In this striking image, the brilliant star Regulus dominates the frame, casting its radiant light across the Leo constellation. Regulus, the brightest star in Leo and one of the brightest in the night sky, is a massive, rapidly rotating blue-white star located about 79 light-years from Earth.

To the lower left of Regulus lies a subtle but fascinating feature: Leo I, a faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is a satellite of the Milky Way. Though easily washed out by the glare of Regulus, careful processing reveals this distant and dim galaxy, lying roughly 820,000 light-years away. Its ghostly appearance offers a glimpse into the quiet companions of our galaxy—faint systems full of ancient stars and dark matter.

Capturing both a dazzling foreground star and a barely-there galaxy in the same field requires meticulous planning and expert imaging technique, making this a beautifully executed and scientifically rich observation.