Markarian's Chain in Virgo

Markarian's Chain is a stretch of galaxies that forms part of the Virgo Cluster. It is called "chain" because, when viewed from Earth, the galaxies lie along a smoothly curved line. It was named after the Armenian astrophysicist, B. E. Markarian, who discovered their common motion in the early 1960s. Member galaxies include M84 (NGC 4374), M86 (NGC 4406), NGC 4477, NGC 4473, NGC 4461, NGC 4458, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435. Telescope: Takahashi FSQ 85ED Camera: QSI 683L Filters: Astrodon LRGB Gen2 Location: Mt Parnon, Greece (2014-2016 data collected on every May)

Whirlpool Galaxy - M51

Whirlpool Galaxy - M51 The graceful, winding arms of the majestic spiral galaxy M51 appear like a grand spiral staircase sweeping through space. They are actually long lanes of stars and gas laced with dust. Such striking arms are a hallmark of so-called grand-design spiral galaxies. In M51, also known as the Whirlpool galaxy, these arms serve an important purpose: they are star-formation factories, compressing hydrogen gas and creating clusters of new stars. Telescope: GSO RC10 Camera: Sbig ST10XME Filters: Baader LRGB Total exposure: 15h Autofocus: Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox + Pegasus MFK Acquisition using SGPro Location: Near Gythion Lakonias, Greece

NGC3718 Galacy

NGC 3718, also called Arp 214, is a galaxy located approximately 52 million light years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. This galaxy has a warped, s-shape. This may be due to gravitational interaction between it and NGC 3729, another spiral galaxy located 150,000 light-years away Telescope: GSO 10RC Camera: SBIG ST10XME Filters: Astrodon Gen II LRGB Total Exposure: 10h Subexposures: 10m (L+ RGB) Location: Near Gythion, Greece

Sombrero Galaxy - M104

The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as Messier Object 104, M104 or NGC 4594) is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the constellationVirgo located 28 megalight-years (8,600 kpc) from Earth. It has a bright nucleus, an unusually large central bulge, and a prominent dust lane in its inclined disk. The dark dust lane and the bulge give this galaxy the appearance of a sombrero. Astronomers initially thought that the halo was small and light, indicative of a spiral galaxy. But Spitzer found that halo around the Sombrero Galaxy is larger and more massive than previously thought, indicative of a giant elliptical galaxy.. The large bulge, the central supermassive black hole, and the dust lane all attract the attention of professional astronomers. Telescope: GSO – RC10 Camera: ATIK 4000 Mount: Astrophysics Mach1 GTO Filters: LRGB Total exposure: 7h Localtion : Near Gythion Lakonia / Greece

NGC5985, NGC5982, NGC5981 Draco Triplet

This intriguing trio of galaxies is sometimes called the Draco Group, located in the northern constellation of (you guessed it) Draco. From left to right are edge-on spiral NGC 5981, elliptical galaxy NGC 5982, and face-on spiral NGC 5985 -- all within this single telescopic field of view spanning a little more than half the width of the full moon. While the group is far too small to be a galaxy cluster and has not been catalogued as a compact group, these galaxies all do lie roughly 100 million light-years from planet Earth. On close examination with spectrographs, the bright core of the striking face-on spiral NGC 5985 shows prominent emission in specific wavelengths of light, prompting astronomers to classify it as a Seyfert, a type of active galaxy Telecope: GSO RC10 Camera: ST10 XME Mount: Astrophysics Mach1 GTO Filters: Astrodon Gen2 LRGB Total Exposure: 8h Location: Mt Parnon Greece

NGC 4725

While most spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have two or more spiral arms, NGC 4725 has only one. In this sharp color composite image, the solo spira mirabilis seems to wind from a prominent ring of bluish, newborn star clusters and red tinted star forming regions. The odd galaxy also sports obscuring dust lanes a yellowish central bar structure composed of an older population of stars. NGC 4725 is over 100 thousand light-years across and lies 41 million light-years away in the well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. Telescope: GSO RC10 Mount: Astrophysics Mach1 GTO Camera: ATIK4000 Mono Filters: LRGB Subexposures: 5mins Total exposure: ~ 9h Location: Near Gythion Lakonias

Pinwheel Galaxy - M101

The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on spiral galaxy distanced 25 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.M101 is a relatively large galaxy compared to the Milky Way. With a diameter of 170,000 light-years it is nearly twice the size of the Milky Way. It has a disk mass on the order of 100 billion solar masses, along with a small bulge of about 3 billion solar masses.Another remarkable property of this galaxy is its huge and extremely bright H II regions, of which a total of about 3,000 can be seen on photographs.[citation needed] H II regions usually accompany the enormous clouds of high density molecular hydrogen gas contracting under their own gravitational force where stars form. H II regions are ionized by large numbers of extremely bright and hot young stars.M101 can be seen to be asymmetrical on one side. It is thought that in the recent past (speaking in galactic terms) M101 underwent a near collision with another galaxy and the associated gravitational tidal forces caused the asymmetry. In addition, this encounter also amplified the density waves in the spiral arms of M101. The amplification of these waves leads to the compression of the interstellar hydrogen gas, which then triggers strong star formation activity Scope: Vixen VC200L Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Camera: ATIK 314L mono Filters: Baader LRGB +Ha 7nm Total exposure: 9h Location: Gythio, Greece

NGC 891

NGC 891 is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6 1784. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 group of galaxies in theLocal Supercluster Telescope: VC200L @ f6.4 (mod spider) Camera: ATIK314L Mono Guiding: TS-OAG9, SSAG Filters: Baader LRGB Total exposure: 10h Subexposures: 15mins Location: Gytheio Greece Proccesed: CCDstack , Photoshop, Pixinsight

Andromeda Galaxy - M31

The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, but not the closest galaxy overall. It gets its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the Andromeda constellation, which was named after the mythological princess Andromeda. At an apparent magnitude of 3.4, the Andromeda Galaxy is notable for being one of the brightest Messier objects,[13] making it visible to the naked eye on moonless nights even when viewed from areas with moderate light pollution. Although it appears more than six times as wide as the full Moon when photographed through a larger telescope, only the brighter central region is visible to the naked eye or when viewed using a binoculars or a small telescope. Telescope: William Optics FLT98 @ f5/490mm Reducer: Televue TRF2008 Mount: HEQ5 Pro Camera: ATIK383L+Guiding: SSAG + Vixen 50mm Viewfinder Filters: Baader LRGB+Ha Total Exposure: ~8h Location: Gytheio - Greece

M94

Messier 94 (also known as NGC 4736) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. M94 contains both an inner ring with a diameter of 70" and an outer ring with a diameter of 600". These rings appear to form at resonance locations within the disk of the galaxy. The inner ring is the site of strong star formation activity and is sometimes referred to as a starburst ring. This star formation is fueled by gas that is dynamically driven into the ring by the inner oval-shaped bar-like structure. Scope: Vixen VC200L Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Camera: ATIK 314L mono Filters: Baader LRGB Total exposure: 11h Subexposures: 15m Location: Gythio, Greece

M106

Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light-years away from Earth Telescope: Vixen VC200L@ f/6.4 Camera: ATIK 314L Mono Mount: HEQ5 Pro Filters:Baader LRGB+Ha Total Exposure: 7h Subexposures: 15m Location: Gythio, Greece

FIreworks Galaxy - NGC6946

NGC 6946, (also known as the Fireworks Galaxy and Arp 29), is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 22 million light-years away,[2] on the border between the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus. It was discovered by William Herschelon September 9, 1798. NGC 6946 is highly obscured by interstellar matter of the Milky Way galaxy, as it is quite close to the galactic plane. Telescope: VC200L @ f6.4 Camera: ATIK314L Mono Guiding: TS-OAG9 - SSAG Filters: Baader LRGB + Ha 7nm Total exposure: 10h Subexposures: 15mins Seeing FWHM : 1.9 - 2.9 Location: Gytheio, Greece Proccesed: CCDstack , Photoshop, Pixinsight

Sunflower Galaxy - M63

One of the bright spiral galaxies visible in the north sky is M63, the Sunflower Galaxy. M63, also catalogued as NGC 5055, can be found with a small telescope in the constellation of Canes Venaciti. Visible in the above picture are long winding spiral arms glowing blue from a few bright young stars, emission nebulae glowing red from hot ionized hydrogen gas, and dark dust in numerous filaments. M63 interacts gravitationally with M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy) and several smaller galaxies. Light takes about 35 million years to reach us from M63, and about 60,000 years to cross the Sb-type spiral galaxy. Stars in the outer regions of the Sunflower Galaxy rotate about the center at a speed so high they should fly off into space, indicating that some sort of invisible, gravitationally-binding, dark matter is present.

NGC 2403

NGC 2403 (also Caldwell 7) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis. NGC 2403 is an outlying member of the M81 Group, and is approximately 8 million light-years distant. It bears a striking similarity to M33, being about 50,000 light years in diameter and containing numerous star-forming H II regions. NGC 2403 was discovered by William Herschel in 1788. Telescope: Vixen VC200L Mount: HEQ5Pro Guiding: TS-OAG +SSAG Camera: ATIK 383L+ Filters: Baader LRGB Subexposures 10m Total exposures: ~ 13h Location: Gythio, Greece

WIrlpool Galaxy - M51

The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194) is an interacting[4] grand-design[5] spiral galaxy located at a distance of approximately 23 million light-years in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is one of the most famous spiral galaxies in the sky. The galaxy and its companion (NGC 5195) are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may even be seen with binoculars.[6] The Whirlpool Galaxy is also a popular target for professional astronomers, who study it to further understanding of galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions. Scope: Vixen VC200L @ f6.4 Camera: ATIK 314L Filters: Baader LRGB +Ha Exposure: L: 180 Mins R: 120 Mins G: 90 mins B: 90 mins Ha: 60 mins Total: 9 Hours Subframes: 5 mins Processing: CCDStack, Photoshop CS3

IC342

IC 342 (also known as Caldwell 5) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis. The galaxy is located near the galactic equator where dust obscuration makes it a difficult object for both amateur and professional astronomers to observe Telescope: Vixen VC200L @ f/6.4 Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5-Pro Camera: ATIK314L MonoFilters: Baader LRGB Total exposure: 7h Location: Gytheio, Greece

Black Eye Galaxy - M64

The Black Eye Galaxy (also called Sleeping Beauty Galaxy; designated Messier 64, M64, or NGC 4826) was discovered by Edward Pigott in March 1779, and independently by Johann Elert Bode in April of the same year, as well as by Charles Messier in 1780. It has a spectacular dark band of absorbing dust in front of the galaxy's bright nucleus, giving rise to its nicknames of the "Black Eye" or "Evil Eye" galaxy. M64 is well known among amateur astronomers because of its appearance in small telescopes. It is a spiral galaxy in the Coma Berenices constellation. Scope: Vixen VC200L Camera: ATIK314L Location: Gythio Lakonia, Greece Exposure: LRBG Total sum of 6 hours

Triangulum Galaxy - M33

The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101. The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy and about 30 other smaller galaxies. It is one of the most distant permanent objects that can be viewed with the naked eye. With a diameter of about 50,000 light years, the Triangulum galaxy is the third largest member of the Local Group of galaxies. It may be a gravitationally bound companion of the Andromeda Galaxy. (See below.) Triangulum may be home to 40 billion stars, compared to 400 billion for the Milky Way, and 1 trillion (1000 billion) stars for Andromeda Telescope: Skywatcher ED80, Mount:HEQ5 Pro, Camera: ATIK314L, Location: Gythion Greece.

Needle Galaxy - NGC4565

NGC 4565 is a giant spiral galaxy more luminous than the Andromeda Galaxy and it has been proposed that if it were viewed face-on, it would be the most spectacular of the galaxies of its type in the nearby Universe. Telescope: GSO RC10 Mount: Astrophysics Mach1 GTO Camera: ATIK4000 Mono Filters: LRGB Subexposures: 5mins Total exposure: ~ 9h Location: Near Gythion Lakonias

Bodes Galaxy - M81

Messier 81 (also known as NGC 3031 or Bode's Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major Telescope: Vixen VC200L Camera: ATIK 314L Filters: Baader LRGB

NGC 7331 Galaxy

Big, beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 7331 is often touted as an analog to our own Milky Way. About 50 million light-years distant in the northern constellation Pegasus, NGC 7331 was recognized early on as a spiral nebula and is actually one of the brighter galaxies not included in Charles Messier's famous 18th century catalog. Since the galaxy's disk is inclined to our line-of-sight, long telescopic exposures often result in an image that evokes a strong sense of depth. The effect is further enhanced in this sharp image by galaxies that lie beyond the gorgeous island universe. The background galaxies are about one tenth the apparent size of NGC 7331 and so lie roughly ten times farther away. Their close alignment on the sky with NGC 7331 occurs just by chance. Seen here through faint foreground dust clouds lingering above the plane of Milky Way, this visual grouping of galaxies is also known as the Deer Lick Group. Telescope: GSO RC 10 Mount: Astrophysics Mach1 GHTO Camera: SBIG ST10XME Filters: Astrodon LRGB Total Exposure: 6h

M74 Galaxy

M74 is a beautiful face-on spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Pisces. It is an archetypal example of a Grand Design spiral galaxy that was discovered by Pierre Méchain sometime during September 1780. Méchain then reported his discovery to Charles Messier, who subsequently determined its position and catalogued it on October 18, 1780. With a magnitude of +9.4, M74 is not a faint galaxy but it does suffer from low surface brightness and can be difficult to locate even with just a hint of light pollution. As a result, it is widely regarded as one of the more difficult Messier objects. Telescope: GSO RC10 Camera: QSI 683 Mount: Astrophysics Mach1 GTO Filters: Astrodon Gen II LRGB + Ha Total Exposure: 12h Location: Gythion, Greece

M81, M82 Galaxies and IFN

Captured this frame couple of months ago with bad seeing. At least 2 first hours were OK. After that color frames were misaligned but due to small focal length the effect is not visible. Telescope: Takahashi FSQ 85 Camera: ATIK 460 EX Filters: LRGB + Ha Total exposure: 8h Location: Mt Parnon, Greece