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Messier 19 (M19) is a globular star cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus, notable for its distinct elongated, oval shape, which is caused by the strong tidal forces from the Milky Way's center, as it's located on the far side of the galactic core from Earth. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1764, it appears as a fuzzy patch in binoculars but can be resolved into individual stars with larger telescopes, and it's best observed in the summer. 

Type: Globular cluster (NGC 6273) 

Location: Constellation Ophiuchus, near the plane of the Milky Way 

Distance: Approximately 28,700 light-years from Earth, but only about 6,500 light-years from the galactic center 

Appearance: Distinctly oval or "oblate," unlike most spherical globular clusters, due to tidal forces from the galactic center 

Visibility: Apparent magnitude of about 7.7, making it visible as a faint patch with binoculars and resolvable with larger telescopes 

Best viewing: Mid-summer 

Its elongated shape is less apparent in infrare

Messier 77 (M77), also known as NGC 1068 or the Squid Galaxy, is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Cetus, about 47 million light-years away, famous for its bright, active core powered by a supermassive black hole. It's a Seyfert galaxy, meaning it has a highly energetic center with glowing, ionized gas, and its spiral arms feature active star formation, giving it a "squid-like" appearance with filamentary structures. Discovered in 1780, it was initially mistaken for a nebula or star cluster but is now recognized as a prominent example of a distant galaxy.

Type: Barred spiral galaxy

Location: Constellation Cetus (The Whale)

Distance: Approximately 47 million light-years

Nickname: Squid Galaxy, due to its filamentary structure

Classification: Seyfert galaxy (a type of active galaxy)

Core: Contains a supermassive black hole (about 15 million solar masses) that emits intense radiation

Star Formation: High rate of star formation in its arms, visible as red and blue pockets 

Discov

Messier 55 (M55) is a large, bright globular star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius, visible in the summer months, about 17,600 light-years away. It's known for being loosely packed, allowing individual stars to be resolved even with medium-sized telescopes, unlike many other globular clusters that appear as a dense, hazy core. It's best viewed in dark skies, appearing as a fuzzy patch to binoculars and resolving into a grainy texture with larger telescopes. 

Type: Globular cluster

Location: Constellation Sagittarius

Distance: ~17,600 light-years

Apparent Magnitude: ~6.3–7.4 (visible in binoculars)

Appearance: Loosely packed with a low central concentration, allowing stars to be seen all the way to the center. 

Locate the "teapot" shape in Sagittarius. 

Find the two stars that form the handle (Kaus Media and Ascella). 

Extend a line southeast from the handle for about 2.5 times the distance between those two stars. 

Best viewed in late summer (June–August).

Requires dark, moonle

NGC 2685, also known as the Helix Galaxy or Pancake Galaxy, is a rare polar ring galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, characterized by a ring of gas, dust, and stars orbiting its central galaxy at a perpendicular angle. This unusual structure, which appears as a "helix" or "pancake," is believed to have formed from a gravitational interaction or merger with another galaxy, creating two distinct, perpendicular planes of rotation. It is classified as a peculiar lenticular galaxy (S0(pec)) and is a key object for studying galaxy evolution. 

Type: Polar ring galaxy, lenticular (S0) 

Location: Constellation Ursa Major, about 40 million light-years away 

Nicknames: Helix Galaxy, Pancake Galaxy, Arp 336 

Structure: A central, spindle-like galaxy with a ring of material orbiting perpendicularly to its main disk. 

Formation: Thought to be the result of a galactic merger or the capture of material from a smaller galaxy. 

Significance: Its rarity and distinct, perpendicular rotation planes mak

Messier 70 (M70) is a compact globular star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius, located about 29,000 light-years away and known for its extremely dense core, a result of "core collapse". Discovered by Charles Messier in 1780, it appears as a fuzzy ball in binoculars and is best viewed with a telescope, which can resolve individual stars, especially in its bright core. It's found near the "Teapot" asterism, close to other clusters like M69 and M54. 

Type: Globular cluster (NGC 6681)

Location: Constellation Sagittarius, near the "Teapot" asterism

Distance: Approximately 29,000 light-years from Earth

Appearance: A compact, fuzzy ball with a very bright, dense core, visible in telescopes

Special Feature: Has undergone core collapse, making its center exceptionally dense with stars 

Locate the "Teapot" in Sagittarius.

Find M70 on the bottom edge of the teapot, between the stars Kaus Australis and Ascella.

It is best observed in the summer months (June, July, August). Image Credit ESA/

NGC 7678 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pegasus, notable for having one particularly massive and bright spiral arm, which earned it a spot in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 28 ("spiral galaxies with one heavy arm"). Located about 164 million light-years away, it's similar in size to the Milky Way and features a weak bar, a pseudo inner ring, and numerous HII regions, especially in its prominent southern arm, indicating active star formation. 

Type: Intermediate spiral galaxy (SAB(rs)c) 

Location: Constellation Pegasus 

Distance: Approximately 164 million light-years 

Size: About 115,000 light-years in diameter, similar to the Milky Way 

Peculiarity: One arm is significantly more massive and brighter than the other, likely due to a higher density of gas and stars, possibly from a past interaction or merger. 

Classification: Also cataloged as Arp 28 in Halton Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. 

Heavy Arm: The southern arm is exceptionally bright and dense with HII regions

3200 Phaethon is a unique, near-Earth asteroid that acts like a comet, causing the Geminid meteor shower, and is the source of its debris. It's a "rock comet" that gets extremely hot as it nears the Sun, causing its surface to vaporize sodium gas, which creates a tail, unlike typical dusty comets. Classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid, it's about 5.8 km in diameter and has a highly elliptical orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than any other named asteroid. 

Type: Apollo-class asteroid, also called a "rock comet" or "active asteroid". 

Size: Approximately 5.8 km (3.6 miles) in diameter. 

Orbit: Highly elliptical, bringing it closer to the Sun than any other named asteroid, where temperatures can reach 800° C (1472° F). 

Discovery: Discovered in 1983 by NASA's IRAS satellite. 

Name: Named after the Greek mythological figure Phaëthon, son of the sun god Helios, due to its unusual orbit. 

Comet-like Activity: When it gets close to the Sun, it brightens and forms a tail, but r