Nebula Gallery
Messier Nebula
Supernova Remnants
Supernova Remnants
Supernova Remnants
Supernova Remnants
Supernova Remnants
Other Nebula (IC)
Supernova Remnants
Other Nebula (NGC)
Other Nebula (NGC)
Other Nebula (NGC)
Other Nebula (NGC)
Other Nebula
Other Nebula (NGC)
Other Nebula
M8 - The lagoon
Object Information
The Lagoon Nebula is a bright and easily seen nebula with small telescopes in the summer constellation Sagittarius. The Lagoon contains the open star cluster NGC6530. The interesting small dark formations are known as Bok globules which are dense clumps of dust clouds blocking the light emissions from the glowing hydrogen gas nebula behind them.
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f5.2 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 18x10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900 with DSI on a SV70 Processing: Preprocessing in Nebulosity; Levels/Curves in PS CS5 Location: Bear Valley Springs, CA Date: 7/6/13 Comments: Average seeing. Clear Skies. Good seeing.
M16 - The eagle
Object Information
The Eagle is a bright emission nebula also containing an open cluster of stars in the faint summer constellation of Serpens Cauda 5,900 light years away. The most popular Hubble image captures details of the cloud columns seen in the center. Click the image for a close up view.
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f7 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 27x10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900 with DSI with OAG Processing: Preprocessing in Nebulosity; Levels/Curves in PS CS5 Location: Bear Valley Springs, CA Date: 6/16/15 Comments: Average to poor seeing.
M16 - Close Up
Imaging Info
Optics: Celestron HD1100 @ f7 Camera: QSI583WSG Exposure: 11 x 10 min Lum, 3 x 10 min each RGB Mount: AP900; Loadstar with OAG Processing: Processing in Pixinsight; Location: Bear Valley Springs, CA Date: 6/21/23 Comments: Some high clouds. Poor seeing. Felt lucky to get as much as I did!
M17 - The Swan
Object Information
M17 has more names than any other object I've come across. Among them are the Omega, Horseshoe, and Swan but Swan always stands out to me visually from the shape when oriented properly. This bright emission nebula is found in the constellation Sagittarius among an open cluster of about 40 stars. Click on the image for a close up view.
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f7 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 6x10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900 with DSI thru STV70 Processing: Preprocessing in Nebulosity; Levels/Curves in PS CS5 Location: Bear Valley Springs, CA Date: 6/22/14 Comments: Pleasant in the 50s with light breezes. Better than average seeing.
M17 - Close Up
Imaging Info
Optics: Celestron Edge HD1100 at f7 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 24 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900/QHY5L-II off-axis guided Processing: Dark Subtract & stack in Nebulosity; Curves & Levels in PS CS5 Location: Bear Valley Springs Date: 7/13/18 Comments: Clear dark skies; warm night; average seeing.
M20 - The Trifid
Object Information
The Trifid Nebula is another wonderful bright nebula to view visually by telescope. It is an interesting combination of reflection nebula of starlight seen in the upper blue section, red emission nebula, and dark dust lanes spanning the emission nebula and giving it its name. M20 lies in Sagittarius just north of the popular Lagoon Nebula (M8).
Click on the image for a close up view.
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f7 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 25 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900 with DSI thru STV70 Processing: Preprocessing in Nebulosity; Levels/Curves in PS CS5 Location: Bear Valley Springs, CA Date: 6/17/15 Comments: Pleasant in the 50s with light breezes. Better than average seeing.
M20 - Close Up
Imaging Info
Optics: Celestron Edge HD1100 at f7 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 12 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900/QHY5L-II off-axis guided Processing: Dark Subtract & stack in Nebulosity; Postprocessing in Pixinsight & PS CS5 Location: Bear Valley Springs Date: 7/4/16 Comments: Clear dark skies; warm night; average seeing.
M20 - Early Processing
Imaging Info
Optics: Celestron Edge HD1100 at f7 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 12 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900/QHY5L-II off-axis guided Processing: Dark Subtract & stack in Nebulosity; Postprocessing in PS CS5 Location: Bear Valley Springs Date: 7/4/16 Comments: Clear dark skies; warm night; average seeing.
M27 - Dumbell
Object Information
The Dumbbell Nebula is a bright planetary nebula found near the southern part of the constellation Cygnus or the smaller constellation Vulpecula. Well named for its shape, M27 is a great visual object in any telescope. Planetary nebulas are sloughed off gas formations from aging stars and are named "planetary" due to their similar appearance to planets in small telescopes.
Imaging Info
Optics: Celestron Edge HD1100 at f7 Camera: QSI583 WSG Exposure: L 3 x 10 min, R 2 x 10 min, G 2 x 10 min, B 2 x 10 min; Mount/Guiding: AP900 with Lodestar guider; Processing: Dark Subtract & stack in Nebulosity; Curves & Levels in PS CS5 Location: Tehachapi, CA Date: 5/22/20 Comments: Average seeing with minimal wind.
M42 & NGC1977 - Orion's Sword
Object Information
The constellation Orion has a section called Orion's Sword below the 3 bright stars which make up his belt. This section is made up of some bright stars in an open cluster and 2 striking nebula including M42 and M43 (a group of emission and refection nebula often called the Great Nebula of Orion to the right) and NGC1977 (really a reflection nebula complex of NGC1973, NGC1975, and NGC1977 seen to the left). North is to the left on this picture.
Click on the image for a more detailed view of the Orion Nebula.
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f5.2 Camera: Canon Rebel XT (modified 350D with Type 1a filter) ISO 800 Exposure: 8 x 600, 5 x 60, 4 x 45, 5 x 20, 4 x 10 sec Mount/Guiding: G11 with ST4 on TV85 Processing: Levels/Curves in PS7; Dark Frame Subtract, registered & stacked in Deepsky Stacker Location: Borrego Springs, CA Date: 10/23/06 Comments: Good seeing.
M42 - The Orion Nebula
Object Information
M42 or the Nebula of Orion is one of the brightest emission nebula in the sky and one of the most photographed. It is found in the constellation Orion's "sword" and glows by the intense ultraviolet light from hot young stars in the bright area called the Trapezium.
Imaging Info
Optics: Celestron Edge HD1100 at f7 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 16 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900 Meade DSI OAG Processing: Dark Subtract & stack in Nebulosity; Curves & Levels in PS CS5 Location: Borrego Springs Date: 10/12/15 Comments: Very pleasant temps. Minimal wind.
M45 - The Pleiades
Object Information
The Pleiades is a constellation made up of a bright open star cluster easily visible in the winter sky 380 light years away. Also named the Seven Sisters, this cluster's brightest central stars are shrouded in gas clouds that reflect the brilliant blue starlight. Hints of this nebulosity are seen in larger telescopes visually.
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f5.2 Camera: QHY10 Exposure: 10 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: AP900/SV70 with Meade DSI Processing: Dark frames subtracted, registered & stacked in Nebulosity; Levels/Curves in PS CS5 Location: Borrego Springs , CA Date: 11/1/13 Comments: Average seeing.
M78 & Friends
Object Information
M78 (also designated as NGC 2068) is the brightest of this complex of reflection nebulas in the constellation Orion. A dark and prominent dust lane separates M78 from two smaller nebula (NGC 2064 & NGC 2067). The second brightest nebula to the left is NGC 2071. The very faint blue nebula at the far left is [B77]100 according to the BER Catalog and DG82 in the Dorschner & Gurtler Catalog and has the obscure reference as a possible cometary nebula.
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f7 Camera: Canon Rebel XT (350D) modified; Type 1a filter ISO 800 Exposure: 20 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: G11; ST4 through SV70ED Processing: Dark Subtract & stack in DeepSkyStacker; Levels & Curves in PS7; Noise reduction in Neat Image Location: Borrego Springs, CA Date: 11/14/09 Comments: Poor seeing. Bit of differential flexure that night guiding.
M97 - The Owl
Object Information
M97 (commonly known as the Owl Nebula for it's round shape with shadowed eyes) is a bright planetary nebula formed from an aging star. Click on the image to return to a wide-field view of this area.
NEXT IMAGE OBJECT LIST
Imaging Info
Optics: TEC 140 @ f7 Camera: Canon Rebel XT (350D) modified; Type 1a filter ISO 800 Exposure: 10 x 10 min Mount/Guiding: G11; ST4 through TV85 Processing: Dark Subtract & stack in DeepSkyStacker; Levels & Curves in PS7 Location: Koen Lake, CA Date: 2/13/10
Comments: Clear skies, pleasant, no wind. Clouded over at the end of the last subframe.