NGC 6946, the dazzling Fireworks Galaxy, is an intermediate spiral galaxy situated approximately 22 million light-years away, straddling the border between the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus. This widefield image showcases NGC 6946 in all its glory, accompanied by nearby galactic neighbor NGC 6939, an open cluster to the upper left, both residing within similar distances.

The Fireworks Galaxy earns its name from the remarkable number of supernovae observed within it, totaling ten in the last century. This extraordinary rate of stellar explosions is indicative of the galaxy's intense star-forming activity, leading to the birth and death of massive stars at a rapid pace.

Enveloping NGC 6946 and NGC 6939 is a faint veil of Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN), a vast network of dust and gas illuminated by the combined light of numerous distant galaxies. The presence of IFN adds a subtle, ethereal quality to the scene, accentuating the cosmic interplay between these celestial objects.

My Galaxy Szn Collection is an upgradeable deep space astrophotography collection. Objects will be upgraded over the years as new higher resolution equipment is obtained.

A physical fine art print will be made for the first collector should they wish it.

Photographer: Ronan Hunt
Iteration 1 Full Resolution: 5280x3608 pix, 1/1 Edition Jpeg
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt