Galaxies are among the most demanding targets in astrophotography. Most are small and faint, requiring longer focal-length optics, long integration times, and careful processing to reveal their structure.
Spiral arms, dark dust lanes, and glowing star-forming regions slowly emerge as hours of collected light are combined into a single image.
Every photon in this gallery has travelled millions of years before reaching Earth. These images are real observations of distant star systems — captured from the ground and made visible through astrophotography.
Galaxies — Capturing Distant Star Systems
M31 – Andromeda Galaxy – captured with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 at f/4.12 with ASI2600MM Pro camera and LRGBH filters. Image by Cosmic Captures
M33 – Triangulum Galaxy – captured with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 at f/4.12 with ASI2600MM Pro camera and LRGBHSO filters. Image by Cosmic Captures
M81 – Bode’s Galaxy, captured with a Celestron C9.25 EdgeHD at f/7 and an ASI294MC Pro camera by Cosmic Captures
M82 & M81 and the surrounding IFN (Integrated Flux Nebula) – captured with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 at f/4.12 with ASI2600MM Pro camera and LRGBH filters. Image by Cosmic Captures
M51 – Whirlpool Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M106 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
The Leo Triplet – consisting of NGC 3628, M66, and M65, captured with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 at f/4.12 with ASI2600MM Pro camera and LRGB filters. Image by Cosmic Captures
LMC – Large Magellanic Cloud – captured and edited by Cosmic Captures
M104 – Sombrero Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
NGC 2997 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M65 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M66 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M82 – The Cigar Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
NGC 1365 – The Great Barred Spiral Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M63 – The Sunflower Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
NGC 55 – String of Pearls Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
Centaurus A – NGC 5128 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M109 – Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M83 – The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M88 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M106 – Widefield – captured with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 at f/4.12 with ASI2600MM Pro camera and LRGB filters. Image by Cosmic Captures
M61 – Swelling Spiral Galaxy, processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M100 – Mirror Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
NGC 2903 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M95 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
SMC Small Magellanic Cloud – processed by Cosmic Captures from the Telescope.Live image data
M86 (centre) is shown together with the nearby galaxy M84 and the surrounding Virgo Cluster galaxies. Captured with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 at f/4.12 and an ASI2600MM Pro camera using LRGB filters
NGC 7793 – A Flocculent Spiral in Sculptor – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
NGC 3521 – Bubble Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
NGC 6744 – Spiral Galaxy in Pavo – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
NGC 6946 – The Fireworks Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data. Its warmer tone is caused by galactic extinction or reddening, as foreground dust shifts the colour balance toward red.
NGC 1097 – Barred Spiral Galaxy in Fornax – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M101 – Pinwheel Galaxy, captured with a Celestron C9.25 EdgeHD at f/7 and an ASI2600MM Pro camera with LRGBH filters. Image by Cosmic Captures
M64 – Black Eye Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M91 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M31 – Andromeda Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M98 – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M108 – Surfboard Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
IC 1613 – Irregular Dwarf Galaxy – processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data
M105 (to the right) is shown together with the nearby galaxies NGC 3384 and NGC 3389, processed by Cosmic Captures from Telescope.Live image data