The Galaxies
I do not have a telescope with a focal length suitable for photographing the smaller more distant galaxies but here are a few of the larger ones including my favourite the Whirlpool.
M31 Andromeda
The Andromeda galaxy is the closest large galaxy to the Milky Way. (Our own galaxy) and probably the first object budding astrophotographers aim for, lying 2.5 million light years away from Earth
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NGC2403 Spiral Galaxy
NGC 2403 - is a spiral galaxy spanning 80,000 lightyears across, located 10 million lightyears away. The galaxy can be found in the constellation Camelopardalis, close to the celestial north pole
M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy
The Whirlpool is my favourite galaxy probably because it was the first decent image I managed to take, after Andromeda, with what was then, my first rudimentary kit. M51 is located 31 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici. The image is in fact of two galaxies, the other being NGC 5195, the orange/yellow galaxy, believed to have been passing M51 for over millions of years
M33 The Triangulum Galaxy This galaxy is a little over 2.7 million light years from Earth. It is a spiral galaxy not surprisingly located in the constellation of Triangulum. Ranking third in size in the local group after Andromeda and our galaxy, The Milky Way.
M101 Pinwheel Galaxy
The Pinwheel Galaxy Messier is another spiral galaxy. Located 21 million light years from Earth it can be found in Ursa Major. Discovered in 1781 it was one of the final entries in the Messier Catalogue.
NGC 891
NGC 891 is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda
NGC 6946 the Fireworks Galaxy
The Fireworks is an intermediate spiral galaxy. It is Located 25 million light years from Earth between Cygnus and Cepheus. Also in the picture is the open cluster NGC 6939.
NGC 1337 is an unbarred galaxy in Eridanus. Located 55 million light years away. Pictured by me using limited my focal length ‘scope it does not have the sparkle of other galaxy images.
NGC 2841. This galaxy was discovered by William Herschel in 1788. Lying in Ursa Major it was originally thought to be some 30 million light years away. In 2001 The Hubble Space Telescope produced a significantly more accurate figure of 46 million light years.
M63 The Sunflower GalaxyM63, The Sunflower Galaxy also known as NGC 5055is located in the constellation of Canes Venatici. One of the less attractive spiral galaxies it is located some 30 million light years form earth
NGC 2903 NGC 2903 is a spiral galaxy in Leo. Again another Herschel discovery back in 1784. A barred spiral galaxy it is located 30 million light years away.
IC 342
NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy Another shot of The Fireworks Galaxy. A ‘face on’ galaxy popular with imagers it is about 25 million light years away between Cepheus and Cygnus. Another William Herschel discovery, this time in 1798 it is deemed to be a double-barred spiral galaxy.
NGC 3180 Little Pinwheel Galaxy