If you ever thought there is life in the Universe beyond Earth, well here is region in the night sky that would make you sit and ponder that thought. The Universe is filled with galaxies and we are learning and more about them with the help of super powerful telescopes like Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope.
This region is known as the Markarian Chain of Galaxies in the constellation of Virgo. It is part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, which consists as much as up to 2,000 galaxies, with some well over 50 million light years away from Earth. From our vantage, the Markarian Chain appears as a curved string of 8 galaxies, with many others scattered in close proximity. Whether or not these galaxies are like our very own Milky Way Galaxy, which contains a known habitable planet, it gives worlds of reasons why we should continue to look up and experience an amazing Universe.
Gear: AA Hypercam 26C, Askar 80 PHQ, HEM27 mount, Optolong CLS; ZWO OAG + 120mc
Exif: 13 x 5-min lights; Gain 200, Offset 3, TEC @ 10 degrees; 20 darks, 20 flats, 20 dark flats
SharpCap, PHD2; AstroPixelProcessor, PixInsight; Photoshop