Deep Sky - Nebulas
15mm Ultrawide Southern Milky Way (March 2014)
An ultrawide-angle view of the Milky Way seen from the southern hemisphere, from Australia, March 21, 2014. This takes in most of the far southern Milky Way, from Orion at far right, to Canis Major, Puppis, Vela, and to Carina and Crux at far left. Jupiter is the bright object at upper right. Sirius and Canopus are right and left of centre. The Large Magellanic Cloud is at lower left. The vast Gum Nebula complex is at centre. This is a stack of 5 x 5 minute exposures at f/4 with the Canon 15mm lens and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1000. I shot this March 21, 2014 from the Warrumbungles Motel, Coonabarabra, NSW, Australia.
360° Southern Sky, December 2012
A fish-eye 360° image of the entire southern sky, taken from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, December 13/14, 2012, using an 8mm Sigma fish-eye lens and Canon 5D MkII camera for a stack of 4 x 8 minute exposures at f/4 and ISO 800. The ground silhouette is from just one frame to minimize blurring of the horizon - all images were tracked. Orion and Jupiter are at left (west), Sirius, Canis Major, Puppis and Vela are near centre in the Milky Way, while Crux and Carina are rising at right (east). South is at top over the cottage, north at bottom over Timor Rock. The Magellanic Clouds are at top right over the cottage. The large Gum Nebula is at centre in Vela; Barnard's Loop on Orion is at left.
Alpha Cruxis, or Acrux, the brightest star in the Southern Cross, Crux. It is a blue-white star 320 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. Small star clusters NGC 4349 (above) and NGC 4609 (at left) appear near Acrux. The area is also rich in dark nebulas near the Coal Sack. I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600.
A panorama mosaic from Alpha Centauri (at left) to Alpha Cruxis (at right) and the stars of the Southern Cross, Crux. Alpha and Beta Centauri are together called The Pointers because they point to the true Cross, to distinguish from the False Cross farther to the west. The dark nebula of the Coal Sack is to the left of the Southern Cross. The field contains several star clusters, including the Jewel Box, NGC 4755, to the left of Beta Cruxis This is a two-panel mosaic, each panel being a stack of 4 x 3-minute exposures with the 135mm telephoto lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600. Two other exposures taken through the Kenko Softon A filter were layred in to add the star glows. Tracked on the AP 400 mount. Taken April 13, 2016 from Tibuc Cottage, Australia. The original is 9,200 by 3,400 pixels.
Altair, Tarazed and Barnard's E
A wide-field image of the area of sky around blue-white Altair, bright at centre, flanked by Alshain (Beta Aquilae) at bottom and orange Tarazed (Gamma Aquilae) at top. Above Tarazed is the dark nebula known as Barnard’s E, named for E.E. Barnard who first photographed and cataloged dark nebulas. The E consists of B143 (the darkest component) and the less prominent B142 below. B334 is at top right, while B340 is left of Tarazed. This is a stack of 6 x 6-minute exposures with the William Optics RedCat 51mm astrographic refractor at f/5 and the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800 with LENR on as it was the warmest night of the summer, August 18, 2020. Aligned, stacked and median combined in Photoshop to eliminate some satellite trails. Autoguided with the ZWO ASIAir and ASI120MM guide camera with the RedCat on the Astro-Physics Mach1 mount. No filters employed here.
Altair with Barnard's E Dark Nebula
The dark nebula complex known as Barnard's E, aka B142 (bottom) and B143 (top), in Aquila near the stars Altair (at bottom) and Tarazed (above centre). This field is a fine one for binoculars. The 7.5 x 5° field is close to a binocular field of view. This is a stack of 10 x 6-minute exposures with the SharpStar 61mm apo refractor at f/4.5 and with the Canon R6 at ISO 1250. Taken from home Sept. 30, 2021.
The Milky Way, from Andromeda to the Pleiades
The northern autumn Milky Way from Cassiopeia (at top) to Perseus (at bottom), running along the left, with Andromeda and the Andromeda Galaxy at upper right, and the Pleiades in Taurus ar lower right. The red streak is the California Nebula, NGC 1499, in Perseus. The Milky Way here is rife with dark lanes and dust clouds. The star cluster below the Andromeda Galaxy is NGC 752. This is a stack of 5 x 2.5-minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 1600 with the 35mm lens and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, plus two other exposures taken through a Kenko Softon filter to add the star glows. Taken from the Quailway Cottage near Portal, Arizona.
Antares & Rho Ophiuchi Area (77mm 5DII)
The colourful region around yellow Antares (bottom) in Scorpius and blue Rho Ophiuchi (top) in Ophiuchus. The nebulas are largely reflection nebulas, taking on the colour of the stars embedded in the nebulas. However, the field also contains a lot of emission nebulosity, hydrogen gas glowing red and magenta. Plus there are fingers of brown dark dusty nebulosity. It is one of the most colourful regions of the sky. At right of Antares are two globular clusters, NGC 6144 (small, at 2 o'clock from Antares) and the larger Messier 4 right of Antares. This is a stack of 5 x 8 minute exposures with the Borg 77mm astrographic apo (330mm focal length) at f/4.3 and the filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800. I took this March 31/April 1 from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia.
Antares area of Scorpius, with dark lanes of nebulosity (Rho Ophiuchi dark nebulas) leading down to Antares and globular cluster M4 at lower right, with colourful reflection and emission nebulas. Takenf from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, May 2011, with Canon 7D (unmodified) and Canon 135mm telephoto lens at f/2.8 for stack of 8 x 2 minute exposures at U=ISO 1250.
The Colourful Nebulas Around Antares
The colourful region around Antares in Scorpius, the yellow star at centre. To the right is the globular cluster Messier 4. Above right of Antares is the smaller globular NGC 6144. Above are the nebulas associated with Rho Ophiuchi. The area is filled with reflection (yellow and blue) and emission nebulas (red and pink). The field simulates a binocular field. This is a stack of 5 x 2-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600.
Aquila (50mm 5DII) Sept 29, 2013
Aquila in a stack of 5 x 4 minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and 50mm Sigma lens at f/3.2. Plus two exposures taken thru the Kenko Softon filter for the star glows. Includes the Serpens-Ophiuchus double cluster (SO Double Cluster) of IC 4756 and NGC 663 at right. Altair and Terazed are at top. Taken from home Sept, 29, 2013.
The constellation of Auriga as well as southern Gemini, showing the 4 Messier star clusters: M36, M37, M38 in Auriga and M35 in Gemini. Taken from home with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and Sigma 50mm lens at f/4 for a stack of 5 x 6 minute exposures, plus a stack of 2 x 6 minutes with the Kenko Softon filter.
The Clusters and Nebulas of Auriga
The field of clusters and nebulosity in Auriga, with — from left to right — Messier 37, Messier 36, and Messier 38, as the main open star clusters here. Below M38 is NGC 1907. The nebulosity at right is IC 410 and IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula. In between them is the colourful asterism known as the Little Fish. Messier 38 is also known as the Starfish Cluster while Messier 36 is called the Pinwheel Cluster. The bright red nebula at top is Sharpless 2-235. The litttle nebulas at centre are NGC 1931 and IC 417. The field is similar to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 5 x 3-minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and 200mm Canon L-Series lens at f/2.8. Taken with the Fornax Lightrack tracker as part of testing. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions. Taken from home on a rare fine and mild winter night, January 4, 2019.
Clusters and Nebulas in Auriga
This is a portrait of the main glowing nebulas amid star clusters in central Auriga, the Charioteer. The main nebula at right is the Flaming Star Nebula, aka IC 405. But in this long exposure its mass blends into the central roundish nebula, IC 410. At top left is the pair of Sharpless nebulas, Sh 2-232 and the small Sh 2-235. The fingerlike nebula at top centre is Sh 2-230. The star cluster just to its left is Messier 38, with the small cluster NGC 1907 just below M38. The star cluster at left centre is Messier 36. At centre frame is the nebula IC 417 around the cluster Stock 8. The line of colourful stars at lower right between IC 405 and IC 410 is the Little FIsh or Flying Minnow asterism, aka Mel 11. This is a stack of 6 x 8-minute exposures at ISO 3200 through an Optolong L-Enhance dual-band nebula filter, blended another filtered set of 6 x 16-minute exposures at ISO 3200 with the Optolong L-eXtreme narrowband filter, all blended with a stack of 6 x 8-minute exposures without a filter (for more natural star colors and the blue reflection nebula in IC 405) at ISO 800. All with the Canon EOS Ra camera through the f/5 51mm William Optics RedCat astrograph with a Starizona filter drawer. Autoguiding was with the Lacerta MGEN3 autoguider which applied a dithering shift between each frame to help cancel out thermal noise when stacking. No darks or LENR were used here on this mild winter night at -5° C or so. All stacking, alignment and blending was in Adobe Photoshop 2021. Luminosity masks (DM2, D and M) applied with Lumenzia helped bring out the faint nebulosity. The set was taken as part of testing the L-eXtreme filter to determine its effectiveness in bringing out more nebulosity. It did not contribute much to this stack and required even more exposure time that would have been better spent taking more unfiltered and L-eNhance frames.
Nebulas of the Northern Milky Way
The bright and dark nebulas along the northernmost segment of the Milky Way, from Perseus at upper left to Cygnus at lower right. At centre is Cassiopeia and Cepheus. The bright nebulas include — from upper left to lower right: the IC 1805/1848 complex known as the Heart and Soul Nebulas, the Ced214/NGC7822 complex, IC 1396 in Cepheus, and the North America Nebula NGC 7000 and the Gamma Cygni IC 1318 complex at lower right. The dark Funnel Cloud Nebula stands out above the North America Nebula. However, the entire field is coloured by subtle streams and bands of interstellar dust adding a yellow hue to the Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy, M31, is at lower left. This is a stack of 35 x 3-minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 28mm and at f/2.8, on the Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 800, on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. Shot with an URTH Night light pollution filter. Taken from home October 7, 2021. Luminosity mask adjustments applied with Lumenzia. A mild Orton glow added with Luminar AI.
The Northern Milky Way from Auriga to Aquila
This is a 140° panorama of the northernmost section of the Milky Way, from Auriga at left to Aquila at right. Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Cygnus are across the centre. This northern section of the Milky Way stretches high across the sky on autumn nights as seen from the northern hemisphere, as it was this night, October 30, 2021. The Milky Way is laced with many dark lanes of interstellar dust which extend off the main band of the Milky Way, as at centre. The dust colours the Milky Way and sky with a yellow-brown tint. Punctuating the Milky Way are red and magenta emission nebulas, the most prominent being the North America Nebula in Cygnus (right of centre) and the California Nebula (at far left) in Perseus. At right are the three stars of the Summer Triangle (R to L: Altair, Vega and Deneb); at left is Capella in Auriga. At centre is the W of stars of Cassiopeia. This is a stitch of 4 segments, each a stack of 8 x 4-minute expsures at ISO 800 with the Canon Ra and with the RF 28-70mm lens at 28mm and f/2.8. It was on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. Another panorama of 4 segments taken through a Kase StarGlow filter and layered in added the glows on the bright stars. All stacking, stitching and alignment was in Photoshop. Taken from home on a very clear night October 30, 2021. A bright Kp 6 to 7 aurora was forecast for this night but never materialized. Bands of reddish airglow drifted through the fields during the exposures but the stacking and averaging helped smooth out the discolouration.
Panorama of the Northern Milky Way
A panorama from Cygnus (at right, setting in the western sky in the evening), across the sky overhead in Perseus, Auriga and Taurus, and down into Orion, Canis Major, and Puppis (at left, low in the southern sky at midnight). This panorama covers about 200° of galactic longitude, from 60° in Cygnus to 260° in Puppis and takes in the entire northern swath of the Milky Way visible in autumn and early winter in the northern hemisphere, from the summer Milky Way at right to the winter Milky Way at left. Orion is at lower left, while the Pleiades and Andromeda Galaxy lie near the bottom edge. Canopus is the bright star just rising at far left, in haze. Vega and Altair are just setting at far right. The view here is looking outward to the near edge of the Milky Way, in the direction opposite the centre of the Galaxy. In this direction the Milky Way becomes dimmer and less defined. Notable are the many red H-alpha emission regions along the Milky Way, as well as the many lanes of dark interstellar dust nearby and obscuring the more distant stars. However, a brighter glow in Taurus partly obscures its Taurus Dark Clouds — that’s the Gegenschein, caused by sunlight reflecting off cometary dust particles directly opposite the Sun and marking the anti-solar point this night, by coincidence close to galactic longitude of 180° opposite the galactic centre. This is a panorama of 14 segments, most composed of 5 x 2.5-minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600 and 35mm lens at f/2.8. The end segments near the horizon are stacks of 2 x 2.5-minute exposures. The camera was oriented with the long dimension of the frame across the Milky Way, not along it, to maximize the amount of sky framed on either side of the Milky Way. The camera was on the iOptron Sky-Tracker. I shot the segements for his pan from Quailway Cottage, Arizona on December 8/9, 2015, with the end segments taken Dec 10/11, 2015. I decided to add in the horizon segments for completeness and to make a horizon-to-horizon panorama, despite the poorer sky quality near the horizon. Clouds and airglow tint the sky near the horizon and in other regions of the panorama. All stitching with Photoshop CC 2015.
B33 Horsehead and M78 Nebulas in Orion (92mm 6D)
The area around the Belt of Orion, with the Horsehead and Flame Nebulas at bottom flanking the bright star Zeta Orionis, aka Alnitak, with Messier 78 at upper left. Taken from home, on a slightly hazy and frosty night, Feb 7, 2013, using the Hutech modified Canon 6D at ISO 800 and the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.8 for a stack of 6 x 7 minute exposures.
B228 the Dark Wolf Nebula in Lupus. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures with the 135mm L-series Canon telephoto lens at f/2.8 and Canon 7D at ISO 1250. This was taken from Atacama Lodge in Chile, May 2011. The field of view simulates a binocular field (roughly 7°).
Barnard's E Dark Nebula, B142-3, in Aquila
The dark nebulas catalogued by Edward Barnard as B142-3, and known as Barnard’s E, near the star Tarazed (lower left) in Aquila. This is a stack of 6 x 8-minute exposures with the Canon 5D Mk II at ISO 800 through the Astro-Physics Traveler apo refractor at f/6 with the Hotech field flattener. Taken from home on a very clear night August 1, 2019.
Barnard's E Dark Nebula & Altair
Barnard's E, the Double Dark nebula B 142-143, off Altair and Tarazed in Aquila, in a wide-field image simulating the field of binoculars. Taken July 24, 2012, from home with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and Canon L-series 200mm lens at f/3.5 for a stack of 5 x 4.5 minute exposures.
Beta Cruxis, or Becrux aka Mimosa, the second brightest star in the Southern Cross, Crux. It is a blue star 280 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. Small star clusters NGC 4852 (at left) and NGC 4755 (at below left) appear near Becrux. The latter is the famous Jewel Box Cluster. The north edge of the Coal Sack apepars at bottom. The large cluster Trumpler 20 is at right. I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600.
The Belt and Sword of Orion, taken from home, Feb 1, 2013. Taken as part of testing of a Hutech-modified Canon 6D camera. This is with the 135mm lens at f/2.8 and is a stack of 2 x 4 minute at ISO 800 and 2 x 2 minute at ISO 1600. Some light haze moving in.
The Belt and Sword of Orion with Barnard's Loop
The Belt and Sword region of Orion, with the Orion Nebula, Messiesr 42 and 43, at bottom. Below the left star of the Belt, Alnitak, is the famous Horsehead Nebula, while above it is NGC 2024, aka the Flame Nebula. At very top left is Messier 78, while part of Barnard’s Loop arc across the field at left. The field is filled with other faint red emission and blue reflection nebulas. The large loose open cluster Collinder 70 surrounds the middle star of the Belt, Alnilam. The field is similar to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 16 x 2- to 3-minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 to 1250 and 200mm Canon L-Series lens at f/2.8. Taken with the Fornax Lightrack tracker as part of testing. Taken from home on January 8, 2019 in a clear couple of hours between haze patches, and while battling dying batteries for the drive and camera. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools. Main images stacked with Median stack mode to eliminate satellite trails from geosats that populate this area of sky.