Last night’s targets included globular clusters Messier 2 and Messier 56, galaxy Messier 77 and galaxy NGC 253. All of the images below are composites of 60-second exposures taken through the 130mm astrograph with a light pollution suppression filter. Each object except NGC 253 is shown in the full astrograph field and then cropped to show the detail of the object.
M2 is a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius. It consists of an estimated 150,000 stars. You can read all the astrophysical particulars here.
M56 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra. Its stars comprise some 230,000 solar masses. Like M2, it is a very faint and compact object that begs for a bigger astrograph and darker skies. See the details concerning M56 here.
Messier 77 is a galaxy in the constellation Cetus. It is an exemplar of Seyfert galaxies – galaxies with highly active cores. This galaxy has a barred spiral architecture. The images below suggest the barred spiral structure. Higher resolution images can be seen here.
NGC 253 is a starburst galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. Starburst galaxies are very active in the formation of new stars. You can read more here.
