The Fornax Cluster of Galaxies

Explanation: Named for the southern constellationtoward which most of its galaxies can be found, theFornaxCluster is one of the closest clusters of galaxies. About 62 million light-years away, it is almost 20 times moredistant than our neighboringAndromeda Galaxy, andonly about 10 percent farther than the better known and morepopulated Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Seen across this two degree wide field-of-view, almost everyyellowish splotch on the image is an elliptical galaxy in the Fornaxcluster. Elliptical galaxiesNGC 1399 and NGC 1404are the dominant, bright cluster members toward the upper left(but not the spiky foreground stars). A standout barred spiral galaxyNGC 1365is visible on the lower right as a prominent Fornax cluster member.

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Explanation: How can gas float above the Sun? Twisted magnetic fields arching fromthe solar surface can trap ionized gas, suspending it in huge looping structures. These majestic plasma arches are seen as prominences above the solar limb. In 1999,this dramatic and detailed imagewas recorded by the Extreme ultraviolet Image Telescope (EIT) on boardthe space-based SOHO observatoryin the light emitted byionized Helium. It shows hot plasma escaping into space as a fiery prominence breaksfree from magnetic confinement a hundred thousand kilometers above the Sun. These awesome eventsbear watching as they can affect communications and power systems over100 million kilometers away on planet Earth. In late 2020 our Sun passed the solar minimum of its 11-year cycle and is now showing increased surface activity.