In the Northern hemisphere, winter solstice marks the shortest period of daylight during the year. The long nights host an annual parade of familiar constellations and stars, like Orion the hunter, Taurus the bull, brilliant Sirius and ruddy Aldebaran. But to star gazers and astrophotographers alike, the Northern winter also signals the opening of galaxy season; when some of the brightest and most interesting island universes are poised above the horizon for much of the evening.