astro gallery

Astrophoto of the Week


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Pelican Nebula near NGC7000

Howard Anderson

Takahashi TOA-130 at f/7 with SBIG ST-4000CM

The North America Nebula (NGC7000) is part of the same H II region as its smaller neighbour, the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070). The two nebulae are separated by a molecular cloud of dark obscuring dust. They are both located in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way.


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Galactic Cirrus aka Integrated Flux Nebulae

David Elmore

This week I got in some observing of very faint whips in the galaxy. Here is a region containing two galaxies, M81 and M82, often imaged close up against a black background. The background (actually foreground) is anything but black but is in fact full of dust that is illuminated by light from all the stars in the galaxy itself.


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NGC 2507

Dan Crowson

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm

Luminance – 24x600s – 240 minutes – binned 1×1

RGB – 8x300s – 40 minutes each – binned 2×2

360 minutes total exposure – 6 hours

NGC 2507 (UGC 4172, PGC 22510 and others) is an odd, lenticular galaxy located approximately 213 million light-years away in Cancer.


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NGC 1514

Dan Crowson

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm

Luminance – 24x600s – 240 minutes – binned 1×1

RGB – 8x300s – 40 minutes each – binned 2×2

360 minutes total exposure – 6 hours

NGC 1514 (PK 165-15 1 and many others) is a large planetary nebula located approximately 1,500 light-years away in Taurus. The background of the image contains a lot of dust designated in the Planck Galactic Cold Clump (PGCC) catalog. A wider view showing a lot more dust can be seen in Gregg Ruppel’s recent image here – http://www.greggsastronomy.com/ngc1514.html.


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Barnard 72 (The Snake Nebula) in Ophiuchus

Gregg Ruppel

ASA 10N astrograph

Exposure: 4 hours

LRGB image of the dark nebula B72 against the background of Milky Way stars

http://www.greggsastronomy.com/IMAGES/b72_LRGB.jpg


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Horsehead Nebula

Attila Banto

Celestron S11100 Sky-Watcher Pro 80ED APO Telescope


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Asteroid 52768 1988 OR2

Dan Crowson

Astro-Tech AT12RCT – SBIG STF-8300M

Luminance: 60x30s binned 2×2


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Asteroid 438908 2009 XO

Dan Crowson

Astro-Tech AT12RCT – SBIG STF-8300M

Luminance:  60x30s binned 2×2


M106

Brian Ottum

PlaneWave L350 mount, Canon 5DmkIII, 10” f/5

62x5minute images

This galaxy is located close to Earth, in the direction of the Big Dipper


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Sculptor Galaxy

Rick Darden


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Comet T2 passing Coddington’s Nebula

Dr. Brian Ottum

Coddington’s Nebula is a rather close “dwarf” galaxy.  Astronomers have determined that 90% of its mass is INVISIBLE to us – it is dark matter.  Yet we know little about dark matter.


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M100 Spiral Galaxy

Dean Glace

SBIG STX16803 CCD Camera

M100 is a grand design intermediate spiral galaxy located in the southern part of the constellation Coma Berenices. It is one of the brightest and largest galaxies in Virgo Cluster. It is located approximately 55 million light-years from earth. The galaxy has a diameter of 107,000 light years.


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NGC 4216, NGC4206, NGC4222

Dean Glace

SBIG STX16803 CCD Camera

NGC4216 and the companion galaxies are located in the constellation of Virgo. NGC4216 is one of the brightest spiral galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. It is about 55 million light years from earth at a magnitude of 10.2.


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NGC2841

Dean Glace

SBIG STT-8300M with FW8 filter wheel CCD camera

NGC2841 is an inclined, unbarred, spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. It is about 46 million light years from earth.


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Rosette Nebula

Atilla Banto

Celestron S11100 Sky-Watcher Pro 80ED APO Telescope


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Messier 51 Whirlpool Galaxy

Dean Glace

Astro-Tech AT14RCT

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy lies 23 million light years from Earth and has an estimated diameter 0f 76,000 light years. Overall the galaxy is about 76% of the Milky Way.


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First Light: M51

Mark Striebeck

M51 is a spiral galaxy in a distance of 23 million light years and has a diameter of 76,000 light years – which means it’s slightly smaller than our own galaxy (105,700 light years). It was discovered by Charless Messier on October 13, 1775 – though he only discovered the main galaxy. The smaller galaxy (NGC 5159) was discovered 6 years later by Pierre Méchain. The most prominent feature of this galaxy is the encounter with the smaller galaxy (at the bottom in the image). Although it looks like a frontal encounter, the smaller galaxy (NGC 5159) is actually passing behind the larger galaxy. This process has been going on for hundreds of millions of years.


NCG 48 + 49 + 51

Dan Crowson

Luminance – 28x600s – 280 minutes – binned 1×1

RGB – 8x300s – 40 minutes each – binned 2×2

 400 minutes total exposure – 6 hours 40 minutes

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm.

NGC 48 (UGC 133, PGC 929 and others) is the spiral at the center of the image located approximately 79 million light-years away in Andromeda. NGC 49 (UGC 136, PGC 952 and others) is the galaxy to the left (east) of NGC 48. It is located approximately 214 million light-years away. NGC 51 (UGC 138, PGC 974 and others) is the galaxy to the left of NGC 49. It is located approximately 239 million light-years away. This field contains several other galaxies including IC 1534, 1535 and 1536, from right to left below the NGCs.


NGC 2237 – The Rosette Nebula

Howard Anderson

SBIG ST-4000CM

The Rosette Nebula is located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy. A survey of the nebula has revealed the presence of numerous new-born stars inside optical Rosette Nebula and studded within a dense molecular cloud.


M33 Andromeda Galaxy

Brian Paczkowski

Televue 76, 10Micron GM2000 HPS II mount, QSI 683 CCD camera with Astrodon LRGB Ha OIII SII filters at -20C


Sharpless 226

Dan Crowson

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm.

Sharpless 226 (LBN 780) is a HII region located approximately 13,700 light-years away in Auriga.


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NGC660

Dan Crowson

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm

NGC 660 (UGC 1201, PGC 6318, VV 979 and others) is a polar-ring galaxy located approximately 44.2 million light-years away in Pisces. This is likely the result of two galaxies that merged a billion or more years ago.

Asteroid 56157 1999 CG135 is the line to the right of the galaxy.

Asteroid 158240 2001 TD3 (much fainter) is the line above and to the right of 56157 that points at it.


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IC4685 Nebula

Howard Anderson

SBIG ST-4000CM

IC 4685 is a Nebula in the Sagittarius constellation. IC 4685 is situated close to the celestial equator and, as such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year.


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M45 – Pleiades Nebula

Brian Paczkowski

Televue 76, 10Micron GM2000 HPS II mount, QSI 683 CCD camera with Astrodon LRGB Ha OIII SII filters at -20C

The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters and Messier 45, is an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. It is among the star clusters nearest to Earth, it is the nearest Messier object to Earth, and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky.


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Exploring the Antennae

Bernard Miller

Some 60 million light-years away in the southerly constellation Corvus, two large galaxies are colliding. Stars in the two galaxies, cataloged as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039, very rarely collide in the course of the ponderous cataclysm that lasts for hundreds of millions of years. But the galaxies’ large clouds of molecular gas and dust often do, triggering furious episodes of star formationi near the center of the cosmic wreckage. Spanning over 500 thousand light-years, this stunning view also reveals new star clusters and matter flung far from the scene of the accident by gravitational tidal forces. The remarkably sharp ground-based image includes narrowband data that highlights the characteristic red glow of atomic hydrogen gas in star-forming regions. The suggestive overall visual appearance of the extended arcing structures gives the galaxy pair its popular name – The Antennae.


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Sharpless 249 and 248 (Sh2-249, Sh2-248)
Gregg Ruppel
ASA 10N Astrograph

Exposure: 11 hours
HaRGB of two massive emission nebulae in Gemini

www.greggsastronomy.com


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M33 Spiral Galaxy in Triangulum

Gregg Ruppel

ASA 10N Astrograph

Exposure: 28 hours

HaLRGB image of the famous ‘Pinwheel’ galaxy in Triangulum

http://www.greggsastronomy.com/IMAGES/m33_HaLRGB_2019.jpg


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NGC1055

Dean Glace

AstroTech AT14RCT 14” RC

NGC1055 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. Magnitude of 11.4, distance of 52 million light years.


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M81

Bernard Miller

Planewave CDK-17

Luminance: 27×20 minutes (binned 1×1)

Red: 12×15 minutes (binned 2×2)      

Green: 12×15 minutes (binned 2×2)    

Blue: 12×15 minutes (binned 2×2)  

This is an image of M81, also known as Bode’s Galaxy, after Johann Elert Bode who discovered the galaxy on December 31, 1774. This is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Just above M81, you can see its satellite galaxy, irregular galaxy Holmberg IX.
Link information to any Website, Instagram account, Facebook account, Flickr site, or other social media where your images are currently featured. http://azstarman.net/CDK/M81.htm


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M64

Dan Crowson

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm

Luminance – 24x600s – 240 minutes – binned 1×1

RGB – 10x300s – 50 minutes each – binned 2×2

390 minutes total exposure – 6 hours 30 minutes

M64 (NGC 4826, UGC 8062 and others) is spiral galaxy located approximately 24 million light-years away in Coma Berenices.


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Rosette Nebula

Rick Darden


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M78, Barnard’s Loop, Boogeyman Nebula

Bill McLaughlin

Canon 200mm USM F2.8 L II Canon 200 mm

Astrodon 3nm Ha: 44×900″ bin 1×1
Astrodon B Gen.2 E-series 36mm: 29×294″ bin 1×1
Astrodon G Gen.2 E-series 36mm: 25×300″ bin 1×1
Astrodon R Gen.2 E-series 36mm: 25×300″ bin 1×1


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Lagoon Nebula

Attila Banto

OTA: Celestron S11100 Sky-Watcher Pro 80ED APO Telescope 80 mm APO Refractor

Camera: SBIG ST-8300M

Mount: Orion Atlas EQ-G

17x30min Ha subs

19x5min Red subs

19x5min Green subs

19x5min Blue subs

The Lagoon Nebula is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. It is estimated to be between 4000 and 6000 light-years away from Earth with an actual dimension of 110 by 50 light-years.


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NGC 6402

Dan Crowson

Luminance – 24x600s – 240 minutes – binned 1×1

RGB – 8x300s – 40 minutes each – binned 2×2

M14 (NGC 6402 and others) is a Shapley-Sawyer class VIII globular cluster located approximately 30,300 light-years away in Ophiuchus.


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Orion Nebula

Atilla Banto

Celestron S11100 Sky-Watcher Pro 80ED APO Telescope


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White Galaxy and Hockey Stick Galaxy

Brian Paczkowski

AGOptical 10”iDK, 10Micron GM2000 HPS II mount, ATIK 16200 at -25C

44x5min Red

44x5min Green

44x5min Blue

60x5min Lum

The Whale Galaxy (NGC 4631) and the Hockey Stick Galaxy (NGC 4656) in the constellation Canes Venatici.  These galaxies are interacting and the Hockey Stick Galaxy is being distorted due to gravitational interactions.


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The Double Cluster

Dan Crowson

SBIG ST-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT90DT at f/6.7 603mm

Luminance – 12x600s binned 1×1

RGB – 11x300s – 55 minutes each – binned 2×2

The Double Cluster (NGC 869 + 884 and collectively known as Caldwell 14) are two bright open clusters located approximately 7,500 light-years away in Perseus.


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NGC7822

David Elmore

Telescope: Borg 55FL 200mm focal length F/3.6 astro-graph

Camera: Canon 6D (h-alpha modified)

Filter: Radian Triad dual band, H-alpha and Oxygen III + H-beta

Exposures: 68 four-minute at ISO 2500.  iOptron iEQ45 with off-axis guider.

Here is NGC 7822 recorded from nearly smoke-free Dark Sky New Mexico. This is part of a three-night project to capture this object (and the Monkey Head) in Red, Green, and Blue at 380mm focal length and at 200mm focal length RGB, RGB with IDAS NGS1, and this rendering in RGB plus a Radian Triad filter.


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Omega Nebula with Sparks

Attila Banto


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M81

ADCO Observatory

Al Acker & Rex Groves


NGC 6712

Dan Crowson

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm.

NGC 6712 is a Shapley-Sawyer class IX globular cluster located approximately 26,400 light-years away in Scutum.


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NGC2683

Dean Glace

SBIG STT8300M LRGB

NGC 2683 is a field spiral galaxy discovered by William Herschel on February 5, 1788. It was nicknamed the “UFO Galaxy” by the Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory. It is viewed nearly edge-on from Earth’s location in space and is located between 16 and 25 million light-years away.


NGC6820 and NGC6823

Dean Glace

Astro-Tech AT14RCT and SBIG STX16803 LRGB

NGC6820 is a small reflection nebula near the open cluster NGC6823 in Vulpecula. The reflection nebula and cluster are embedded in a large faint nebula SH-2-86. The whole area of nebulosity is often referred to as NGC6820.


IC5070 – Pelican Nebula

Brian Paczkowski

Televue 76, 10Micron GM2000 HPS II mount, QSI 683 CCD camera with Astrodon LRGB Ha OIII SII filters at -20C

The Pelican Nebula is an H II region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The gaseous contortions of this emission nebula bear a resemblance to a pelican, giving rise to its name The Pelican Nebula is located nearby first magnitude star Deneb, and is divided from its more prominent neighbor, the North America Nebula, by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust.


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NGC 6015

Dan Crowson

SBIG STF-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT12RCT at f/8 2432mm.

NGC 6015 (UGC 10075 and others) is a spiral galaxy located approximately 60.7 million light-years away (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/0004-6256/152/2/50/pdf) in Draco.


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Blue Horsehead Nebula

David Elmore

Borg 55FL astro-graph, ASI2400MC Pro, 15×600 seconds unfiltered (RGB). Callibration, stacking, background correction, star correction, and conversion to non-linear rendering in AstroPixelProcessor. Cropped for aesthetics in MacOS Photos.

The Blue Horsehead Nebula is a galactic cloud reflecting bright blue light from young hot stars that illuminate it.