“We are the cosmos made conscious, and life is the means by which the universe understands itself.”
Professor Brian Cox
Click each thumbnail to see the full photo and description
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is approximately 2.5 million light-years away from Earth. Containing an estimated one trillion stars and measuring in at over 220,000 light-years across, M31 is the largest galaxy in our local group. It is moving toward our Milky Way Galaxy at 68 miles per second (250,000 miles per hour), and will collide with us in about 4.5 billion years.
The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) is about 2.7 million light-years away, and is estimated to contain around 40 billion stars. This makes it the smallest of the three large galaxies in our local group, after Andromeda and our Milky Way. Measuring about 60,000 light-years across, it is thought to be the farthest object visible to the naked eye.
The Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) was formed by the explosive supernova death of a star around 9,000 years ago. Spanning approximately 35 light-years across within the larger Cygnus Loop, it is made of glowing ionized gases - primarily hydrogen (red/orange) and oxygen (blue/green). These gases are energized by the star's expanding shockwave.
The Sadr Region (IC 1318) isn't actually one simple nebula. It is a large, complex emission-nebula region containing multiple bright and dark structures. The famous butterfly appearance comes from bright nebulosity separated by a prominent dark dust lane. There are also numerous additional dark nebulae throughout the field. IC 1318 is roughly 4,000 light-years away.
The Elephant's Trunk Nebula (IC 1396A) is a massive concentration of cosmic matter located withing the larger IC 1396 emission nebula. Located 2,400 light-years away, the "trunk" is around 25 light-years across, and the larger nebulosity is about 100 LY.
The Eastern Veil Nebula is the sister to the Western Veil Nebula, and forms another significant part of the Cygnus Loop. They are both cosmic shockwaves resulting from a massive star's supernova death. When it happened (around 9,000 years ago) the resulting explosion would have been brighter than Venus in the sky, and likely would have been visible in the daytime.
The North American Nebula is huge in the night sky, spanning an area equivalent to 4 full moons. Here we concentrate on the "Gulf of Mexico" region, specifically the structure known as the Cygnus Wall. Located around 1600 light-years from Earth, this wall of matter spans 20 LY in length. It functions as a cosmic "nursery" where dense pockets of cool gas and dust collapse to create new stars. Its primary material is ionized hydrogen which gives it a deep orange-red glow.
Found in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia, the Heart Nebula (IC 1805) spans 200 light-years across in its entirety. Here we focus on the confluence of dust lanes giving it that iconic "heart" shape. Featured on the right-center of the image is the star cluster Melotte 15. This cluster contains blue-white super giants up to 50 times the mass of our sun. It's the powerful winds and radiation from these young stars (only 1.5M years old) that carve out the glowing cavities and shape the gas clouds of IC 1805.
Primary RigMain Optical & Mounting System
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro, with Pier Extension and TripodMain Imaging Telescope: SVBONY SV550 80mm APO Triplet RefractorField Flattener: SV209Rotational Adjustment: SV210Imaging Camera
ZWO ASI585MC ProGuiding System
ZWO 30F5 Guide ScopeZWO ASI220MM Mini Guide CameraFilters and Filter Switching
Optolong L-eXtreme Dual Band 7nm HA/OIII Light Pollution Filter2-Inch Filter Drawers: One for L-eXtreme, One Empty for No-Filter ImagingControl, Power & Cable Management
ZWO ASIAIR Plus 256GBSVBONY SV241 Pro Power Management BoxJackery Explorer 1000Two Dew Heaters (One for Main Scope, One for Guide Scope)Focusing & Accessories
ZWO EAFN Autofocus MotorBahtinov MaskFlat-Panel SolutionSecondary RigSmart Telescope
DwarfLab DWARF 3 Smart Scope