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Messier 16
Eagle Nebula
Starforming Nebula M16 (IC 4703, NGC 6611), an emission nebula,
with Open Star Cluster, in Serpens (Cauda)
Right Ascension |
18 : 18.8 (h:m) |
Declination |
-13 : 47 (deg:m) |
Distance |
7.0 (kly) |
Visual Brightness |
6.4 (mag) |
Apparent Dimension |
7.0 (arc min) |
Cluster M16 (NGC 6611) discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745-6.
Nebula M16 (IC 4703) discovered by Charles Messier in 1764.
The Eagle Nebula Messier 16 (M16) is a conspicuous region of active star formation, situated in Serpens Cauda. The starforming nebula, a giant cloud of interstellar gas and dust, has already created a considerable cluster of young stars. The cluster is also referred to as NGC 6611, the nebula as IC 4703.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL11000M |
Mount |
Losmandy Titan Mount |
Telescope |
Takahashi FCT 150 F7 No flattener used |
Details |
LRGB image 35:35:35:35 minutes |
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.5 mb |
Horsehead & Flame Nebula
The Horsehead is a Dark Nebula composed of dark dust material that obscures the bright nebula behind. It is surrounded by a bright Emission Nebula IC 434. The Flame Nebula, NGC2024 near Alnitak, also known as Zeta Orionis, ionizes the nebula and is responsible for its glow.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
SBIG STL 11000XCM camera |
Mount |
Losmandy Titan Mount |
Telescope |
Takahashi FCT 150 APO Refractor
1050mm focal length |
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1 mb |
Horsehead Nebula "Equine Fever"
(also known as Barnard 33 in bright nebula IC 434) is a dark nebula in the Orion constellation. The nebula is located just below Alnitak, the star furthest left on Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. It is approximately 1500 light years from Earth. It is one of the most identifiable nebulae because of the shape of its swirling cloud of dark dust and gases, which is similar to that of a horse's head. The shape was first noticed in 1888 by Williamina Fleming on photographic plate B2312 taken at the Harvard College Observatory.
The red glow originates from hydrogen gas predominantly behind the nebula, ionized by the nearby bright star Sigma Orionis. The darkness of the Horsehead is caused mostly by thick dust, although the lower part of the Horsehead's neck casts a shadow to the left. Streams of gas leaving the nebula are funneled by a strong magnetic field. Bright spots in the Horsehead Nebula's base are young stars just in the process of forming.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL11000Mono |
Mount |
ParamountME |
Telescope |
Celestron 14 inch at about F12.5 |
Details |
L 130 min Bin2x2 (aprox.0.8 arcsec/pixel) RGB
each 60min at Bin3x3 (aprox 1.2 arcsec/pixel)
AOL guiding at aprox 4 Hz. |
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2.3 mb |
IC4628 "Prawn Nebula"
South of Antares, in the tail of the
nebula-rich constellation Scorpius,
lies emission nebula IC 4628 |
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2.3 mb |
Centaurus A Galaxy
NGC 5128, is also unusual compared to an average elliptical galaxy because it contains a higher proportion of young blue stars and is a very strong source of radio emission. Evidence indicates that Cen A is likely the result of the collision of two normal galaxies. During the collision, many young stars were formed, but details of the creation of Cen A's unusual dust belts are still being researched. Cen A lies only 13 million light years away, making it the closest active galaxy. Cen A spans 60,000 light years and can be seen with binoculars toward the constellation of Centaurus.
It is one of the most interesting and peculiar galaxies in the sky, and is a strong source of radio radiation (therefore the designation Centaurus A); it is actually the nearest radio galaxy. It is of intermediate type between elliptical and disk (spiral) galaxies: The main body has all characteristics of a large elliptical, but a pronounced dust belt is superimposed well over the center, forming a disk plane around this galaxy.
In the radio part of the spectrum, Centaurus A exhibits two vast regions of radio emission, starting in prolongation of the polar axis of the disk of NGC 5128 and extending many hundreds of light years to each side.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL11000 with MOAG and Adative Optics guiding |
Mount |
ParamountME |
Telescope |
500mm Keller Classical Cassegrain with dedicated flattener
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2.5 mb |
NGC 6559 Nebula
NGC 6559 lies about 5000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius. It contains patches of red emission nebulae as well as blue reflection nebulae and dark opaque nebulae.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL11000 |
Mount |
Losmandy Titan |
Telescope |
Takahashi FCT 150
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1.6 mb |
NGC 6334 Cats Paw Nebula, Bear Claw Nebula, Gum 64
NGC 6334, also known as the Cat's Paw Nebula , Bear Claw Nebula and Gum 64, is located in the constellation Scorpius. It was discovered by astronomer John Herschel in 1837, who observed it from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. At 5500 light years distant, Cat's Paw is an emission nebula with a red colour that originates from an abundance of ionized hydrogen atoms.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL11000 |
Mount |
Losmandy Titan |
Telescope |
Takahashi FCT 150
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Click here to download hires image
2.0 mb |
NGC 6729 Corona Australis
Cosmic dust clouds sprawl across a rich field of stars.in this vista near the northern boundary of Corona Australis, the Southern Crown. Probably less than 500 light-years away and effectively blocking light from more distant, background stars in the Milky Way, the densest part of the dust cloud is about 8 light-years long. At its tip is a group of lovely reflection nebulae cataloged as NGC 6726, 6727, 6729, and IC 4812. A characteristic blue color is produced as light from hot stars is reflected by the cosmic dust. The smaller yellowish nebula (NGC 6729) surrounds young variable star R Coronae Australis. Magnificent globular star cluster NGC 6723 is at the upper right corner of the view. While NGC 6723 appears to be part of the group, it actually lies nearly 30,000 light-years away, far beyond the Corona Australis dust clouds.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL11000 |
Mount |
Losmandy Titan |
Telescope |
Takahashi FCT 150
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2.8 mb |
Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius
M20, Barnard 85 or NGC 6514
Right Ascension: 18 : 02.3 (hours : minutes)
Declination: -23 : 02 (degrees : minutes)
LRGB image( RGB binned 2x2).
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL110000 with MOAG and Adative Optics guiding |
Mount |
ParamountME |
Telescope |
500mm Keller Classical Cassegrain with dedicated flattener
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Bug Nebula
NGC 6302 or Butterfly Nebula
NGC 6302 (also called the Bug Nebula or Butterfly Nebula), is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius. It is one of the most complex[planetary nebulae observed. The spectrum of NGC 6302 shows its central star is one of the hottest objects in the galaxy, with a surface temperature in excess of 200,000 K, implying that the star from which it formed must have been very large.
LRGB image( RGB binned 2x2).
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL110000 with MOAG and Adative Optics guiding |
Mount |
ParamountME |
Telescope |
500mm Keller Classical Cassegrain with dedicated flattener
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Click image for bigger picture
Click here to download hires image
5.0 mb |
Sharpless 82 (Sh2-82) also known as the
Little Trifid or Little Cocoon Nebula514
Sharpless 2- 82 is a small emission nebula, surrounded by a spectral blue reflection nebula. These two nebulae lie ahead of a vast and variegated dark cloud of dust. The whole complex is in the small Sagitta constellation.
LRGB image( RGB binned 2x2).
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
STL110000 with MOAG and Adative Optics guiding |
Mount |
ParamountME |
Telescope |
500mm Keller Classical Cassegrain with dedicated flattener
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Click image for bigger picture
Click here to download hires image
2.7 mb |
IC1283-4
Located in the constellation Sagittarius, IC1283-4 is a stunning jewel situated approximately halfway between the Trifid Nebula (M20) and Swan Nebula (M17) as seen in this wide field Milky Way scene. The nebula complex consists of both red emission nebula produced by excited hydrogen atoms and blue reflection nebula as star light is reflected of gasses and dust. This results in a overall a reddish pink hue. Below IC1283-4 are the two bright blue reflection nebulae NGC6589 and NGC6590. Foreground dust known as Dark Nebulae obscures our view of anything behind it such as star light can be seen snaking their way through various areas of the image.
Collaborative image;
Data acquisition by Tim Carruthers
Mosaic plan and processing by Jason Jennings
This image is an 8 panel, LRGB composite mosaic.
Image acquisition information: |
Camera |
Keller Classical Cassegrain F/9 (4760mm) SBIG STL11000M - 1x1 bin (image scale: .39 arcsec/pix) |
Mount |
Software Bisque Paramount ME |
Exposure |
Total exposure time: 47 hours
December 2011
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