The Galaxy and the Cluster

Our chance placement in the cosmos makes it seem like the star cluster, NGC 6939, is right next to the nearby spiral galaxy, NGC 6946. The galaxy is in actuality, much further away. It does make a pretty picture though. I shot this using my Canon 300D and my Meade SN-10 telescope. It is made of a stack of 6 three-minute images at 1600 ISO. The spiral galaxy is also known as the Fireworks Galaxy, and a large number (8) of Supernova explosions have been recorded within it.

Eastern Veil

This is an image of a portion of the Eastern Veil Nebula. I shot it with my DSLR. It is one of the left-over shock-waves from when a star exploded many millenniums ago.

Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula is a vast interstellar star nursery. The clouds of gas coalesce to form the stars we see in the sky. This nebula is the closest and brightest of all the nebulas. It can clearly be seen with the naked eye, as a fuzzy patch in the area of the sword on Orion's belt (the constellation). This "hourglass" shaped constellation is a familiar sight for the Northern hemisphere during late fall and winter. This photo actually contains several objects in this vast deep sky complex. You can see NGC 1977 to the far left, and both M42 and M43. The Trapezium, the bright spot in the middle, is composed of 4-5 stars through most scopes. The Outer Loop is also visible encircling the large nebula..

I shot this with my 100mm F6 Refractor and my Canon 300D DSLR.

Horsehead and Flame

Here is my first image of the Horsehead for the season. Weather was conspiring against me and I didn't get as many exposures as I originally intended. Not the greatest, I will have to re-shoot this.

Shot with my Orion 100mm F6 refractor and Canon 300D DSLR.