Explanation:
Spiky stars and spooky shapes abound in
this
deep cosmic skyscape.
Its well-composed field of view covers
about 2 Full Moons on the
sky toward the constellation Pegasus.
Of course the brighter stars show diffraction spikes, the commonly
seen effect of internal
supports
in reflecting telescopes, and lie
well within our own Milky Way galaxy.
The faint but pervasive clouds of interstellar dust
ride above the galactic plane and dimly reflect the
Milky Way's
combined starlight.
Known as high latitude cirrus or integrated flux nebulae they are
associated with molecular clouds.
In this case, the diffuse cloud cataloged as
MBM 54,
less than a thousand light-years distant, fills the scene.
Other galaxies far beyond the Milky Way are visible through the
ghostly apparitions, including the striking spiral galaxy NGC 7497
some 60 million light-years away.
Seen almost edge-on
near the center of the field,
NGC 7497's own spiral arms and dust lanes echo the colors of the
Milky Way's stars and dust.
