Galaxies are perhaps one of the most attractive deep-sky objects to observe and photograph. They represent massive collections of dust, gas
and countless billions of stars and are best described as islands of space matter across the universe. They are characterized as being either
spiral or elliptical in nature and usually have a bright central core. Equally stunning to observe (with large-aperture telescopes) and image
are galaxy clusters which represent collections of gravitationally-bound groups of galaxies whose members number from tens to thousands and
which are classified on the basis of their richness (ie. number of galaxy members), shape (spherical, flat or irregular) and content (spiral
or elliptical). Charles Messier's list of deep-sky celestial gems includes approximately forty bright and large galaxies.
Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, represents a galaxy within the Local Group (of Galaxies)
numbering 30 galaxies in total, five million light years in diameter and which is moving in unison towards the constellation of Virgo. Other
prominent galaxies within the Local Group include Andromeda (150,000 light-years in diameter), Triangulum (40,000 light-years in diameter) and
the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (30,000 and 20,000 light-years in diameter respectively). The center of the Local Group is believed to
lie between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy. The richest member of our Local Group is the Virgo Cluster which is believed to contain
approximately 2500 galaxies mostly elliptical in nature.
Note: The brief Holmberg galaxy catalog consists of nine dim galaxies measured photometrically by Swedish
astronomer Erik Homberg and described in two monograph publications (Lund Meddelanden 2:128,
1950 and Lund Meddelanden 2:136,
1958). All of these galaxies range in magnitude
from 11.1 to 14.6 and with five of these galaxies being located in the circumpolar constellation of Ursa Major.
Please click on any image of interest for further image and imaging details.
Holmberg Galaxies | ||||
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Holmberg I |
Holmberg II |
Holmberg III |
Holmberg IV |
Holmberg V |
Holmberg VI |
Holmberg VII |
Holmberg VIII |
Holmberg IX |