NGC2264 is the designation for an area with two astronomical objects, the Cone Nebula and the Christmas Tree Cluster. They are located in the Monoceros constellation 2,600 light years from Earth. That is 800
Conjunction is a term meaning to join together. If you remember Schoolhouse Rock Conjunction Junction you know that with language conjunctions relate to clauses brought together in sentences. In astronomy the term conjunction is
Approximately 1,500 light years away from the state on the West Coast is the California Nebula, NGC 1499. Discovered by E. E. Bernard in 1884, it gets its name from the similar shape to
Globular Clusters are collections of stars that orbit a galactic core. They are spherical in shape due to gravity tightly bounding the stars together. These star clusters are fairly common, with over 150 known
In the last post, M27: The Dumbbell, I wrote about a stars’ finite life. M27 is a planetary nebula, the result of a dying star of intermediate size. A massive star goes from star
Stars have a finite life, eventually they will end. A massive star goes from star to red supergiant, followed by a supernova. In a supernova ~75% of the star’s mass is ejected into space.
Within the constellation Virgo there are over 2000 galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster. One subgroup, near the tail of Leo, is known as Markarian’s Chain. Discovered by Armenian astrophysicist Benjamin Markarian, this string
In the constellation Leo there sits a trio of galaxies known as the M66 group. It is often referred to as the Leo Triplet. The three galaxies are M65, M66, and NGC 3628. All
M101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. To find it locate the star Alkaid, the last star in the handle of the Big Dipper.
M51, the Whirlpool galaxy, is great example of a spiral galaxy. The spiral arms reaching out are star formation areas, compressing hydrogen gas and creating new star clusters. It is located near Alkaid, the