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight mid March ...
Messier 66
Messier 66 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo. It reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight in early March ...
Messier 81 – Bode’s Galaxy
Messier 81 is a spiral galaxy with a diameter of about 90,000 light-years and a distance of about 12 million light-years from Earth ...
Messier 82 – Cigar Galaxy
Messier 82 reaches its highest point in the sky around astronomical midnight, around February 16th. It is an irregularly shaped galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, also known as the Cigar Galaxy due to its long, slender shape ...
Messier 88
Messier 88 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Coma Berenices, and it reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight in April ...
Messier 95
Messier 95 is an impressive barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Leo, located approximately 33 million light-years from Earth; M95 reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around February 29th ...
Messier 96
Messier 96, located in the constellation Leo, is a spiral galaxy approximately 31 million light-years away and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around March 1st ...
UGC 5398 – Garland Galaxy
NGC 3077 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major, reaching its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around February 18th and is known for its interaction with the galaxies M81 and M82 in the same cosmic neighborhood ...
UGC 5470 – Leo I Dwarf Galaxy
The Leo I dwarf galaxy is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located approximately 820,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Leo. It reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight around February 19th ...
UGC 6350 – Hamburger Galaxy
The Hamburger Galaxy, located in the constellation Leo, reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight mid march ...
