Spring is galaxy season. This time of year, the spiral arms of our Milky Way are mostly below the horizon, leaving many larger, brighter structures out of view. Galaxies are what sparked my interest in astrophotography in the first place, but these tiny targets are a real challenge without a massive telescope!

This is M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy. Over 21 Million Light years away and more than twice the size of our Milky Way, it holds over a TRILLION stars. It’s amazing to think that the light in this image left this galaxy over 21 million years ago. If you look closely at the zoomed out image, you might spot four or five other tiny galaxies in the background.