This image features the Virgo Cluster, a set of galaxies positioned within the constellation of Virgo.
A deep wide-field scene is captured here at 300mm and comprising 4 hours of total integration exposure, showing galaxies at a distance of 48 million light-years away from Earth.
The Virgo cluster forms the guts of the larger Virgo Supercluster from which the Local Group of galaxies, containing our own Milky Way galaxy, belongs. Our own Milky Way galaxy also has clouds of hydrogen gas lying between us and the Virgo Cluster.
Related: Milky Way galaxy: Every thing you could learn about our cosmic neighborhood
Read more: Methods to photograph the Milky Way: A guide for beginners and enthusiasts
Greater than 1,890 galaxies are visible within the image. They’re immersed in star-forming clouds, and you possibly can see much more detail (and labels) within the annotated image above. (The annotations are based on International Astronomical Union monikers that the community uses, but your culture can have different names.)
At left within the image, we are able to see the Messier 100 (M100) galaxy, while at the correct center is the the other way up “query mark” shaped by the galaxies often known as Markarian’s Chain. The chain includes the large elliptical galaxy M87, the big elliptical galaxy M86 and M84, and the colourful galaxies M90, M91 and M88.
The image was captured from an official dark sky area at Portugal’s Alqueva Observatory, over the course of 11 nights.
Wish to capture stunning sky scenes like this? Our guides on the best telescopes and best binoculars will help. Learning concerning the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can even help capture incredible deep-sky sights.
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