Utah Astronomy Observatory: A Pictorial Tour of the Universe

M31, aka The Andromeda Galaxy with two companion galaxies.  M31 is approximately  2.5 Million light years from earth, and is the closest Galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy.  In dark skies, this Galaxy can be visible to the naked eye, appearing as a fuzzy star like object.   It is said to contain a Trillion Stars.  Astronomers believe that one day this Galaxy will collide with our own Milky Way Gal

IC434, aka The Horsehead Nebula is a dark nebula in the Orion Constellation.  Along with the nearby Flame Nebula (NGC 2024), this is one of my favorite objects to image.  It is approximately 1,500 light years from earth. The nebula is located just to the south of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's Belt.