Elliptical galaxies appear fairly smooth and egg-shaped through a telescope, with an even distribution of stars. Lenticular galaxies look a bit like flattened ellipses with a bulge in the center ...

The S0 lenticular galaxy NGC 1266 is unremarkable when observed in optical light (left, grayscale and black contours) very much an example of a "red and dead" galaxy but becomes alive and violent ...

The Serpens Nebula is a prime location for studying the formation of stars and planets. It is approximately 1,300 light-years from Earth.