Fireworks Galaxy and Open Cluster NGC 6939
Photo by Matthew Ryno
Scope / Lens
Vixen AX103s Quad APO Refractor
Camera
ASI-294MC-Pro
Description
In the foreground, the glittering stars of open cluster NGC 6939 shines just 5,000 light-years away. But look closer at the bottom left-that faint, vertical smudge is PGC 64824, a galaxy millions of light years away. In fact, it's such a dense area of the Milky Way we're looking through, that it makes distance measurements difficult. Then to the north of this image, the "Fireworks Galaxy" (NGC 6946) shines bright. While they look like neighbors, a massive gulf of 22.5 million light-years sits between the stars of the Milky Way and this galaxy.
Secondary Object
NGC 6939 - Open
ID: 1643