The Rutjuga Log Continued:
Earlier, we had observed a spiral galaxy known by the code-name (sort of), NGC 2903 at 20 million light-years (image credit: NOAO)
After quite a while, I grabbed the 18" once again. This time it took us to an elliptical galaxy known as M105 and its neighbors about 32 million light-years from Earth.
It was not long before the guys started to awaken one by one. Some big and bright targets that are easily visible with binoculars had risen by now. Moreover, the center of our own galaxy had become visible too. Our galaxy appears as a broad swath of light which many rural people call a "Rasta" or way.
The next two targets seem pretty near to each other but in reality just happen to be close together from our vantage point - the Owl Nebula and the spiral galaxy M108 (image credit: Olly Penrice)
Know what? When you look at these two curiosities with a wide-field telescope, you are looking at celestial relics spaced ages apart - at the same time! The light from the Owl Nebula takes "only" 2'600 years to reach us. The picture of M108 that we see, on the other hand, is 40 million years old. Subhan Allah!
We observed the objects individually at high magnification. Close-up of M108 (credit: NOAO)
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[/B][/B][/B][/B][/B][/B][/B]The last object we observed with the 18" that night was the Owl Nebula. As I gazed at it, it seemed as if it was looking back at me and saying: "Yaar Zain, soana nahi hai kiya?!"
(Image credit: HG Observatory)
Khalid sahab and yours truly had Masha Allah not slept a wink during what, after all, was the Lake Kalri Rutjuga.
