One of the prettiest galaxies ever discovered, Messier 104 has truly earned its nickname as the 'Sombrero Galaxy'. Appearing breath-takingly perfect, the galaxy consists of a bright white core, surrounded by thick dust that makes up a spiral around the outside. M104 can be easily seen using even basic telescopes, and is the equivelant in mass to over 800 billion suns. The galaxy itself extends to over 50,000 light-years in diameter, and is situated around 28 million light-years away from us.
9. Mystic Mountain
One of the more fantastical images on this list, these 'Mystic Mountains' are nicknamed as such due to their resemblance to the landscape artwork seen in popular fantasy novels. These particular pillars are located within the Carina Nebula, around 7500 light-years from Earth. The image captures destructive activity near the pinnacle of the pillars, as the gas and dust is decimated by the light from nearby stars. Trails can also be seen spiralling from inside the pillars, as jets of gas are propelled outward by infant stars within.
