Favourite Galaxies

[symesie04]

Was just thumbing my way through Hubbles glorious galaxy images and was trying to pick a favourite. It was just impossible just so many quite beautiful images. So thought i would throw it over to you guys for your thoughts on the matter. Ill even be kind and give you two categories.

Solo and Cosmic collisions. Any reasons as to why its your favouyrite would also be nice.

[Vox45]

Sombrero (M104) is always a pretty sight, in books anyways. I hope I will be able to see that by myself someday...

[tingting44]

for me M31, no other galaxy compares in my eye's

well till i move on to imaging my next galaxy

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Hoag's Object would be a contender in the solo category for me.

It's formation is something of a mystery. Ring galaxies are extremely rare but by a cosmic coincidence another can be seen looking through Hoag's, at the one o'clock position.

As for interacting galaxies, that's a tricky one. Here's a collection from Hubble, not sure how I could choose between them.

[reddoss]

Whirlpool for me. A lovely object to observe and something of a show case target to image. It was the first galaxy that I managed to pull the Ha 'star forming' regions out of with relatively short exposure times (5 and 10 mins)  at a dark sky site. 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the greatest views I have ever had. Could count either as a single one, or as an interacting one with our own

[starman1969]

Of the ones I've seen it's hard to pick a fave from M31, M33, M51 and the Magellanic Clouds.

If I was to pick one which stands out as a visual, and an imaged object, it would be M51 The Whirlpool.

[Daniel-K]

ngc 4449 

[Paul73]

Cheating slightly:

- Markarian Chain

- Leo Triplet

- M81/82

Or, for the solo category:

- Black Eye

- M33

- NGC 891

Interacting:

- it has got to be M51

Paul

[southernman]

+1 for the Large Magellanic Cloud. There's just so much visible with even modest kit it defies belief.

Peter

[symesie04]

Interesting choices gents. Its hard isnt it as they are all so beautiful.

Dark Knight isnt the ring galaxy thought to be a result of a collision even though no other galaxy seems to be that close? Passed through each other and well left a ring. So is that solo or collision?

For those saying the Whirlpool again is that a solo or a collision?  

The Large Magellanic cloud hadnt even considered that, she is pretty.

I think for me the solo category its a toss up between the milky way (after all its our home) Andromeda the closest so the best view, and lastly the Sombrero which somehow just enchants me.

For the collision i will throw my lot in with the below image which apparently is UGC1810 & UGC1813. Just stunning.

[ScottS]

Sombrero for me too. I,ve only seen it in pictures but there's just something eerie about it.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Knight isnt the ring galaxy thought to be a result of a collision even though no other galaxy seems to be that close? Passed through each other and well left a ring. So is that solo or collision?

Yes, that's one theory, but as the other galaxy seems to be missing the jury is out. I guess I'd submit it as a solo for now, pending further information.

That Arp 273 image is particularly good.

[Alien 13]

My vote would be ours the wonderful milky way...

Alan

[uhb1966]

I go with Alan here, as i have been doing only widefield :-)

[LukeSkywatcher]

Sombrero and black eye galaxies for me.

[scarp15]

I enjoy seeking out NGC 2903 in Leo.

My favourite is the pairing of M81 and M82.

[HD-AP]

Mine would be m51 the whirlpool galaxy this has a historical importance for me in that it traces it's first observation /drawings to my telescopes mirror's

In that william parsons the third earl of rosse who contructed the 72 inch leviathan of parsonstown in ireland he was actually born in yorkshire of irish descent .

And drew m51 which was described at the time as nebulea.

anyway his descendants formed the company of grubb parsons.

 Responsible for many great large telescopes ,cheif optician 1960's - was the late great David sinden who when grubb parsons closed .

Formed his own company the sinden optical company. 

 Producing optics of very high accuracy ,but using the same mirror making machine made and used by thomas grubb or his son sir howard grubb made in 1869.

My mirror was made by david sinden and his team of opticians on this very machine,so a connection from then till now and observing the same object 145 years apart .