It’s been clear the last few nights, and I got some new photos. The first night I focused on galaxies that I’d not yet captured, and I got two new ones that are part of a cluster of galaxies referred to as the NGC 4631 group. All are part of the larger Virgo Cluster, but these four are part of a group that may be as few as five galaxies or as many as twenty-seven, all interacting with and orbiting each other. The ones that I’ve captured are close together – just beyond the viewable angle of my telescope, so about two or three moon-widths apart.

The second night, I first revisited an old friend – the Trifid Nebula. My shot got interrupted by high clouds, unfortunately, but it was good enough to post. After that, I decided to try a new one (for me): the Eagle Nebula, and boy, that one’s a winner with the eVscope. It’s definitely a new member of the top 3 best shots I’ve taken, and might be my new favorite. The detail in the nebula is amazing. The eagle-eyed among you may recognize the “Pillars of Creation,” made famous by the Hubble telescope. It’s amazing to me that I can, with a small-ish telescope on the back porch of my home, capture an image that includes these same pillars, in the detail and vibrancy that I have.

These images have been added to the Galaxies and Nebulae pages.

NGC 4631 (and NGC 4627)

29m

2025-06-29

Also called the Whale Galaxy due to its shape, this is part of the “NGC 4631 group,” which is then a part the Virgo cluster. NGC 4627 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy, and it’s the smudge just to the right of the galactic center. These two form a galaxy pair, meaning they are bound to each other and are in the process of colliding (and then combining).

NGC 4656 and 4657

25m

2025-06-30

Also called the Hockey Stick Galaxies, these strongly interacting galaxies are in the middle of a massive collision which will warp and reshape them over the next few hundred million years. These are very faint, and even a long exposure with the eVscope couldn’t get much detail.

M20 – Trifid Nebula

4m

2025-06-30

It surprises me that I can get such bright colors with only a 4 minute exposure. High clouds interrupted this shot, unfortunately.

M16 – Eagle Nebula

18m

2025-07-01

After the first minute or two, this was only a dull red blotch. Even so, I decided to leave it running, and when I came back 15 minutes later, was blown away. Zoom in on the center of this image, and note the detail in the clouds. Those pillars are light-years tall. And I can take a picture of them from my back porch. Maybe my new favorite picture with the eVscope 2.