Galaxies
Galaxies are by definition vast rotating systems of stars, gas and dust. They are the building blocks of the universe. Galaxies range in size from dwarf types, only a few thousand light years across to great spiral and elliptical galaxies spanning several hundred thousand light years across. They contain anywhere from a few million to as many as one trillion stars.
The earth is located within a large spiral arm (the Orion arm) in a spiral galaxy we call the “Milky Way”. The closest galaxy similar to our own is the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).
[description from Rob Gendler’s primer]
Hello, my name is Martin Rusterholz. I’m a Swiss amateur astrophotographer living near Zurich, the biggest town in Switzerland. My interest in astronomy started when I was 16. At that time, I built my first Newtonian telescope and mount. I studied physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) which was the only study including at least some aspects of astronomy and astrophysics.
“Looking at the nights sky is an experience touching everybody deeply inside, something common to all human beings independent to the language spoken by the individuals”.
Deep-sky astrophotography is my passion.