simg.de updates

Update: Jets from KX And in [OIII], H-alpha, and [SII]

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0200

New images of the recently discovered bipolar jets from KX And(romedae), showing the emission lines [OIII], H-alpha, and [SII], are presented. These images reveal new details about the underlying ionization processes and uncover a surprising feature: a very faint [SII] cloud. KX And, the source of the jets, is an interacting binary with mass transfer from a red giant to an emission-line star.

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

Aurora display on Jan 19, 2026

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Auroras caused by a fast coronal mass ejection occurred on January 19/20, 2026. The peak activity between 21:30 and 22:30 UTC was captured by sky-surveillance cameras.

Click on the images for videos and more information.

NGC 1275 and Perseus Galaxy Cluster (Abell 426)

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The Perseus Galaxy Cluster (Abell 426) contains more than one thousand galaxies at an estimated distance of 240 million light-years. Near its center lies the galaxy NGC 1275, which contains a network of ionized filaments ejected from a supermassive black hole.

Click on the images for more information.

Planetary nebula SH2-290 (Abell 31)

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

SH2-290 (Abell 31) is an old planetary nebula with an apparent diameter of about 0.33° in the constellation Cancer. A prominent feature of this object is a shock wave that is caused by its motion relative to the interstellar medium and which is inherited from the proper motion of the progenitor.

Click on the images for more information.

SH2-125 (Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146) and VdB 147

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

SH2-125 (Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146) and VdB 147 are bright parts of a larger star-forming region in the constellation Cygnus. The former is a mixed reflection and emission nebula, while the latter is only a reflection nebula.

Click on the images for more information.

M33 (Triangulum Galaxy)

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

M33 (Triangulum Galaxy) is the third-largest member of the Local Group. It is located in the constellation Triangulum at a distance of about 2.73 million light-years.

Click on the images for more information.

M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster)

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster) is the brightest and largest globular cluster visible in the northern hemisphere. It orbits the Milky Way at a distance of 22,000 to 25,000 light-years. M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster) is the brightest and largest globular cluster visible in the northern hemisphere. It orbits the Milky Way at a distance of 22,000 to 25,000 light-years.

Click on the images for more information.

M33 (Triangulum Galaxy) is the third-largest member of the Local Group. It is located in the constellation Triangulum at a distance of about 2.73 million light-years.

Planetary nebula SH2-274 (Medusa Nebula, Abell 21)

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

SH2-274 (Medusa Nebula, Abell 21) is an old planetary nebula with an apparent diameter of about 0.43° in the constellation Gemini. Its progenitor, the white dwarf WD 0726+133, is located about 1900 light-years (590 pc) away.

Click on the images for more information.

Reflection Nebula IC 5134 and NGC 7129

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

IC 5134 is a reflection nebula with an apparent diameter of about 0.2° in the constellation Cepheus. It is illuminated by the cluster of young stars NGC 7129, at a distance of approximately 3000 light-years (900 pc).

Click on the images for more information.

Planetary nebula PuWe 1

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0200

PuWe 1 is a planetary nebula, about 0.36° in diameter and located in the constellation Lynx at a distance of roughly 1300 light-years.

Click on the images for more information.

Reflection and emission nebula NGC 1579 (SH2-122)

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0200

NGC 1579, also known as Sh2-122, is a reflection and emission nebula, about 0.25° in diameter and located in the constellation Perseus at a distance of roughly 2000 light-years.

Click on the images for more information.

M101 in in emission lines and continuum light

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

M101 (also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy) is a large spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. It contains many bright HII regions. Some of them even have their own NGC numbers.

This update now also contains [OIII] and [SII] data which reveals huge OIII regions, up to 4,500 pc (15,000 light-years) in diameter.

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

NGC2403 and NGC2404 in emission lines and continuum light

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

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

This update now also contains [OIII] and [SII] data which reveal OIII-only regions with a diameters of up 430 pc (1,400 light-years).

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

Possible nearest planetary nebula

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0200

The possible nearest planetary nebula, at a distance of about 112 pc, was detected in the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey. The likely progenitor BD+28 4211 lies almost exactly in the center of a 5°-large OIII region. Together with a faint [SII] and H-alpha glow in the outer region, the apparent diameter of this nebula is about 6°, and the real diameter is about 12 pc.

Click on the images for more information.

SH2-27 (Zeta Ophiuchi Nebula) behind molecular clouds (update)

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0200

A 20°×30° view of SH2-27, partially obscured by molecular clouds, is presented. The large emission nebula, also known as the Zeta Ophiuchi Nebula, has an apparent size of about 15°×10° and is ionized by Zeta Ophiuchi, the bright star at the center, located 370 light-years away.

Images were recalculated from DR0.2 data and now also show [SII] and [OIII] emissions.

Click on the images for more information.

Milky Way from Perseus to Monoceros: Orion-Eridanus Superbubble, California Nebula region and dense molecular clouds

Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 +0200

A 80°×70° view of several large HII regions, including the Orion-Eridanus Superbubble and the California Nebula. The latter appears to be part of a much larger region, mostly obscured by dense molecular clouds in the constellations Taurus and Perseus.

The page has been updated with the latest data from the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey DR0.2, and new color composites have been added.

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

Milky Way from Cygnus to Perseus: Many prominent emission nebulae

Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 +0200

A 45°×60° view of the Milky Way in the constellations Cygnus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Camelopardalis, and Perseus is presented. This region is full of prominent emission nebulae.

The page has been updated with the latest data from the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey DR0.2, and new color composites have been added.

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

Update: Milky Way from Aquila to Cygnus: A region full of supernova remnants

Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 +0200

A 45°×62° view of the Milky Way in the constellations Aquila, Sagitta, Vulpecula, and Cygnus is presented. That part of the sky is full of emission nebulae. Many of them are known supernova remnants, and the huge HII region in Cygnus also appears to have been formed by ancient supernovae.

The page has been updated with the latest data from the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey DR0.2, and new color composites have been added.

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

DR0.2 of the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey with OIII and SII data

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0200

DR0.2 of the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey is the first data release with a complete set of OIII and SII data. Results are available as 8-bit color images with a resolution of up to 10 arcseconds, and as HiPSs (Hierarchical Progressive Surveys), which can be imported into tools like Aladin or Stellarium.

Click on the images for more information.

SH2-155 (Cave Nebula)

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

SH2-155, also known as the Cave Nebula, is a mixed ionization and reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus containing many star formation regions.

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

H-alpha view of the Iris Nebula within molecular clouds

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The Iris Nebula in the constellation Cepheus is a well known reflection nebula illuminated by the young star HD 200775, located at a distance of about 1200 light-years. However, it is not known very well that this nebula is also an Hα emitter.

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

Discovery of 19 ly long bipolar jets from KX And

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Bipolar jets with an apparent length of 20' ejected from KX And have been discovered. KX And is a well-studied interacting binary with mass transfer from a red giant to an emission-line star at a distance of about 760 pc. However, the faint jets, which are visible in Hα light, have been overlooked in the past. With a known inclination of about 50° of the binary system, this leads to a true length of the jets of about 19 light-years (5.8 pc) in each direction.

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

Milky Way from Perseus to Monoceros: Orion-Eridanus Superbubble, California Nebula region and dense molecular clouds

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

High galactic latitude nebulae around celestial north pole

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

A 48°×72° view of nebulae above the galactic plane near the celestial north pole. Most of the structures are thin reflection nebulae which scatter light from the Milky Way.

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

Milky Way from Cygnus to Perseus: Many prominent HII regions

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

A 45°×60° view of the Milky Way in the constellations Cygnus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Camelopardalis, and Perseus is presented. This region is full of prominent emission nebulae.

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

Nebulae below the galactic plane

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

A 55°×55° view showing nebulae below the galactic plane is presented. The region includes the constellations Pisces, Pegasus, Andromeda, and Lacerta. Most of the structures are thin reflection nebulae that scatter light from the Milky Way.

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

Milky Way from Aquila to Cygnus: A region full of supernova remnants

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

Hundertwasser-Corner: Nebulae that appear to be created using a ruler

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Why should nebulae always be round and curvy? A 16°×20° view of two objects that appear to be created using a ruler is presented. The nebulae can be found at a high galactic latitude (about 42°) on the border between the constellations Aquarius and Pegasus.

Click on the images for more information and full resolution pictures.

First data release (DR0.1) of the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Data release DR0.1 of the Northern Sky Narrowband Survey, which contains a first complete set of H-alpha (656.3 nm) and continuum data, has been published. The dataset contains pre-processed 8-bit color images with a resolution of up to 10 arcsecs and full dynamic range images with linear intensity that can be retrieved from an HiPS (Hierarchical Progressive Survey) repository and viewed with tools like Aladin.

Click on the images for more information.

SH2-27 (Cobold Nebula, Zeta Ophiuchi Nebula) behind molecular clouds

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Click on the image for more information.

Milky Way from Scutum to Aquila: Star fields behind dark nebulae

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0200

A 36°×54° view of a dense region of the Milky Way, located about 30° from the Galactic Center, is presented. This part of the sky covers the constellations Aquila, Scutum, Serpens Cauda, and Ophiuchus and is dominated by star fields and dark nebulae.

Click on the image for more information.

Detection of an OIII arc in Gemini

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0200

An arc-shaped emission nebula in the constellation Gemini with dominant OIII lines and an apparent length of about 14° is presented. The object has already been recorded in far UV surveys. What is new, however, is that this object can be seen in visible light and that it is an OIII emitter.

Click on the images for more information and high resolution pictures.

Aurora display on May 10/11, 2024

Sat, 11 May 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Auroras caused by an extreme geomagnetic storm that began on May 10, 2024 where captured with sky surveillance cameras covering visible and infrared wavelengths.

Click on the images for videos, more information and full resolution pictures.

SH2-185 (gam Cas Nebula, Ghost of Cassiopeia)

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

SH2-185, also known as the γ Cas nebula or the Ghost of Cassiopeia, is a mixed emission/reflection nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. The nebula is ionized and illuminated by the star γ Cas and formed by its stellar wind. The region also features some faint background nebulae, primarily visible in the infrared spectrum.

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

Milky Way from Perseus to Cassiopeia

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

A 35°×25° wide-field view of the Milky Way in the constellations Perseus, Camelopardalis, and Cassiopeia is presented in different color composites. This region is full of known and unknown nebulae.

Click on the preview images for detailed information and full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel).

SH2-101 (Tulip Nebula) and jet nebula from black hole Cyg X-1 (update)

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

SH2-101 (also known as Tulip Nebula) is an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus. The images also show 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.

Discovery of an emission nebula in direction of Tarazed

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

An emission nebula has been discovered in close apparent proximity to Tarazed (aka γ Aql). The diameter of the nebula is about 27.4 arcmin and its center is about 7 arcmin away from Tarazed, which is known to be an X-ray source. However, it is most likely not the ionization source of the nebula.

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

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) near SH2-230 on Feb 08, 2023

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0200

On February 8 comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was close to the large nebula complex SH2-230 in constellation Auriga. The comet was observed between 17:25 and 20:00 UTC.

Click on the preview images for detailed information and full resolution pictures and videos.

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) on Feb 07, 2023

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was captured on Feb 07, 2023 in short time window between sunset and moonrise.

Click on the preview images for detailed information and full resolution pictures.

Comets C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and C/2022 U2 (ATLAS) near the galactic plane

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

On Feb 06, 2023 there was a close apparent approach between comets C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and C/2022 U2 (ATLAS). In that night ZTF also crossed the galactic plane. That unusual event was observed between 17:10 and 00:40 UTC.

Click on the preview images for detailed information and full resolution pictures and videos.

Milky Way in Cassiopeia and Cepheus

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0100

A 24°×35° wide-field view of the Milky Way in constellations Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and the north-eastern part of Cygnus is presented in different color composites. This region is full of smaller emission nebulae. For many of them the ionization sources an thus the distance can be determined which provides an insight in the 3D structure of the milky way in that direction.

Click on the preview images for detailed information and full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel).

HII region around California Nebula (NGC 1499)

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Around the California Nebula (NGC 1499) there is a huge HII region which lies behind the dust in constellations Perseus and Taurus and thus is only visible in the voids and less dense regions of these molecular clouds. A 30°×30° wide-field view is presented which (probably) shows entire nebula.

Click on the preview images for detailed information and full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel).

Milky Way in Cygnus

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

A 32°×26° view of the Milky Way in the constellation Cygnus is presented in different color composites. This region is full of emission nebulae which are partially obscured by dark nebulae near the galactic plane.

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

Milky Way from Monoceros to Gemini

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

A 21°×40° view of the Milky Way in the constellations Monoceros, Orion and Gemini is presented in different color composites. That part of the sky is full of famous HII regions (e.g. Monkey Head Nebula, Cone Nebulae, Rosette Nebula, Seagull Nebula), but there are only a few reflection nebulae.

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

Milky Way from Vulpecula to Aquila

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

A 30°×28° wide-field view of Milky Way in the constellations Vulpecula, Sagitta and Aquila is presented. That region is characterized dense dark nebulae at the galactic plane and only a few larger emission nebulae in constellation Vulpecula.

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

M63 in H-alpha and continuum light (final version)

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

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.

NGC2403 and NGC2404 in H-alpha and continuum light (final version)

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

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

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

Milky Way from Scutum to Ophiuchus

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

A 50°×16° wide-field view of Milky Way that covers large parts of the constellations Scutum, Serpens Cauda and Ophiuchus. That part of the sky is characterized by HII regions near the galactic plane, the large emission nebula SH2-27 (Zeta Ophiuchi Nebula), and dense star clouds, more or less hidden behind dark nebulae.

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

NGC 4244 (Caldwell 26) in H-alpha and continuum light (final version)

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

NGC 4244 (also known as Caldwell 26) is an edge-on spiral galaxy in constellation Canes Venatici with extended star-forming regions showing strong H-alpha emissions.

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

M101 in H-alpha and continuum light

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

M101 (also known as Pinwheel Galaxy) is a large spiral galaxy in constellation Ursa Major. It contains many bright HII regions. Some of them even have their own NGC numbers.

The image was 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.

NGC 4395, NGC 4399 to NGC 4401 in H-alpha and continuum light (final version)

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

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

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

M51 in H-alpha and continuum light (final version)

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

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.

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

NGC 4565 and NGC 4562 in continuum light (final version)

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

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.

IC 2574 in H-alpha and continuum light

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

IC 2574 (also known as Coddington's Nebula) is a very faint dwarf galaxy in Ursa Major. It is a member of the M81 group and contains very active star-forming regions showing strong H-alpha emissions.

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

M94 in H-alpha and continuum light (final version)

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

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.

NGC 2903 in H-alpha and continuum light (final version)

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

NGC 2903 is a barred spiral galaxy in constellation Leo.

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

Pleiades (M45)

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Different views (up to 6.3° × 3.9°), resolutions (up to 63MP) and color composites (false color with near infrared and true color) of the Pleiades and the surrounding reflection nebulae.

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

Orion region (update)

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

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.

The images where re-calculated with new data and improved image processing.

The previews show a false color version with H-alpha and continuum, a pseudo color image only containing H-alpha (both with reduced stars) and an almost-true color image without star reduction. Click on the thumbnails for more information, selected details and full resolution pictures (>100 MPixel).

M33 to SH2-126 (update)

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

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.

The images where re-calculated with new data and improved image processing.

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

Milky Way from Taurus to Perseus (update)

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

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.

The images where re-calculated with new data and improved image processing.

Iris Nebula and Molecular Clouds in Cepheus

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

A dusty 6.25° × 4.0° large region in Cepheus containing NGC 7023 (Iris Nebula) and VdB 4141 (Ghost Nebula). The image was shot with SDSS I', R' and G' filters. Regions known as dark nebulae are reddish because they become transparent in infrared light (mapped to red).

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

LBN 1495 in Taurus Molecular Cloud

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

A 6.25° × 4.0° large view of the Taurus Molecular Cloud containing LBN 1495 and the Baby Eagle nebula. The image was shot with SDSS I', R' and G' filters. Regions known as dark nebulae are reddish because they become transparent in infrared light (mapped to red).

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

SH2-105 (NGC 6888, Crescent Nebula, update)

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

New pseudo color images of SH2-105 (also known as NGC 6888 or Crescent Nebula), an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus which is ionized by a Wolf-Rayet star.

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

M27 (update)

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

New pseudo color image of M27 (also known as Dumbbell Nebula), a planetary nebula in constellation Vulpecula.

Click on the images for detailed information, more views and full resolution pictures.

SH2-86 (update)

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

New pseudo color image of SH2-86, an emission nebula in constellation Vulpecula.

Click on the images for detailed information, more views and full resolution pictures.

SH2-254 thru SH2-258

Sat, 11 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0100

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.

SH2-206 (NGC 1491)

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0100

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.

SH2-184 (NGC 281, Pacman Nebula) and IC 1590

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

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.

SH2-170

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

SH2-170 is a faint emission nebula in constellation Cassiopeia.

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

SH2-162

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0200

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.

SH2-142

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0200

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.

SH2-112

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0200

SH2-112 is an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus.

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

SH2-105 (NGC 6888, Crescent Nebula)

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0200

SH2-105 (also known as NGC 6888 or Crescent Nebula) is an emission nebula in constellation Cygnus which is ionized by a Wolf-Rayet star.

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

SH2-101 (Tulip nebula)

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0200

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.

M27

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0200

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.

SH2-86

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0200

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.

M33 to SH2-126

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0200

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

Orion region

Sun, 23 May 2021 00:00:00 +0200

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

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0200

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.

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