Deep Sky

A close-up of the central region of IC 1805, also known as the Heart Nebula. 💗 Overview Name: Heart Nebula Catalog: IC 1805 (Sharpless 2-190) Constellation: Cassiopeia Distance from Earth: ~7,500 light-years Apparent Size: ~60 arcminutes (1° across) Type: Emission Nebula (H II region) ✨ What We See This image captures the central part of the Heart Nebula, rich in glowing hydrogen gas and embedded star clusters. The structure is carved by stellar winds and radiation from: ...

LDN 1235, also known as the Shark Nebula, in the constellation Cepheus. 🌌 Overview Name: Shark Nebula Catalog: LDN 1235 (Lynds’ Dark Nebula 1235) Constellation: Cepheus Distance from Earth: ~650 light-years Apparent Size: ~2.5° wide Type: Dark nebula + Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN) 🦈 What is the Shark Nebula? The Shark Nebula is a large, faint dark nebula made visible by its silhouette against the rich background of stars. Its name comes from the resemblance to the profile of a swimming shark, with a bright star forming the “eye.” ...

A 2x2 mosaic of IC 1396 featuring the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula and surrounding dark nebulae. 🌌 Overview Name: IC 1396 Includes: The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (vdB 142) Constellation: Cepheus Distance: ~2,400 light-years Apparent Size: ~3° wide Type: Emission nebula with dark Bok globules and embedded star-forming regions 🧩 About This Mosaic This is a 2x2 panel mosaic capturing the full breadth of IC 1396, an immense star-forming region located in the northern constellation Cepheus. The field showcases: ...

The Eagle Nebula (M16), home of the Pillars of Creation, captured in rich detail. 🌌 Overview Name: Eagle Nebula Catalog: Messier 16 (M16), NGC 661 Type: Emission Nebula + Open Cluster Constellation: Serpens (specifically Serpens Cauda) Distance: ~7,000 light-years Apparent Magnitude: ~6.0 (on the edge of naked-eye visibility) Angular Size: ~70 × 55 arcminutes Actual Size: ~70 light-years across 🌟 Notable Features Pillars of Creation: Iconic columns of gas and dust where stars are being born Star Cluster NGC 6611: Powers the nebula’s glow by ionizing hydrogen gas The region is a hub of active star formation, especially rich in young, hot O-type stars ✨ Additional Notes Captured in LRGB or narrowband blends (e.g., Hα-RGB) to highlight structure and detail The dark dust lanes and glowing ionized gas give the Eagle Nebula its characteristic contrast 📷 Equipment Used Telescope: TS-Optics 80PHQ (544mm f/6.8 Quintuplet APO) Camera: SVBONY SV605MC (IMX533 Mono) Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ5 Pro Guiding: Off-Axis Guider with veLOX 178 C Filters: LRGB / Hα Software: NINA, PHD2, PixInsight, Photoshop 📝 Final Thoughts The Eagle Nebula continues to inspire both astronomers and imagers alike. With its dramatic structure and immense scale, it offers one of the most visually compelling deep-sky targets in the northern sky. ...

Messier 106 (M106) and neighboring galaxies, including NGC 4217. Messier 106 (M106) Zoom In. 🌌 Messier 106 (M106) Catalog: Messier 106, NGC 4258 Type: Intermediate spiral galaxy (Sbp) Constellation: Canes Venatici (Hunting Dogs) Distance: ~22–25 million light-years Apparent Magnitude: ~8.4 (visible with small telescopes) Angular Size: ~19 × 8 arcminutes Actual Diameter: ~135,000 light-years 🔬 Scientific Importance M106 is classified as a Seyfert II galaxy, known for: A supermassive black hole at its core Anomalous spiral arms visible in radio and X-ray — likely jets of energetic gas Hosting a water maser, used for highly precise cosmological distance measurements 🌠 NGC 4217 — The Edge-On Companion Type: Edge-on spiral galaxy Distance: ~60 million light-years Apparent Magnitude: ~11.7 Angular Size: ~5 × 1 arcminutes Orientation: Seen from the side, offering a textbook profile of a spiral galaxy’s disk ❗ Note: NGC 4217 is not physically associated with M106 — it lies in the background and only appears nearby due to line-of-sight coincidence. ...