Thursday 9 April 2020

Let's hope there is intelligent life in space!


Galaxies abound in the constellation Virgo - Altair Astro 66mm Doublet Refractor with 0.6x focal reducer and field flattener mounted on a Star Adventurer Equatorial Mount. Canon 600d DSLR operating at f=240mm. 60x1min lights at ISO 1600. Credit: Pip Stakkert

Annotated version of the above photograph showing the vast number of galaxies in the Constellation Virgo Credit: Astrometry Net

Star map showing the approximate position of the above image against the night sky - Credit: Astrometry Net
"In spring when I look South out over the Jodrell Plank Observatory, I can see the Constellations Leo Major, Virgo and Coma Berenices. Just South and East of the star Denebola  or Beta Leonis, which marks the Lion's tail, and East of the star Vindemiatrix in Virgo, is 'The realm of Galaxies'. This is an area of space filled with many galaxies lying millions of lightyears distant. Hopefully, on many of the countless planets orbiting the billions of stars in this image there will be intelligent life forms looking back" -Kurt Thrust acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

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