Image Details : 5.5 Hours RGB 60 x 120s sub frames of each. 151PHQ and asi2600MMpro on a G11

NGC 891 is a striking spiral galaxy seen edge-on that’s about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda, and it’s often called the Silver Sliver Galaxy or Caldwell 23. It’s visually fascinating because from Earth, we’re viewing it from the side, giving us a stunning view of the dark dust lane that cuts through its center, and making it look very much like what our own Milky Way would look like seen edge-on from space.

Basic Features

• The galaxy is roughly 100,000 to 130,000 light-years in diameter and contains about 500 billion stars, forming a beautiful thin streak in the sky.
• It lacks a clear central bar, unlike the Milky Way, although some research suggests a weak bar might be present.
• The dust along its disk makes it challenging to see in a small telescope, but with a larger one, stargazers can spot the prominent dust lane and elongated shape.

Scientific Interest

• NGC 891’s structure helps astronomers learn more about spiral galaxies, especially because it closely resembles the Milky Way in size and brightness.
• Hubble Space Telescope images have revealed hundreds of filaments and clouds of dust being ejected above and below the disk. Scientists think this is due to supernova explosions and powerful stellar winds blowing material up and out from the disk.
• The galaxy’s halo — a sphere of stars surrounding the disk — is especially rich in ancient stars, and may hold clues to galaxy formation.

Fun Facts

• NGC 891 was discovered by William Herschel in 1784 and is part of a small group of galaxies.
• It’s appeared in pop culture, notably in “The Outer Limits” TV series credits, and is referenced in music.
• On a dark night with a powerful telescope, NGC 891 is a favorite target for amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, who admire its symmetry and beauty.

NGC 891 offers astronomers and stargazers an amazing chance to see a galaxy very similar to our own Milky Way, with all the intricacies of its dust lanes and stellar neighborhoods revealed from the edge-on view.