Latest updates

Dec 11, 2021: SH2-254 thru SH2-258
The nebula complex SH2-254 thru SH2-258 lies on the border between constellations Orion and Gemini and is a part of the GEM OB1 molecular cloud. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Dec 05, 2021: SH2-206 (NGC 1491)
SH2-206 (also known as NGC 1491) is an emission nebula in constellation Perseus. The interaction of the stellar wind of the ionizing star with a larger molecular cloud forms a small bubble-like structure. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Nov 14, 2021: M51 in H-alpha and continuum light
M51 (also known as Whirlpool Galaxy) are two interacting galaxies in constellation Canes Venatici. The larger one (M51A or NGC 5194) is a spiral galaxy, the smaller companion (M51B or NGC 5195) is a distorted a dwarf galaxy. The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized. Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Nov 14, 2021: M51 in H-alpha and continuum light

M51 (also known as Whirlpool Galaxy) are two interacting galaxies in constellation Canes Venatici. The larger one (M51A or NGC 5194) is a spiral galaxy, the smaller companion (M51B or NGC 5195) is a distorted a dwarf galaxy.

The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized.

Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Nov 13, 2021: SH2-184 (NGC 281, Pacman Nebula) and IC 1590
SH2-184 (also known as NGC 281 or Pacman Nebula) is an emission nebula in constellation Cassiopeia containing many Bok globules and the very young star cluster IC 1590. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Oct 09, 2021: SH2-170
SH2-170 is a faint emission nebula in constellation Cassiopeia. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Oct 06, 2021: M63 in H-alpha and continuum light
M63 is a spiral galaxy in constellation Canes Venatici. The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized. Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Sep 25, 2021: SH2-162
SH2-162 (also known as NGC 7635 or Bubble Nebula) is an emission nebula in constellation Cassiopeia. The interaction of the stellar wind of the ionizing star with a larger molecular cloud forms a bubble-like structure. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Sep 22, 2021: NGC 4244 in H-alpha and continuum light
NGC 4244 is a on-edge spiral galaxy in constellation Canes Venatici. The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized. Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Sep 03, 2021: SH2-142
SH2-142 (also known as Wizard Nebula) is an emission nebula in constellation Cepheus which is ionized by the young star cluster NGC 7380. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Sep 02, 2021: NGC 4565 and NGC 4562 in continuum light
NGC 4565 is a edge-on spiral galaxy in constellation Coma Berenices. Together with the smaller smaller NGC 4562 it belongs to the Coma I group. Click on the picture for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Aug 28, 2021: SH2-112
SH2-112 is an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Aug 04, 2021: NGC 4395, NGC 4399, NGC 4400 and NGC 4401 in H-alpha and continuum light
NGC 4395 is a low surface brightness galaxy constellation Canes Venatici. NGC 4399, NGC 4400 and NGC 4401 are bright HII regions inside the galaxy. The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized. Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Aug 04, 2021: NGC 4395, NGC 4399, NGC 4400 and NGC 4401 in H-alpha and continuum light

NGC 4395 is a low surface brightness galaxy constellation Canes Venatici. NGC 4399, NGC 4400 and NGC 4401 are bright HII regions inside the galaxy.

Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 30, 2021: M94 in H-alpha and continuum light
M94 is a spiral galaxy in constellation Canes Venatici with two ring structures. The inner ring is an active star formation region and contains a lot of young blue stars and HII regions, the broader outer ring is very faint. The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized. Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 30, 2021: M94 in H-alpha and continuum light

M94 is a spiral galaxy in constellation Canes Venatici with two ring structures. The inner ring is an active star formation region and contains a lot of young blue stars and HII regions, the broader outer ring is very faint.

Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 28, 2021: SH2-105 (NGC 6888, Crescent Nebula)
SH2-105 (also known as NGC 6888 or Crescent Nebula) is an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus which ionized by a Wolf-Rayet star. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 24, 2021: NGC 2903 in H-alpha and continuum light
NGC 2903 is a barred spiral galaxy in constellation Leo. The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized. Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 19, 2021: SH2-101 (Tulip nebula)
SH2-101 (also known as Tulip Nebula) is an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus. The images also show (partially cropped) a nebula formed by the jets of Cygnus X-1, a black hole in a binary system which is accreting its companion star. Click on the images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 11, 2021: NGC2403 and NGC2404 in H-alpha and continuum light
NGC 2403 is a spiral galaxy in Camelopardalis. NGC 2404 is one of many large HII region inside the galaxy. The image is calculated with and without H-alpha information. By toggling between the two variants the correlation between HII gas clouds and bluish regions (containing young stars and probably also OIII gas) can be visualized. Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 11, 2021: NGC2403 and NGC2404 in H-alpha and continuum light

NGC 2403 is a spiral galaxy in Camelopardalis. NGC 2404 is one of many large HII region inside the galaxy.

Click on the animation for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jul 07, 2021: M27
M27 (also known as Dumbbell Nebula) is a planetary nebula in constellation Vulpecula with an apparent diameter of about 16' (arcminutes). Most sources only state about 7'. But this is only the bright inner structure. This pictures also show the faint outer shell. Click on the images for detailed information, more views and full resolution pictures.

Jul 03, 2021: SH2-86
SH2-86 is an emission nebula in constellation Vulpecula with an apparent diameter of about 40 arcminutes. The nebula is not very bright but contains some interesting pillar-structures and Bok globules. Click on the image for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Jun 22, 2021: Milky Way from Taurus to Perseus
A 25°×35° wide-field view of Milky Way in the constellations Taurus, Auriga and Perseus is presented in different color composites. Many famous nebulae like Spaghetti Nebulae, IC 405 and IC 410 can be seen near the galactic plane. The region south of it is full of Molecular clouds. Behind them there lies a larger HII complex which contains the California Nebula. Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

Jun 22, 2021: Milky Way from Taurus to Perseus

A 25°×35° wide-field view of Milky Way in the constellations Taurus, Auriga and Perseus is presented in different color composites. Many famous nebulae like Spaghetti Nebulae, IC 405 and IC 410 can be seen near the galactic plane. The region south of it is full of Molecular clouds. Behind them there lies a larger HII complex which contains the California Nebula.

Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

Jun 14, 2021: M33 to SH2-126
A 21°×42° view which covers most of the constellations Andromeda and Lacerta is presented. The center of the photographed region lies about 20° south of the galactic plane and is rich of high galactic latitude nebulae. Most famous objects are M33 (Triangulum galaxy), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) and SH2-126, a large HII region in Lacerta. Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

Jun 14, 2021: M33 to SH2-126

A 21°×42° view which covers most of the constellations Andromeda and Lacerta is presented. The center of the photographed region lies about 20° south of the galactic plane and is rich of high galactic latitude nebulae. Most famous objects are M33 (Triangulum galaxy), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) and SH2-126, a large HII region in Lacerta.

Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

Jun 07, 2021: Milky Way from Monoceros to Gemini
A 21°×40° view of the Milky Way in the constellations Monoceros, Orion and Gemini is presented in different color. The center of the picture lies close to the galactic plane. The depicted region is full of emission nebulae (Rosette Nebula, Cone Nebulae, Rosette Nebula Seagull Nebula) but quite boring in continuum (only few reflection nebulae). Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

Jun 07, 2021: Milky Way from Monoceros to Gemini

A 21°×40° view of the Milky Way in the constellations Monoceros, Orion and Gemini is presented in different color. The center of the picture lies close to the galactic plane. The depicted region is full of emission nebulae (Rosette Nebula, Cone Nebulae, Rosette Nebula Seagull Nebula) but quite boring in continuum (only few reflection nebulae).

Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

May 23, 2021: Orion region
A 24°×34° view of the constellation Orion is presented in different color composites. That region is full of emission and reflection nebulae. Most of them lie within the Orion-Eridanus superbubble which consists in smaller bubbles most likely formed by supernovae. The H-alpha data seem to reveal a previously unknown bubble. Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

May 23, 2021: Orion region

A 24°×34° view of the constellation Orion is presented in different color composites. That region is full of emission and reflection nebulae. Most of them lie within the Orion-Eridanus superbubble which consists in smaller bubbles most likely formed by supernovae. The H-alpha data seem to reveal a previously unknown bubble.

Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel) and more views from that region.

Aug 15, 2020: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Latest images of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) have been uploaded. Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was captured between Jul 12 and Jul 25, 2020 using two different instruments. On several images a faint reddish gas tail that comes from H2O+ ions is visible (not sodium because a light pollution filter was used). A short animation the shows the movement of the gas tail is shown to. Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures and more views.

Aug 15, 2020: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

Latest images of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) have been uploaded. Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was captured between Jul 12 and Jul 25, 2020 using two different instruments. On several images a faint reddish gas tail that comes from H2O+ ions is visible (not sodium because a light pollution filter was used). A short animation the shows the movement of the gas tail is shown to.

Click on the selected previews below for detailed information, full resolution pictures and more views.

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