Astrophotographer captures remarkable view of galactic ‘Eyes’ with backyard telescope

Astrophotographer Ronald Brecher has captured a breathtaking view of Markarian’s Chain — a string of majestic galaxies glowing in the patch of sky between the constellations Leo and Virgo.

Brecher’s photo of Markarian’s Chain showcases the variety of cosmic heavyweights that populate the cosmos, while accounting for only a small section of the colossal Virgo Galaxy Cluster, which is thought to host approximately 2,000 galaxies. The galactic group is named after the astronomer Benjamin E. Markarian, who discovered that the galaxies moved coherently through space, according to the astronomy website Messier Objects.

“Note the striking colour and detail in NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, which make a close pair of galaxies known as ‘The Eyes’, just below centre in this image”, noted Brecher in a post on his website.

Great rivers of dust, gas and stars can be seen flowing around the galactic neighbors — which also go by the moniker of “Markarian’s Eyes” — where their gravitational influences have disrupted one another’s spiral structures.

To the right of Markarian’s Eyes are the two bright elliptical galaxies M86 and M84, which were discovered by famed astronomer Charles Messier in 1781, according to NASA. The galactic duo are best viewed in May and can be spotted with the aid of binoculars, or a modest telescope from a dark sky location.

Brecher captured the galactic chain between April 17 and 27 using a Skywatcher Esprit 120 telescope paired with an astronomy camera and a range of filters and peripherals from his home in the city of Guelph, Canada. He then combined over nine and a half hours of light data to create his galactic vista.

To find Markarian’s chain in the spring sky, you first need to locate the constellation Leo, which shines high in the southwestern horizon in the hours following sunset in spring. Navigate to the bright star Denebola, which represents the tail of the mighty lion represented in the constellation and then find the star Vindemiatrix in the constellation Virgo to its lower left. Markarian’s Chain can be found by sweeping a 6-inch telescope across the patch of sky halfway between the two.

Looking to upgrade your gear? Then why not check out our roundups of the best telescopes for exploring the night sky, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.

Editor’s Note: If you want to share your astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.