nebula

Reflection and emission nebula in Cepheus. Not far from the Bubble Nebula. It is about 10,000 light  years away from Earth. It also harbors the one of the largest protostars known, about 300 times the mass of our sun. The protostar is embedded in a dense gas cloud of 1,000 solar masses.

This image is a result of exposures of 1 hour in H-alpha, 1/2 hour each in RGB. It was taken last night through a 5" refractor at f5 and a starlight express SXVH-9.

Monday night was another great, clear, windless night for imaging.  I spent 2 1/2 hours collecting 5 min images in Ha of the Pacman which is located in Cassiopeia, again while watching the S.F. Giants beat the Texas Rangers.  Tracking was right on. 

Was extremely clear Friday evening and a decision to take images rather than going north to Livingston which would have been an hour and a half up, three hours there, hour and half back home .   The image Bubble Nebula (NGC7635) is located in Cassiopeia, sometimes classified as a planetary nebula, actually closer to a ancient nova remnant.

color combined, 12 min each RGB

Whiting NJ is not exactly New Mexico, but the skies are certainly darker than Montclair and it shows. This is a 5 minute shot of the dumbell with a one hour luminance in h alpha.

Filters and CCD camera allow us to image from our light polluted skies, but nothing can substitute for a darker sky. What a shame we are losing our night skies.

Rosette Nebula AKA NGC numbers: 2237, 2238, 2239, and 2246. Within the nebula, open star cluster NGC 2244

Two hour exposure h-alpha filter

One and one half hour guided exposure of the horsehead in orion in Halpha light. 5" scope at f/4.

The elephant trunk.

IC-1396, the elephant trunk.
Happy Thanksgiving!