Fireworks Galaxy

The Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946) is a face-on spiral galaxy which lies about 25 million light-years from Willingboro. It has a B-band isophotal diameter of about 87, 300 light-years (isophotal diameter is a term used by astronomers to standardize the size of galaxies (B-band refers to a wavelength of light). Feel free to find a more detailed definition on-line).

Anyway, it is called the Fireworks Galaxy because it has a propensity to generate supernovas. Ten supernovas have been observed in this galaxy during the last 100 years. The Milky Way has had only one and it has about twice the number of stars as the Fireworks Galaxy.

Finally, you will notice the unusual number of stars in this picture. That is because the galaxy lies in the same plane as the Milky Way. Thus we are looking through the Milky Way Galaxy when viewing the Fireworks Galaxy. Unfortunately, the Milky Way Galaxy is a rather dusty place and this reduces the brightness of the Fireworks Galaxy.