M101 taken by myself and Rich Jacobs with my RC 12.5" and his SBIG ST11000 camera April 26th, 2006. 2 hr L frame, 30 min. RGB.
Rosette Nebula, taken June 1st, 2006 with Eplison 210, ST8E with H@ filter for 1 hr.
M8 the Lagon Nebula. Taken July 10th with RC 12.5 working at f/6.75, ST8E. 20 min LRGB each.
M42 the Great Orion Nebula. Taken Feb. 23, 2006 with E210 and ST8E, LRGB through Astrodon filters. The luminus was 30 1 min. taken with an Ha filter
M51, the Whirlpool Galaxie, taken Sept. 2005, with RC12.5. 10 three minute exposures in LRGB, stacked and process with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M14 a nice glober star cluster. This was the first picture taken. It is five 40 sec. exposures. No dark frames or flats taken June 11th. 2004
M16 the Eagle Nebula. This was also the first night. It was five 40 second exposures with no dark frames. Taken on June 11th.
M17 Omega Nebula. first night also, five 40 second exposures with no darks taken on June 11th 2004. (See also the color shot taken in June 2005.)
M22 star cluster, fist night, five 40 second exposures, no darks. June 11th, 2004
NGC 7331 Galaxy and cluster. Eight 4 min. L, Six 4 min RG, Eight 5 min B. Stacked and processed with MaximDL.
M33 Triangulum Galaxy, 10 three minute exposures in LRGB with RC12.5". Stacked and processed with MaxinDL. See also the one taken with the Eplison.
M3 globar star cluster, RC12.5 8, 45 sec. exposures.
M66, take with the RC12.5" 10 three minute exposures, stacked and processed with MaximDL.
The Antennae Galaxy NGC 4038/4039. Taken with RC12.5, ST8E, AstroDon filters. Eight 3 min. exposers in LRGB.
NGC 7331 a beautiful galaxy. Taken with RC12.5, ST8E, AstroDon filters. Eight 4 min. exposers in LRGB.
The Bubble nebula NGC 7635. Taken with RC12.5, ST8E, AstroDon filters. Eight 3 min. exposers in LRGB.
Alapha Centauri, a taken with RC12.5, ST8E, CW8, LRGB, 8 three minute exposures
The Cresent nebula NGC 6888 Taken with RC12.5, ST8E, AstroDon filters. Eight 3 min. exposers in LRGB.
The Dumbell nebula, M27, Taken with RC12.5, ST8E, AstroDon filters. Eight 3 min. exposers in LRGB.
The Horse Head nebula, Barnard 33, taken with the Eplison E210, ST8E, CW8, 10, 200 sec. exposures LRGB, stacked and process with Photoshop and MaximDL
M13 global cluster NGC 6205, RC12.5. 10, 30 sec. exposures with ST8E, CW8 AstroDon filters, in LRGB, process with Photoshop and MaximDL.
M17 the Omega Nebula, RC12.5, ST8E, CW8, 8, 3 minute exposures in LRGB, stacked and process with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M20, the Trifid Nebula, RC12.5, ST8E, CW8. 6, 100 sec. shots in LRGB processed with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, taken September, 2005 with Eplison E210, ST8E, CW8, 10 four minute exposures in LRGB, stacked and process in Photoshop.
M33, taken with the Eplison E210. Much larger field than with the RC12.5. Taken January 10, 2006. ST8E, CW8. 10 three minute exposures in LRGB.
M57 the Ring Nebula, taken Sept. 2005, with RC12.5" 10 three minute exposures in LRGB, stacked and process with MaximDL, and Photoshop.
M63, the Sunflower Galaxy. May, 2005. with RC12.5", ST8E, CW8, 10 three minute exposures stacked and processed with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M65, taken May, 2005 with RC12.5, ST8E, CW8. 10 three minute exposures, LRGB, stacked and process with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M97, the Owl Nebula, taken with the RC12.5", ST8E, CW8 in LRGB, 6 four minute exposures. Processed with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M104, the Sumbero Galaxy. Taken with RC12.5" @ f5 with ST8E, CW8, 10 three minute exposures LRGB, stacked and process with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M108 Galaxy, taken with RC12.5" @ f5, with ST8E, CW8, 8 300 second exposures in LRGB, stacked and process with MaximDL and Photoshop.
Veil Nebula NGC 6960, taken January 2006 with Eplison E210. 10 45 second exposures in LRGB, processed with MaximDL and Photoshop.
Veil Nebula NGC 6992, taken with the RC12.5" @ f5, in September 2005, ST8E, CW8, 6 two minute exposures in LRGB, stacked and process with MaximDL.
The Cocoon Nebula, taken Sept. 2005 with RC12.5 @ f5, with ST8E, CW8, 6 two minute exposures in LRGB, process with MaximDL and Photoshop
The Pelican Nebula, taken May 2005, with RC12.5" @ f5, 6 t hree minute exposures with ST8E, CW8, processed with MaximDL and Photoshop.
M16, the Eagle Nebula. Taken May 2005, with RC12.5 @ f5, ST8E, CW8, 6 three minute in LRGB, combined and processed in Photoshop.
According to our present understanding, the pronounced spiral structure is a result of M51's current encounter with its neighbor, NGC 5195 (the fainter one in Messier's description). Due to this interaction, the gas in the galaxy was disturbed and compressed in some regions, resulting in the formation of new young stars. As is common in galactic encounters, spiral structure is preferably induced in the more massive galaxy.
First Light Unguided.
First light, Unguided. (See one taken in LRGB)
First Light Unguided.
First Light, Unguided.
Discovered by William Herschel in 1784.
NGC 7331 is one of the brighter galaxies which is not included in Messier's catalog. It exposes a fine spiral structure despite its small inclination from the edge-on position. Several companions and background galaxies are visible even in my photo.
The Triangulum galaxy M33 is another prominent member of the local group of galaxies. This galaxy is small compared to its big apparent neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, and to our Milky Way Galaxy, but by this more of average size for spiral galaxies in the universe. One of the small Local Group member galaxies, LGS 3, is possibly a satellite of M33.
M3 is one of the most outstanding globular clusters, containing an estimated half million stars. At a distance of about 33,900 light years, it is further away than the center of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, but still shines at magnitude 6.2, as its absolute magnitude is about -8.93, corresponding to a luminosity of about 300,000 times that of our sun
M66 is considerably larger than its neighbor, M65, and has a well developed but not well defined central bulge, and is therefore classified Sb. Obviously its spiral arms are deformed, probably because of the encounters with its neighbors. They seem to be distorted and displaced above the plane of the galaxy.
The galaxies are 63 million light-years away in the southern constalation Corvus.
It's the bubble versus the cloud. NGC 7635, the Bubble, is being pushed out by the stellar winds of massive central star BD+602522. Next door, though, lives a giant cloud, visible above to the upper left. At this place in space, an irresistable force meets an immovable object in an interesting way. The cloud is able to contain the expansion of the bubble gas, but gets blasted by the hot radiation from the bubble's central star.
Alapha Centauri a is our closed neighboring galaxie. It is 4.3 light years from us.
NGC 6888 (the Crescent Nebula or Caldwell 27) is an emission nebula in the Cygnus constillation, about 5000 light-years away. It is formed by the fast stella winds from the Wold-Rayet star (or WR-136) colliding with and energizing the slower moving wind ejected by the star when it became a red giant around 400,000 years ago.
This planetary nebula is certainly the most impressive object of its kind in the sky, as the angular diameter of the luminous body is nearly 6 arc minutes, with a faint halo extensing out to over 15', half the apparent diameter of the Moon
This CCD image shows only a small part of a vast complex of gas, dust, and newly forming stars. The bright background is a part of bright nebula IC 434 and is both emission (mostly glowing hydrogen and oxygen) and reflection nebula. The "Horse Head" is a cloud of dark dust that is blocking light from the gas and stars behind it. There are new stars forming in this nebula. The Horse Head is in the constellation of Orion near the eastern belt star. The Horse Head was discovered on photographs in the late 19th century. While E. Barnard did not discover this object, he was the first to recognize that it was a vast dark cloud blocking the light coming from behind it. He included it in his catalog of dark nebulae as B-33
M13, also called the `Great globular cluster in Hercules', is one of the most prominent and best known globulars of the Northern celestial hemisphere. It was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714.
The color of the Omega Nebula is reddish, with some graduation to pink. This color comes from the hot hydrogene gas which is excited to shine by the hottest stars which have just formed within the nebula. However, the brightest region is actually of white color, not overexposed as one might think. This phenomenon is apparently a result of a mixture of emission light from the hottest gas, together with reflections of the bright star light from the dust in this region
The red emission nebula with its young star cluster near its center is surrounded by a blue reflection nebula which is particularly conspicuous to the northern end. The nebula's distance is rather uncertain, with values between 2,200 light years (Mallas/Kreimer; Glyn Jones has 2,300) and about 7,600 light years (C.R. O'Dell 1963). The Sky Catalog 2000 gives 5,200 light years
Andromeda is the nearest major galaxy to our ownMilky Way Galaxy. Our Galaxy is thought to look much like Andromeda. Together these two galaxies dominate the Local Group of galaxies. The diffuse light from Andromeda is caused by the hundreds of billions of stars that compose it
The Triangulum galaxy M33 is another prominent member of the local group of galaxies. This galaxy is small compared to its big apparent neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, and to our Milky Way Galaxy, but by this more of average size for spiral galaxies in the universe. One of the small Local Group member galaxies, LGS 3, is possibly a satellite of M33.
The famous ring nebula M57 is often regarded as the prototype of a planetary nebula, and a showpiece in the northern hemisphere summer sky. Recent research has confirmed that it is, most probably, actually a ring (torus) of bright light-emitting material surrounding its central star, and not a spherical (or ellipsoidal) shell.
The Sunflower galaxy M63 is one of the early recognized spiral galaxies, listed by Lord Rosse as one of 14 "spiral nebulae" discovered to 1850. It has been classified as of Hubble type Sb or Sc, displaying a patchy spiral pattern which can be traced well to the periphery of its only 6 arc seconds small smooth-textured central region
M65, together with its neighbors M66 and NGC 3628, forms a most conspicuous triplet of galaxies, the Leo Triplett or M66 group, located at a distance of about 35 million light years.
M97 is one of the more complex planetary nebulae. Its appearance has been interpreted as that of a cylindrical torus shell (or globe without poles), viewed oblique, so that the projected matter-poor ends of the cylinder correspond to the owl's eyes. This shell is enveloped by a fainter nebula of lower ionization. The mass of the nebula has been estimated to amount 0.15 solar masses, while the 16 mag central star is believed to be of about 0.7 solar masses. Its dynamical age is about 6,000 years. (from Stephen J. Hynes, Planetary Nebulae).
This brilliant galaxy was named the Sombrero Galaxy because of its appearance. According to de Vaucouleurs, we view it from just 6 degrees south of its equatorial plane, which is outlined by a rather thick dark rim of obscuring dust. This dust lane was probably the first discovered, by William Herschel in his great reflector
The nearly edge-on galaxy M108 appears to have no bulge and no pronounced core at all, it is just a detail-rich mottled disk with heavy obscuration along the major axis, with few H II regions and young star clusters exposed against the chaotic background -- in a word: "Very Dusty". There's little evidence for a well-defined spiral pattern in this Sc galaxy, which is receding at 772 km/sec. According to Brent Tully, it is about 45 million light years distant, and a member of the Ursa Major cloud, a loose agglomeration of galaxies.
The Bridal Veil nebula is a large, complex nebula that spans over 3o. The expelled remnants of a long ago supernova, it can be seen strewn all about the region on long exposure photos, but it is the two brightest parts that are typically seen visually. The brighter, eastern portion can be seen in binoculars from a dark site as a long curving hazy streak of light. Experienced observers under truly dark skies may be able to detect the western portion as well.
The Cocoon Nebula is made up of the open cluster IC5146 and surrounded by nebulosity of mostly Hydrogen gas. The nebula is located at the end of a long dark nebule B168. The cluster is made up of mostly 12th magnitude stars.
The Pelican Nebula, also known as IC 5070, lies about 2,000 light-years away in the high and far-off constellation of Cygnus the Swan. This picture spans a portion of the magnificent nebula about 30 light-years wide. Fittingly, this cosmic pelican is found just off the east "coast" of the North American Nebula.
This stellar swarm is only about 5.5 million years old (according to the Sky Catalog 2000 and Götz) with star formation still active in the Eagle Nebula; this results in the presence of very hot young stars of spectral type O6. The cluster was classified as of Trumpler type II,3,m,n (Götz). The brightest star of M16 is of visual magnitude 8.24. At its distance of 7,000 light years, its angular diameter of 7 arc minutes corresponds to a linear extension of about 15 light years. The nebula extends much farther out, to a diameter of over 30', corresponding to a linear size of about 70x55 light years
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M101 taken by myself and Rich Jacobs with my RC 12.5" and his SBIG ST11000 camera April 26th, 2006. 2 hr L frame, 30 min. RGB.