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If you thought the Andromeda Galaxy and our Milky Way were the only interacting galaxies in the night sky, then think again! Locked in a gravitational duel, Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy will dance around one another for several billion years until they collide and form one massive body. In their most recent skirmish, the Cigar (pictured right) ignited ferocious star formation in Bode’s grand spiral arms, giving them their blue-purple hue. Similarly, the Cigar has been dubbed a “starburst” galaxy because stars are forming 10 times faster in it than in our own galaxy! By Carl Crum '24

Bubbles in space? You read that right! In the constellation of Cassiopeia (the Vain Queen) lies a gaseous blob 7,100 light years away and 7 light years in diameter. Looking through an eyepiece and telescope, only the massive star at the center of the bubble is visible. However, when shooting with a camera and hydrogen filter, the rapidly expanding outer shell–ionized by the energetic central star–pops from the starfield. Despite the lack of air in space, this bubble hasn’t popped in over 4 million years! By Carl Crum '24