Chris McGrew
good morning. Today is his January 29th, and today’s image shows a pair of galaxies.
The Bode Galaxy, located in the center of the image, is a beautiful spiral named after its discoverer, German astronomer Johann Erath Bode. To its right is the Cigar Galaxy, also discovered by Bode stars. I think the origin of that colloquial name is pretty obvious.
Chris McGrew, who took this photo from central Texas last year, composed the image in a way that allows the interstellar gas to stand out. We can see it by the light of our galaxy reflecting back to us. The effect is quite amazing.
“I was fascinated by this image because it shows that empty space is actually not empty at all,” McGrew told me. “And as I look back at the galaxy and wonder what else is out there, I think of the civilizations of the galaxy.”
I’m sure you all do the same. I hope everyone is having a great week.
Source: Chris McGrew
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