Jack And Gen’s Prize … The Great Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 – 65 Million Light Years Away

Jack’s 21st Birthday Present Was More Than A Trip Away … It Took Him To The Largest Barred Spiral Galaxy Known – NGC 1365

 

When Jack and Genevieve arrived at Honeysuckles Astronomy Tours for Jack’s fabulous birthday present from his mum and dad, they had no idea what to expect. “Looking at stars” was what Jack anticipated. Gen was also uncertain in any detail what may lay ahead.

Clear skies and an array of fabulous summer objects which included five solar system planets, was what awaited them. A dark southern sky always has something special to observe and some of the biggest ticket items that never fail to “wow” the viewer, were on display this evening. Far away and high in the sky for best views, was NGC 1365 – a barred spiral galaxy in the southern constellation of Fornax. We are very fortunate in the southern hemisphere to have front row seats to gaze at this giant of a galaxy. Not only is it in our region of the sky, but it is fully open to us so we look directly down onto it. It’s distant and is therefore faint, but the giant spiral arms that extend a massive 200 thousand light years across are easy to see when conditions are good. It’s a monster containing hundreds of billions of stars. This and many other objects viewed, made for an unforgettable night for Jack and Genevieve. Combined with a trip away to the beach – which is a bonus for our overnight stay guests, made for a very special birthday gift. 🙂

“Bruce was a fantastic host, very educational and gave us such a great experience, 10/10 would go back.”    Jack