The mission is simple but ambitious: Capture all 22 official DSOs using your DWARF II, DWARF 3, orΒ DWARF mini and show us your best Post-Processed shots. The Contest will run until June 30th, 2026.Β
Post your shots to the official DwarfLabs Facebook Groups: DWARF II or DWARF 3 & MINI, & in the post tag us @DWARFVISION
Target Completion: Complete all 22 DSOs in the current set to earn a DWARFLAB Merch Pack, featuring an exclusive cap and sticker.
Community Choice Award: The Facebook community will vote on the top 3 favorite submissions (Post-Processed) from the set; the winners will be awarded a DWARFLAB Hoodie.
The Set Champion: The total accumulated community votes determine the ultimate winner, who receives a $50 DWARFLAB Voucher.
Community Recognition: All winners and highlight shots will be featured in DwarfVision community posts and newsletters on Facebook & Substack.
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T1 - M13
Hercules
25,000 light-years outΒ
Within the "Halo" of our Milky Way galaxy, 25,000 light-years out, lies M13βthe Great Globular Cluster of Hercules. This ancient "star city" swarms with hundreds of thousands of suns packed into a tight gravitational sphere only 145 light-years across. Its core is so dense that stars at the center are a thousand times more crowded than in our own solar neighborhood. This is our gateway to the deep cosmos.
T2 - M53 & NGC 5053
Coma Berenices
25,000 light-years outΒ
In the spring constellation of Coma Berenices, sits a rare gravitational pairing: the brilliant Messier 53 and its spectral neighbor, NGC 5053. These "Satellites of the Milky Way" form a unique binary cluster, connected across 6,000 light-years of space by a tidal bridge of stars. NGC 5053 is an enigma; its metal-poor chemistry suggests it is a remnant stripped from a dwarf galaxy consumed by our ownβthe surviving core of an ancient, extra-galactic system.
T3 - UGC 9749
Ursa Minor
220,000 light-years out
UGC 9749 is technically one of our closest intergalactic neighborsβphysically closer than the Small Magellanic Cloudβyet it remains one of the most elusive "ghosts" in the northern sky. As a dwarf spheroidal galaxy, it lacks flamboyant spiral arms or glowing gas clouds, existing instead as an ancient fossil of the early universe composed of aging stars and a massive, invisible halo of dark matter.
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as "M13"
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as "M53" or "NGC 5053"
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as "Ursa Minor Dwarf Galaxy"
T4 - Leo I
Leo
820,000 light-years outΒ
Before leaping across the intergalactic void, we encounter one final, elite challenge at the absolute edge of the Milky Wayβs reach: the Leo I Dwarf Galaxy. Sitting 820,000 light-years away, this ancient satellite is legendary not just for its distance, but for its location in the literal glow of Regulus. The glare of this first-magnitude star acts like a cosmic floodlight, blinding sensors to the faint galaxy hiding beside it.Β
T5 - NGC 2403 (Caldwell 7)
Camelopardalis
8 million light-years out
Sitting on the βnear shoreβ of the M81 group, NGC 2403 is the closest major spiral beyond our Local Group and a foundational anchor of the cosmic distance ladder. It was here that Edwin Hubble identified Cepheid variablesβstellar "metronomes" whose rhythmic flickering allowed him to calculate their true distance and prove the universe extended far beyond the Milky Way.Β
T6 - IC 2574
Ursa Major
12 million light-years out
IC 2574. Known as "Coddingtonβs Nebula," it was mistaken for a local gas cloud in 1898, but is actually a massive dwarf irregular galaxy sitting 12 million light-years away. This "living fossil" mimics the earliest galaxies in the universe; 90% of its mass is an invisible envelope of dark matter, the visible portion is violently aliveβpeppered with glowing pink and blue super-bubbles blown apart by ancient supernovae.Β
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as "Leo I"
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as "C7"
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as "IC 2574"
T7 - NGC 4236Β (Caldwell 3)
Draco
14.5 million light-years out
NGC 4236βthe ethereal "Fantom Spiral" of Draco. This nearly edge-on barred spiral is defined by its exceptionally low surface brightness, appearing as a spectral, elongated smudge that haunts the northern sky. Despite its ghostly reputation, the galaxy is a massive structure punctuated by vibrant HII star-forming regions, serving as a profound example of the ancient, diffuse systems that populate our local cosmic neighborhood.
T8 - M83
Hydra
15 million light-years out
Messier 83, the "Southern Pinwheel," serves as the vibrant powerhouse of the M83/Centaurus A Group. It is an exceptionally active barred spiral defined by explosive star-forming vitality; often called a "supernova factory," M83 has hosted six observed stellar explosions in the last century alone. Its structural perfection features a massive central bar that funnels gas into a starburst core, igniting the spiral arms with brilliant H-alpha knots that resemble scattered cosmic rubies against the dark void of intergalactic space.Β
T9 - M94
Canes Venatici
16 million light-years out
Messier 94 is the bright, gravitational anchor of the Canes Venatici I Group. It is a structural masterpiece that resembles a celestial bullβs-eyeβan appearance created by a spectacular inner starburst ring where gas is compressed into new stars at a frantic rate. This "Crocβs Eye" glows with intense brilliance against the more diffuse regions of the galaxy. Beyond this high-intensity core lies a "double-ring" mystery: a massive, incredibly faint outer ring.
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as C3
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as M83
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as M94
T10 - M106
Canes Venatici
23 million light-years out
Messier 106 is the undisputed titan of the Canes Venatici II Group. While it appears as an elegant spiral, it hides one of the most exotic energy engines in the cosmos: a central supermassive black hole surrounded by a disk of water vapor that acts as a naturally occurring "Megamaser." This microwave laser beams out concentrated energy millions of times more powerful than anything in our own galaxy.
T11 - M63
Canes Venatici
29 million light-years out
Messier 63 is a prominent member of the M51 Group. Famously known as the "Sunflower Galaxy," it is the quintessential example of a flocculent spiralβa galaxy where the arms are not continuous, but instead consist of a shimmering tapestry of short, patchy segments. These "petals" are crowded with young, blue star clusters and intricate dust lanes that mimic the Fibonacci seed patterns of a giant sunflower.Β
T12 - NGC 2903
Leo
30 million light-years out
NGC 2903 is famously known as "The Lost Messier Galaxy." Despite being one of the brightest and most detailed spirals in the northern hemisphere, it was somehow overlooked by Charles Messier, only to be "recovered" by William Herschel in 1784. This brilliant barred spiral is a powerhouse of activity, featuring a starburst core defined by an exceptional rate of new star formation.
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as M106
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as M63
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as NGC 2903
T13 - M104
Virgo
31 million light-years out
The Sombrero's glowing central bulge is contrasted by a thick, dark dust lane that perfectly bisects its disk. Nearly edge-on, it displays an iconic silhouette that resembles a celestial hat floating in the deep void. This structure is enveloped by an immense, spherical halo of light that extends for thousands of light-years and contains one of the most populous systems of globular clusters in the local universe.
T14 - NGC 3184
Ursa Major
40 million light-years out
The "Little Pinwheel" is a powerhouse of stellar birth, characterized by its intricate HII regions and massive nurseries of ionized hydrogen, such as NGC 3180. Positioned perfectly face-on, its graceful symmetry reveals delicate, winding spiral arms defined by luminous, blue-white "knots" of intense star formation. This fragile architecture offers a pristine window into the complex interplay of gas and gravity within an active spiral engine.
T15 - NGC 4565
Coma Berenices
40 million light-years out
The Needle Galaxy is the undisputed queen of edge-on spirals, appearing as a razor-thin sliver of light stretching 100K light-years across in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is characterized by a unique, boxy central bulge and a remarkably sharp dust lane that cuts perfectly through the galactic plane. This marvel offers a pristine side-on view, highlighting the dramatic contrast between its luminous core and the dark, cold dust of its disk.
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as M104
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as NGC 3184
β Β In the DwarfAtlas as NGC 4565
T16 - C 60, NGC 4038 & 4039
Virgo
45 million light-years out
Locked in a slow-motion cosmic collision, the Antennae Galaxies' dance results from the effect of Gravity: The core interaction has ripped away long, sweeping streams of stars and gas, forming two massive, trailing "antennae" that arch elegantly into the dark void. Within their mashed-together hearts, colliding gas clouds ignite brilliant blue knots of hyper-active star formation, beautifully framed by thick lanes of cosmic dust churned up by the shockwaves of the gravitational wreck.
T17 - M58, NGC 4567, 4568
Leo
60 million light-years out
Locked in a slow-motion cosmic dance, M58 & the Twins highlight the immense reach of gravity across the Virgo Cluster. On one side, the majestic barred spiral of M58 holds court with its tightly wound, symmetrical arms. Just a stone's throw away, the Siamese Twins are caught in the dramatic early stages of a titanic collision, their disks overlapping as they begin to merge. This breathtaking trio beautifully shows both the serene isolation of a grand design spiral and the inescapable embrace of galactic mergers.
T18 - NGC 3193, 3190, 3187, 3185
Coma Berenices
80 million light-years out
The Leo Quartet illustrates the dramatic variety arising from the effects of gravity within a compact galactic group. At the heart of this tightly packed family, the bright elliptical galaxy NGC 3193 stands in stark contrast to the warped, dust-laned profile of the edge-on spiral NGC 3190. Skirting the edges, the beautifully barred arms of NGC 3185 and the bizarrely stretched, S-shaped tidal arms of NGC 3187 reveal a system being actively sculpted by immense gravitational forces.
β Β In the Atlas as C 60
β Β In the Atlas as M58 or NGC 4568
β In the Atlas as "Leo Quartet"
T19 - HCG 61, NGC 4131 & Abell 1495
Coma Berenices
180 million light-years out
"The Box" Group highlights the structural symmetry born from the effect of gravity in a compact cluster. The three interacting galaxies of HCG 61 form a strikingly perfect geometric rectangle against the deep void, anchoring the unique shape. The illusion is completed by the edge-on disk of NGC 4169, a line-of-sight intruder sitting closer to us. In the background, the faint, distant lights of the Abell 1495 galaxy cluster add incredible depth to the scene, contrasting the tightly knit group in the foreground
T20 - C 35, Coma B, Abell 1656
Coma Berenices
Β 321 million light-years out
Abell 1656 highlights colossal, gravity-formed structures within a dense galactic metropolis. This bustling cluster contains over a thousand galaxies swarming together against the deep void. Anchoring the very heart of the field are two supergiant elliptical monsters, NGC 4874 and NGC 4889, surrounded by a sea of smaller golden "fuzz-balls" and stray outer spirals. It is a breathtaking, target-rich field that beautifully reveals the hidden scaffolding binding our universe together.
T21 - NGC 3913 & Abell 1377
Ursa Major
770 million light-years out
At center stage, the face-on spiral galaxy NGC 3913, currently hosting the brilliant supernova flare of SN 2026dix, erupts against the dark void. Drifting incredibly far into the background, the dense, ancient galaxy swarm of Abell 1377 appears as a tight cluster of faint, golden bees. This stunning juxtaposition creates an incredible sense of three-dimensional perspective, contrasting a nearby exploding island universe against a massive, distant galactic metropolis.
β Β Not in the Atlas use:
Ra/Dec: 12h 13m42.1s Β +29Β°03'50.4"
β Β In the Atlas as Coma B
β In the Atlas as "HD 102328"
T22 - Abell 2065
Corona Borealis
1 Billion Light-Years out
The Corona Borealis Supercluster (Abell 2065) highlights the sheer, mind-boggling scale of cosmic structures born from the effect of gravity over billions of years. While the entire supercluster region spans thousands of systems, just the incredibly tight core group of Abell 2065 packs over 400 galaxies together against the deep void. Seen through a wide field, the frame shimmers with hundreds of these faint, ancient golden specks, each an entire island universe moving as a single gravitationally bound unit. It is an extraordinary, deep-space target that provides a humbling look at the true, vast scaffolding of our universe.
β Β Abell 2065 is not in the DWARF Atlas. To find the cluster, search for the star "Nusakan," then move the field about 2Β° down to the Southwest and center on the star "TYC 2031-466-1." or
Ra/Dec 15h 23m51.3s Β +27Β°37'36.6"
Master Your D3 & miniΒ Workflows.
Get Two weekly Deepsky dives, Exclusive Skyevent updates and DIY Mastery tips delivered directly to your inbox.
