Astrophotographer Ronald Brecher has captured a breathtaking view of Markarian's Chain — a string of majestic galaxies glowing in the patch of sky between the constellations Leo and Virgo.
Brecher's photo of Markarian's Chain showcases the variety of cosmic heavyweights that populate the cosmos, while accounting for only a small section of the colossal Virgo Galaxy Cluster, which is thought to host approximately 2,000 galaxies. The galactic group is named after the astronomer Benjamin E. Markarian, who discovered that the galaxies moved coherently through space, according to the astronomy website Messier Objects.
