Magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 4565 is viewed edge-on from planet Earth. Also known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, bright NGC 4565 is a stop on many springtime telescopic tours of the northern sky as it lies in the faint but well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. This sharp color image reveals the galaxy’s bulging central core dominated by light from a population of older, yellowish stars. The core is dramatically cut by obscuring dust lanes which lace NGC 4565’s thin galactic plane. A large island universe similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy, NGC 4565 is only about 30 million light-years distant, but over 100,000 light-years in diameter. In fact, some consider NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial masterpiece Messier missed.
A collection of Galaxies. Spring is the best time for galaxies because we are looking out beyond the confines of the our own galaxy, The Milky Way, out into deep space. In the direction of Leo, Coma Berenices, Virgo and Canes Venitici are the greatest concentration of galaxies. But by no means is that the only direction, nor season for these universe islands.
- Andromeda
- Canes Venatici
- Cepheus
- Cetus
- Coma Berenices
- Corvis
- Draco
- Fornax
- Leo
- Lynx
- Pegasus
- Perseus
- Pisces
- Sagittarius
- Sculptor
- Sextans
- Triangulum
- Ursa Major
- Virgo