NGC 7331(with SN2026aaiv) & Stephan's Quintet

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :8 hours & 40minutes from 2 nights with SVBONY 260 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.4

 

NGC 7331 (also cataloged as Caldwell 30) is an unbarred spiral galaxy located approximately 40 to 45 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. Discovered by William Herschel in 1784, it is famously known as the brightest galaxy in the night sky that was not included in Charles Messier's iconic 18th-century catalog.

The Milky Way's "Twin"

NGC 7331 is frequently referred to as the Milky Way's twin, as it shares a remarkably similar size, mass, star count, and star-formation rate with our own galaxy. However, it holds two major differences:

• No Central Bar: Unlike the Milky Way, which is a barred spiral, NGC 7331 is an unbarred spiral galaxy. It lacks the elongated central bar structure of stars.
• Counter-Rotating Core: In a bizarre cosmic anomaly, the central bulge of the galaxy rotates in the opposite direction of the surrounding galactic disk.

The "Deer Lick" Group

NGC 7331 is the dominant member of a visual grouping of galaxies known as the Deer Lick Group. While NGC 7331 sits in the foreground, four smaller, distant galaxies (NGC 7335, 7336, 7337, and 7340) can be seen in the background. These background galaxies sit nearly ten times farther away—about 300 to 350 million light-years—and are affectionately nicknamed the "fleas" of the galaxy.

Recent Supernova Activity

The galaxy has a history of hosting powerful supernovae. Several notable stellar explosions have occurred here, including:

• SN 2026aaiv: A Type Ia supernova discovered in September 2026 by the ATLAS survey, caused by the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf.
• SN 2025rbs: Another Type Ia supernova that flared up during the summer of 2025.
• SN 2014C: A highly studied "chameleon" supernova that unexpectedly transformed from a Type Ib into a Type IIn within a year, shedding light on the final life stages of massive stars.

Stephan's Quintet (also designated as Hickson Compact Group 92) is a visually stunning group of five galaxies in the constellation Pegasus. Discovered by French astronomer Édouard Stephan in 1877, it holds the historic title of being the very first compact galaxy group ever discovered. It gained global fame in 2022 when it was featured as one of the first target images released by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

A Cosmic Illusion: Quintet or Quartet?

Despite being called a "Quintet" (a group of five), it is physically a quartet of interacting galaxies, with one cosmic intruder just passing through the foreground:

• The Interloper (NGC 7320): The prominent bluish spiral galaxy on the upper left is located only 40 million light-years away from Earth. It is a close neighbor of NGC 7331 and just happens to sit along our line of sight.
• The True Members (NGC 7317, 7318A, 7318B, and 7319): These four galaxies are gravitationally locked together in a violent dance, located much deeper in space at roughly 290 to 340 million light-years away.

A High-Speed Galactic Collision

The true members are undergoing a chaotic, slow-motion smashup. One of the galaxies, NGC 7318B, is currently barreling through the group at a staggering speed of nearly 2 million miles per hour (~3.2 million km/h). This extreme movement has triggered one of the largest interstellar shockwaves ever observed, comparable to a sonic boom on a galactic scale.

This collision causes:

• Giant Tidal Tails: Massive streams of gas, dust, and stars are being ripped out of the galaxies.
• Starbust Star Formation: The intense compression of hydrogen gas is actively sparking the birth of millions of new stars.

Proximity to NGC 7331

In the night sky, Stephan's Quintet is located less than half a degree away from the large spiral galaxy NGC 7331. Because they are so close together visually, astrophotographers frequently capture both NGC 7331 and the Quintet in a single wide-field frame, showcasing an incredible sense of depth in the universe.

Would you like to know what the James Webb Space Telescope discovered hidden inside the supermassive black hole at the center of NGC 7319, or are you looking for telescope coordinates to observe them?

NGC 281 Pacman Nebula

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :7 hours & 15 minutes from 2 nights with SVBONY 220 7nm 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.4

NGC 281 (commonly known as the Pacman Nebula) is a bright emission nebula and active star-forming region located in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Key Facts

• Nickname: It is called the "Pacman Nebula" because its large, dark lane of obscuring dust cuts into the glowing gas, making it look like the classic video game character.
• Distance: It is located approximately 9,200 to 10,000 light-years away from Earth, positioned in the Perseus spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy.
• Discovery: The nebula was discovered in August 1883 by the famous American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard.
• Cosmic Nursery: It contains the open star cluster IC 1590. The high-energy radiation from these hot, newborn stars ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow with a brilliant red hue.
• Bok Globules: The nebula features prominent, dense clouds of dust and gas known as Bok globules, which are active sites where new stars are currently packing together and forming.

NGC 6992 The Eastern Veil

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :4hours & 45minutes with SVBONY 220 7nm 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.4

Location : Agio Pnevma , Serres SQM : 21.35

NGC 6992 is the bright Eastern Veil Nebula, a colorful supernova remnant and part of the larger Cygnus Loop in the constellation Cygnus. It lies roughly 2,400 light-years from Earth and was formed by a massive star that exploded 10,000 to 20,000 years ago.

Key Facts

Constellation: Cygnus (The Swan)
Distance: About 2,400 light-years
Alternative Designation: Caldwell 33
Discovery: Found by William Herschel in 1784.

Physical Traits

Origin: Shockwaves from an old stellar explosion crashing into surrounding gas and dust.
Colors: Glowing ribbons of ionized hydrogen (red/orange), oxygen (blue), and sulfur (green).
Movement: Expanding outward at speeds near 1.5 million kilometers per hour. 

WR 134 or Dolphin

 

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :18 hours & 20 minutes from 5 nights with SVBONY 220 7nm 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.4

WR 134 is a variable Wolf-Rayet star located around 6,000 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus, surrounded by a faint bubble nebula blown by the intense radiation and fast wind from the star. It is five times the radius of the sun, but due to a temperature over 63,000 K it is 400,000 times as luminous as the Sun.

WR 134 was one of three stars in Cygnus observed in 1867 to have unusual spectra consisting of intense emission lines rather than the more normal continuum and absorption lines. These were the first members of the class of stars that came to be called Wolf-Rayet stars (WR stars) after Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet who discovered their unusual appearance.[8] It is a member of the nitrogen sequence of WR stars, while the other two (WR 135 and WR 137) are both members of the carbon sequence that also have OB companions. WR 134 has a spectrum with NIII and NIV emission between two and five times stronger than NV, leading to the assignment of a WN6 spectral type. The spectrum also shows strong HeII emission and weaker lines of HeI and CIV.

NGC 2903

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :5 hours with SVBONY 260 5band 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.3

NGC 2903

is a stunning barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Leo. Often called the "Jewel of Leo," it is famous among amateur astronomers for being one of the brightest galaxies not included in the Messier catalog.

Key Characteristics

• Type: Barred spiral (SBbc), similar in structure and size to our own Milky Way.
• Distance: Located approximately 30 million light-years away from Earth.
• Diameter: Spans about 80,000 to 100,000 light-years.
• Apparent Magnitude: Around 9.0, making it one of the brightest galaxies in the northern hemisphere visible through small telescopes.

Scientific Interest

• Star Formation: Its core exhibits exceptionally high rates of new star formation, known as starburst activity.
• Central Bar: The central "bar" acts as a funnel, channeling gas toward the center of the galaxy and fueling the birth of new stars.
• Nuclear Ring: The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a ring of bright, young star clusters surrounding its nucleus.

NGC 4565 (Needle Galaxy)

 

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :4hours and 9minutes with SVBONY 260 5band 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.3

 

NGC 4565, also known as the Needle Galaxy or Caldwell 38, is one of the most famous and stunning examples of an edge-on spiral galaxy.

 

          Key Characteristics

• Location: Situated in the constellation Coma Berenices, near the North Galactic Pole.
• Distance: Estimated to be between 30 and 50 million light-years away from Earth.
• Size: It has a diameter of approximately 100,000 to 140,000 light-years, making it similar to or slightly larger than our own Milky Way.
• Apparent Magnitude: Around 9.6 to 10.4, which makes it visible even through small amateur telescopes under good conditions.
   
  Morphology and Appearance
• Shape: Due to its inclination (nearly 90 degrees relative to us), it appears as an extremely thin and elongated streak of light, which is how it earned the name "Needle."
• Structure: It features a bright central bulge and a prominent dark dust lane cutting across the plane of its disk, offering a view similar to what the Milky Way would look like if viewed from the outside.
• Classification: Although originally thought to be a simple spiral, newer observations (e.g., from the Spitzer telescope) suggest it is a barred spiral galaxy.

         Observation

• Equipment: Through small telescopes (80mm), it appears as a thin, fuzzy line. With larger instruments (8 inches and up), the dust lane and details in the central core become visible.
• Companions: It is often photographed alongside its smaller neighbor, NGC 4562, with which it may be gravitationally interacting.