In the vast expanse of the cosmos lies a celestial marvel, NGC 891, an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. Discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784. It belongs to the NGC 1023 group of galaxies within the Local Supercluster. In 1999, the Hubble Space Telescope captured an infrared image of NGC 891, revealing its hidden nuances. Subsequently, in 2005, the galaxy became the debut image for the Large Binocular Telescope, marking its significance in scientific interest.
Visible through small to moderate-sized telescopes, NGC 891 presents itself as a faint, elongated smear of light. Larger apertures unveil a dust lane, its resemblance to the Milky Way is obvious in photographs as our perspective to both of these galaxies are edge-on.
Beyond its scientific significance, NGC 891 has found its way into popular culture. Appearing in the end credits of the Outer Limits TV series alongside other celestial wonders, it is affectionately dubbed the "Outer Limits Galaxy."
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