Veil nebula is a supernova remnant - an expanding cloud of gas resulting from the explosion/death of a massive star. This image shows only the western part of this large nebula (covers ~6 full moons) which lies at about 1500 light years in the constellation of Cygnus.

Details in Alt text.

William Optics UltraCat 108, f/4.8, 518 mm fl; ASI2600MC-Duo; Optolong LeXtreme dualband filter; 40 x 3 min exposures; processed using SIRIL and Photoshop

Conditions are quite good for astrophotography tonight. Able to get 2 hours on western veil so far. The forecast says clouds by midnight. Hope to catch one more quick target before that happens.


Lobster claw nebula (Sh2-157) is a large emission nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia at about 11000 light years. It is a stellar nursery and is shaped by radiation and stellar winds from a young massive star at its center.

🔭WO UC108 📷ASI2600MC duo; LeNhance filter 35x5 min; SIRIL, PS


Last night, took another crack at capturing the supernova SN2025rbs in NGC7331. It shines as bright as the galactic core. Other bright stars are the ones in foreground much closer to us and not from that galaxy.

This image is from 90 minutes of data.


New supernova in NGC7331 (49 million light years away) was discovered last week. I could get only 5x1min exposures last night through the clouds. Even in this crappy image the supernova (above red arrow) is obvious on the right side of the galactic core.


Cygnus wall in NGC7000. Really like how all the details of dark nebulosity showing here.
🔭WO UC108
📷ZWO ASI2600MC-Duo
Optolong LeNhance dualband filter
35x3 min
Processed using SIRIL


Single 3 minute frame of the Ring nebula (M57) in Lyra. This is a shell of gas expelled by a dying star. In the cropped version the remains of that star, a white dwarf, can be seen at the center of the ring.


M13 aka the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules is a cluster of several hundred thousand stars that is part of our galaxy at a distance of about 22,000 light years. The little smudge at the top is a galaxy (NGC6207) that is much farther away at 50 million light years.


Sunspots on today’s Sun. 20250507


Last night’s astronomy outing was so much fun! Just three of us with a 14" SCT and a night vision attachment for the eye-piece. We spent a few hours hoping from galaxy to galaxy with a few clusters. And the astronomy chatter was priceless. Don’t know when something like this will happen again.


M51 aka the Whirlpool galaxy.

Whirlpool galaxy on a dark background with a few stars.

🔭 William Optics Megrez 90 📷 ZWO ASI2600MC Duo 97 x 1 min exposures stacked in SIRIL and further stretched and processed in Photoshop


Planning for May 2nd to 4th for an opportunity to capture Mars in Beehive cluster. On May 3rd, the moon will be close by to be in the same frame.


Moon and Pleiades this evening along with a stray satellite


This group of spiral galaxies is about 35 million light years away in the constellation of Leo. M65 and M66 can be seen face on while NGC3628 shows an edge-on view

🔭 William Optics Megrez 90 📷 ZWO ASI2600MC Duo 114 x 1 min exposures stacked in SIRIL and further stretched and processed in Photoshop


Rosette nebula (NGC2244) is a giant molecular cloud where new star formation is happening. It is about 130 light years across and at 5000 light years from us.

🔭 William Optics Megrez 90 📷 ZWO ASI2600MC Duo 90 x 1 min exposures stacked in SIRIL and further stretched and processed in Photoshop


Flame and Horsehead nebulae in the constellation of Orion. New star formation is taking place in this region of gas clouds and dust at 1500 light years away.

🔭 William Optics Megrez 90 📷 ZWO ASI2600MC Duo 60 x 1 min exposures stacked in SIRIL and further stretched and processed in Photoshop.


Beautiful sunset this evening.


Looking at the northern sky.


Made a quick composite image showing Mars before (below) and after (above) the Lunar occultation. I have enough images to make a video but need time to do that.


Mars is out on the other side of the Moon. End of lunar occultation of Mars.