SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Daniel Stern
Location of Photo:
Rio Hurtado, Chile
Date/Time of photo:
April 2026
Equipment:
CDK-17 / Moravian C5A-100M
Description:
The Leo II Dwarf Galaxy, also cataloged as UGC 6253 and PGC 34176, is a faint dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxy, orbiting the Milky Way, about 690,000 light-years from Earth. Composed mostly of ancient, metal-poor stars, it provides a rare glimpse into the early evolution of galaxies. Leo II is believed to contain substantial amounts of dark matter because its stars move too fast to be held together by visible matter alone. This unseen mass reveals itself only through gravity, preventing the galaxy from dispersing over time.
