The fuzzy blob in the upper left, with the uninspired name of M87, will never win any beauty contests. However, it is actually the largest galaxy that has ever been discovered. From what we know of the dynamics of galaxies, M87 is as big as it is possible for them to get. From our perspective, it doesn't look very big or impressive, but that's because we are somewhere between 50 and 60 million light years away! The picture seen here is formed with light that started out from M87 about when the dinosaurs were wiped out. When you speak of galaxies, you usually describe them as having billions and billions of suns, but with M87, the gargantuan blob is home to trillions and trillions of suns. At the center, is the biggest black hole ever detected. The fuzzy "stars" close to the heart of M87 (to the lower right of it's center) are actually huge globular clusters that are part of the M87 galaxy. The two galaxies to the lower right of the picture are foreground galaxies.

M87 is at the heart of a whole cluster of several thousand galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It's the biggest group and collection of galaxies anywhere near us. Many other well known galaxies are part of this group, such as the Sombrero, the Sunflower, and the Black Eye galaxies As we see them, they are all above the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, trailing behind the Constellation Leo. They can be best seen during the spring and early summer. Because the whole group is so far away, you'll need a telescope to see any of them. When I took this picture, a satellite happened to pass through the frame too.

10" F6.3 Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, Canon 300D camera at prime focus
300 sec, ISO 800
3 photos at the above time and ISO were averaged together, then brightness and contrast enhanced