The Whirlpool Galaxy is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with NGC 5195.
M51
H85Whirlpool Galaxy
LRGB
🌟Ken Levin•Asteroid (99862)
Silver Spring
Observatory
CCD Astro-Imaging
Deep sky astrophotography capturing the wonders of the universe — galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and more.
100+
Images
40+
Asteroids
4
Observatories
25+
Years
Browse by Category
Explore deep sky objects organized by type
Galaxies
Deep sky images of galaxies captured from Silver Spring Observatory and remote locations. Includes spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, interacting galaxy pairs, and more.
24 images
Galaxy Clusters
Images of galaxy clusters - gravitationally bound collections of hundreds to thousands of galaxies, representing some of the largest structures in the universe.
10 images
Star Clusters
Open clusters and globular clusters captured through CCD imaging. These stellar groupings range from loose associations to dense spherical collections of ancient stars.
2 images
Nebulae
Emission nebulae, planetary nebulae, reflection nebulae, and dark nebulae. Interstellar clouds of gas and dust that are stellar nurseries or remnants of dying stars.
8 images
Supernovae
Observations and images of supernovae - the explosive deaths of massive stars. These transient events can briefly outshine entire galaxies.
13 images
Asteroids
Asteroid observations and imaging, including the asteroid (99862) "Kenlevin" named for Ken Levin. Tracking observations showing asteroid motion against background stars.
4 images
Exoplanets
Exoplanet transit observations and related data. Detecting planets around other stars through photometric measurements.
4 images
Featured Images
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The Cigar Galaxy is a starburst galaxy with prominent hydrogen-alpha emissions.
M82
H85Cigar Galaxy
LRGB
M100 is a grand design spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices.
M100
BBOMirror Galaxy
LRGB
The Pinwheel Galaxy is a face-on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major.
M101
H85Pinwheel Galaxy
LRGB
The Sculptor Galaxy is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor.
NGC 253
BBOSculptor Galaxy
LRGB
TAS
View EquipmentTexas Astronomical Society Dark Site
Active📍 Oklahoma
Our newest observatory is located at the Texas Astronomical Society's dark site in Caddo, Oklahoma. It is remotely operated and will be used by the TAS Teen Group for their research projects. Check back later for their exciting results!
Texas Dark Site - Sunset View
Texas Dark Site - Observatory Setup
Texas Dark Site - Telescope Setup
Ken at Texas Dark Site
All Observatory Locations
Images captured from multiple observatory locations over 25+ years of astrophotography
H85
Silver Spring Observatory
Silver Spring, Maryland
The original home observatory established in Silver Spring, Maryland. Personal observatory used for CCD astro-imaging of deep sky objects.
Historical
BBO
Blackbird Observatory
Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Remote observatory located near Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Known for excellent dark skies and seeing conditions. Now relocated to Sierra Remote Observatories.
Learn more →Historical
SRO
Sierra Remote Observatories
Sierra Nevada, California
Current remote imaging location. Sierra Remote Observatories provides excellent dark sky conditions and professional-grade infrastructure for amateur astronomers.
Learn more →Active
G53
Alder Springs Observatory
California
Alder Springs Observatory (G53) - an additional remote imaging location.
Active
Asteroid (99862) Kenlevin
Ken Levin (b. 1953) is a physicist who works in the field of infrared optics and sensors for application in medicine, aerospace and astronomy. Levin is an avid amateur astronomer and operates two private observatories.
Citation:
(99862) "Kenlevin" = 2002 OD2