M 20 is an area of intense star formation located between 5 and 9 thousand ly away. The central star of the red emission area is an O type supergiant about 30 times the size of our sun. The blue reflection area is lit by an F type supergiant. Imaged with Canon XT, Hap Griffin IR mod.
Part of the Cygnus Loop or Veil Nebula. It is the visible evidence of a massive supernova some 10,000 years ago in our Milky Way. It covers some 80ly. What we see is the interstellar medium compressed and heated by the shock wave of the explosion. Imaged with Canon XT, Hap Griffin IR mod.
A rare supernova within our own galaxy, probably visible for weeks in the daytime sky, sent shockwaves into the surrounding interstellar medium causing the wisps of nebula we see today. Imaged with Canon XTi, AT66ED.
Part of the Veil Nebula complex created by a supernova in our galaxy. Imaged with SAC 10 CCD, AT66ED, .63fr.
The central star of the Cresent nebula began it's life as a massive, hot O type star. Having burned up it's supply of hydrogen it swelled to a huge red giant. Entering the Wolf-Rayet stage it expelled it's mass at an incredible 3 million miles per hour. This phase will last several hundred thousand years ending in a supernova explosion. Located appx. 4700ly away. Imaged with DSI Pro II, ZS105 APO w/.8fr.
NGC 7293 the Helix nebula is one of the closest planetaries at about 450ly. The different rings represent several events of expulsion of the central star's mass over thousands of years. Imaged with DSI Pro II, ZS105 APO.
Named for it's resemblance to a map of North America, it is part of a huge complex of gas and dust lit by many huge new stars hidden from our view by dense dust clouds. Imaged with Meade DSI Pro II, AT66ED, .63fr.
Part of the massive molecular gas cloud that includes the North American nebula, it resembles a Pelican. Imaged with Canon XTi, AT66ED.
The central star illuminating this cloud of dust particles is a 10 solar mass pre-main sequence star. It is accompanied by a small cluster of other pre-main sequence stars. Imaged with DSI Pro II, AT66ED APO.
Solar pressure from the embeded stars push the surrounding molecular cloud away forming shock fronts which in turn triggers further star formation. Located about 2.4k ly away. Imaged with SAC 10 CCD, AT66EDw/.63fr.
The famous Pleides Cluster or Seven Sisters is actually a cluster of as many as 400 members that is moving through our galaxy at about 40 kilometers a second. The nubulosity is a chance encounter with an unrelated molecular cloud. Located appx. 435 ly away. Imaged with Canon XTi, WO ZS105 APO.
The cluster of stars within the nebula are appx. 1 million years old but the bright central star is only 100k years old. The dark band leading up to the nebula is Barnard 168. Imaged with Canon XTi, AT66ED.
A cloud of molecular gas illuminated by Xi Persei, a type O giant that is considered a “run away” star sent flying through the galaxy by an unknown event. Located appx. 1140 ly away. Imaged with modified Canon XT, AT66ED.
The primary energy illuminating this spectacular nebula are the 4 stars known as the Trapezium, Theta-1C supplying about 99% of that energy. There are several thousand stars in the extended cluster crowded together some 20k times closer than our solar neighborhood. What an incredible night sky that must be. The main body is M42, the comma shaped area above the trapezium is M43 and the blue reflection area above that is NGC 1977. Imaged with modified Canon XT, AT66ED.
Illuminated by the central cluster of type O and B giants who's solar winds are expanding the cloud at appx. 4 kilometers a second. Located appx. 5k ly away. Imaged with modified Canon XT, AT66ED.
Somewhat resembling an embryo, IC 1848 the Soul Nebula, is part of a massive cloud of gas extending some 490 ly across in the Perseus spiral arm of our galaxy. Imaged with modified Canon XT, AT66ED.
A chance cloud of dust and gas superimposed over the bright emission nebula IC434 gives us this famous nebula. Located in Orion appx. 1500ly away. Imaged with DSI Pro II, AT66ED w/.63fr.
Closeup of the dust cloud, Barnard 33, superimposed over the emission nebula IC434. Imaged with DSI Pro II, ZS105 APO.
An expanding shell of gas expelled by the convulsions of the dying central star forms this planetary nebula located appx. 1200ly away. The central star is a white dwarf with a surface temperature of 85,000K. Imaged with Meade DSI Pro II, WO ZS105 APO.
The first entry in Messier's catalog of diffuse objects that aren't comets is the remains of a supernova in our galaxy recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054. It is expanding at about 1800 kilometers a second. The central star is a rotating pulsar with a density of 50 trillion times that of lead. A star 1.4 times the mass of our sun compressed to 10 kilometers diameter. Probably just missed becoming a black hole. Located appx. 6300ly away. Imaged with DSI Pro II, ZS 105 APO.
A cluster of young stars, NGC2264 the Christmas Tree cluster, illuminates this nebulous region containing the Cone Nebula and Foxfur Nebula. Located appx. 2600ly away. Imaged with modified Canon XT, ZS105 APO.
Widefield view of the Christmas Tree cluster and Cone Nebula area. Imaged with modified Canon XT, AT66ED.
Another area of molecular gas located in the Orion constellation. Imaged with modified Canon XT, ZS105 APO w/.8fr.
The Gamma Cygni Nebula IC 1318 b & c. (AKA Butterfly Nebula). The bright star is Sadr but it is much closer at 750ly than the nebula at appx. 5000ly. The entire region is illuminated by a single type O9 star. Imaged with Canon XT, Hap Griffin IR mod.
Another view of NGC7000 (North American Nebula) including part of IC5070 (Pelican Nebula). Imaged with Hap Griffin modified Canon XT and AT66ED.
Illuminated by as many as 100 massive young type O and B stars. Located about 5k ly away in our galaxy. Imaged with Hap Griffin mod. Canon XT and WO ZS105 APO.
Widefield view of IC1396 and surrounding nebulosity.Imaged with Canon XT through AstroTech 66ED.
