Witch Head Nebula IC 2118

IC 2118 is a faint reflection nebula illuminated by the nearby supergiant star Rigel at the foot of Orion, just beyond this frame on the right. The nebula is nicknamed "Witch Head Nebula" due to its shape resembling a scary ghoul face and is a popular imaging target. The nature of the dust particles, which reflect blue light better than red, is a factor in giving the witch's head its blue colour. The whole nebula interacts with the vast Orion-Eridanus bubble, a giant super shell of molecular hydrogen ejected from large-mass stars of the Orion OB1 association. IC 2118 distance is estimated to be about 900 light-years from Earth. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - L (480m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

Cometary Globules CG1 and CG2

Cometary globules are interstellar clouds with comet-like morphology, consisting of compact dusty "heads" and long, faintly luminous "tails". While they were first observed mostly in the outskirts of the Gum nebula, they have been found later to be common among interstellar clouds, with scales ranging from isolated tiny globules to complete cometary shaped star-forming regions such as the Corona Australis cloud. It is thought that the formation of these objects is caused by either radiation-driven implosion of an isolated globule or a supernova blast wave colliding with an extended globule. CG1 and CG2 are “classic” cometary globules in the Gum Nebula and the first two to be listed. Located about 1000 light years away from Earth, their tails have an apparent lenght similar to the full Moon and point away from the centre of the Gum Nebula. Recent studies found evidence of star formation in both these cometary globules, with a large predominance in CG1. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (360m) L (510m) R (90m) G (110m) B (90m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

Filaments and Gasses in Monoceros (IC446-447)

A few degrees north of the famous Rosette Nebula in the constellation Monoceros is this beautiful star field in which bluish reflection nebulae seem to play hide and seek with delicate filaments of dark dust. IC 447, which is sometime referred to as "Dreyer's Nebula", is the largest component, top left in the image, and seems to be connected by a long filament to IC 446 below. Embedded in both these clouds are young, massive stars, whose blue light is reflected by the surrounding molecular gas and cosmic dust which glows of the same color. To complete the ensemble of reflection nebulae are NGC 2245 (at right, near center of image) and NGC 2247 (just below). Also visible in the image are several Herbig-Haro (HH) objects that are usually not picked in in lower resolution images. These peculiar objects are bright patches of nebulosity associated with newborn stars, formed when narrow jets gas expelled by the young stars collide with nearby clouds of dust at several hundred kilometers per second. In the images they look like yellow knots with HH1196 located below NGC 2245, HH1197 visible below the center of the image, HH1201 found further left and lower in the image, in the same imaginary line connecting the first two and last HH1202 nestled at the top boundary of IC446. The faint reddish nebula visible at right is part of the cloud of gas and dust that encloses the Cone and Fox Fur nebulae, both just out of this beautiful canvas. South of the image is up. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM L (420m) R (60m) G (90m) B (90m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

SH2-308: The Dolphin Head Nebula

Sharpless 308, commonly known as the Dolphin Head Nebula, is a huge cosmic bubble located near the center of the constellation Canis Major, a few degrees south of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Located about 5,000 light-years away, it covers over 2/3 degrees in the sky (1.5 times the size of the full Moon) which corresponds to a diameter of 60 light-years at its estimated distance. The nebula surrounds the Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris, the bright blue star near the bubble's center, which is thought to have over 20 times the mass of the Sun and is in a short pre-supernova evolutionary stage. Its outer shell of hydrogen gas has been used up, revealing inner layers of heavier elements that burn at ferocious temperatures. The intense radiation pouring out from EZ Canis Majoris forms stellar winds that whip up nearby material, sculpting and blowing it outwards. These processes have moulded the surrounding gas into a vast bubble. The fringes of these bubbles are nebulous and wispy, as can be seen in this image. I am particularly fond of this object because I contributed to popularize it by making one of the first color images combining RGB and narrowband back in 2011, image then taken up in many forums and publications, all at a time when SH 308 was largerly unknown to the amateur community with almost no images of it. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM Ha (615m) - OIII (735m) R (60m) G (60m) B (60m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

NGC 2467 Skull and Crossbones Nebula

NGC 2467, nicknamed the "Skull and Crossbones Nebula", in the southern constellation Puppis ("The Stern"), is an active star-forming region located about 17,000 light-years from Earththat that includes large clouds of hydrogen gas, dust and Bok globules. The nebula is associated with an open cluster which in reality is thought to be composed by several young clusters located at different distances but prospectively aligned to our line of sight. The H II region of NGC 2467 has been the target of various investigations to clarify the process of star formation. The nebula contains the open clusters Haffner 18 (in the center of the skull) and 19 (inside the bright red nebula composing the righ eyeball of the skull). Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM Ha (60m) - L (490m) R (90m) G (90m) B (90m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

The Chamaeleon I Cloud

Home to some of the nearest molecular clouds, the constellation of Chamaeleon is filled with many dark nebula complexes. The Chamaeleon I complex is one of three large clouds found in this southern constellation and has an age of 2 million years. The distances of the three main clouds range from 520-580 light years and are also isolated from other major star forming complexes. The Chamaeleon I complex is a site of low mass star formation, which is characterised visually by various reflection nebulae including IC 2631 to the north and the blue nebula Ced 111 and the white reflection nebula Ced 110 to the south. The great obscuring mass of thick brown dust in the region absorbs the blue light of distant stars making them appear much redder than they actually are. This process of interstellar reddening also affects the light of distant galaxies in the line of sight, making them look less blue. Despite the copious amounts of dust, the Chamaeleon I complex is regarded by astronomers to impose only a moderate level of extinction on the background starfield in comparison with other dark nebulae. The Chamaeleon I complex is near the south celestial pole and is situated at the edge of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association. The cloud is illuminated by massive stars that belong to a subgroup of this OB association. Due to its proximity, the Chamaeleon I complex has been subjected to many searches for young stellar objects by many astronomers including Karl Henize in 1963. Recent surveys in the past two decades have also yielded a large sample of YSO's, including the first X-ray emitting brown dwarf, which was discovered in 1998. Young stellar objects have also been discovered in various infrared surveys of the clouds. The cluster of sources associated with the complex is split into two northern and southern subclusters and the cloud contains 200 known low mass YSO's. Analysis of data predicts that star formation began 3-4 million years ago in the northern half of the cloud and 5-6 million years ago in the southern half. Star formation in the cloud is still ensuing at a declining rate until eventually it will completely cease. Other optically visible signs of star formation in the cloud are represented by small Herbig Haro objects and outflows. The first Herbig Haro objects to be discovered in this complex were found in a survey for Herbig Haro objects in dark clouds by Richard Schwartz in 1977. They include HH 48-9 and HH 50. Due to its tiny size, HH 48 isn't visible in this widefield image but the bright Herbig Haro objects HH 49 and HH 50 are prominently visible in the region between Ced 110 and Ced 111. HH 49/50 are associated with the largest outflow in this complex, a giant outflow with a length of 27 arcminutes (or 6.5 light years) and its source is the protostar Cha-MMS1. Spitzer infrared images of HH 49/50 reveal infrared emission associated with them. This infrared nebula has an incredible shape of a "tornado" formed by a pair of twisting helical filaments. Deep imaging surveys in the past decade have found a total of 30 Herbig Haro objects associated with 20 separate outflows. Also visible in the image is a unique curiosity, a colourful orange nebula below the reflection nebula Ced 111. This is the Chamaeleon Infrared Nebula, a bipolar infrared reflection nebula that also happens to be visible optically. Its bipolar nature is only visible in infrared images as well as its illuminating source. Studies of the nebula have shown it to exhibit a complex geometry consisting of a disk surrounding the central source as well as bipolar lobes tracing two cavities cleared out by ouflow activity. Infrared images reveal the two bipolar lobes to be separated by a dark structure, which is a circumstellar disk around the central source (description provided by Sakib Rasool) Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - L (620m) R (110m) G (100m) B (100m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

NGC 2175 the Monkey Head Nebula

NGC 2175 is an open cluster associated with a diffuse nebula located near the head of Orion. Nicknamed the Monkey Head Nebula because of its resemblance to the profile of a primate head, this region is an active stellar nursery. Newly born stars shine brightly, illuminating and heating the cloud to create the glowing gas while the intense radiation and stellar winds from the hottest stars creates tall pillar-like structures that has been object of study of the Hubble space telescope. I have always had little appreciation for this object because although it is relatively bright and large (it has an angular extension greater than the full Moon), in the images it is rather dull. However, I am quite satisfied with this deep image which I believe does it justice. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - L (600m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

Cometary Globule CG4: The Hand of God

Cometary globules are isolated, relatively small clouds of gas and dust within the Milky Way galaxy that get their name from their shape, characterized by powdery heads and elongated tails. One of their most popular examples is CG4, commonly referred to as God's Hand, located about 1,300 light-years from Earth toward the constellation of Puppis (the Stern). It has an estimated tail about 8 light-years long and its opaque head is illuminated by light from nearby hot stars, whose energy is gradually destroying the globule's structure, sweeping away the tiny particles that scatter the starlight. The dusty cloud contains enough material to create several Sun-sized stars. The faint red glow visible both within and around CG4 is due to the hydrogen gas that permeates the area, energized by the young stars present. Like a gigantic celestial worm, the cometary globule CG4 seems about to devour an edge-on spiral galaxy (ESO 257-19) located to the left of its gaping mouth: in reality, this galaxy is over a hundred million light years further away, well beyond CG4. The other beautuful galaxy visible at the bottom left corner is NGC 2427, a barred spiral galaxy 45 million light-years away from us.Click here for wider field of view at lower resolution of this area. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (375m) L (690m) R (90m) G (90m) B (90m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

Cometary Globules 30, 31 & 38 in Puppis

Cometary globules are relatively small interstellar clouds of gas and dust with comet-like shapes found within the Milky Way. Unlike most dark clouds, cometary globules are isolated cluster of dust energized by very hot nearby stars, which will gradually destroy their dusty "heads", sweeping away the tiny particles that scatter the starlight. Most of the cometary globules known are found in the Gum nebula, a large region of ionized hydrogen stretching between the constellations of Vela and Puppis. Discovered only in 1976, this image shows the group cataloged as CG30, CG31 and CG38, a complex of cometary globules and dark clouds located in the southern part of the Gum Nebula, between 700 and 1300 light years away from us. The head of CG30, the "tallest" globule to the right of the group, contains the bright Herbig-Haro object HH120, a nebulosity that is formed by the impact of ionized gas jets ejected at several hundred kilometers per second by a rising star within against the dust that surrounds it. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (320m) L (600m) R (90m) G (90m) B (90m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

M78 Interstellar dust cloud

Interstellar dust clouds and bright nebulae abound in the winter constellation of Orion, the celestial hunter. The M78 complex, the reflection nebula at the center of this image, is one of the most beautiful examples. Located at a distance of about 1,500 light years and with an estimated diameter of about 5 light years, this nebula owes its colors mainly to the dust that reflects the colors of nearby stars, especially some very hot young blue giants near the center of the nebula. Lanes of dark dust and other reflection nebulae can easily be spotted in this rich celestial portrait. The skyscape includes the extraordinary McNeil Nebula, a nebula discovered only in 2004 and associated with a variable star that significantly changes appearance over time (minimal at the time of this shoot). The he telltale reddish glow of many Herbig-Haro objects, energetic jets of forming stars, are clearly visible along the intertwining of the dark dust. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (330m) L (480m) R (90m) G (90m) B (90m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293)

A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, in the constellation Aquarius, a sun-like star is dying. Its last few thousand years have produced the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution. A total of 92 hours of exposure time have gone in to creating this deep view of the nebula. It shows details of the Helix's brighter inner region, about 3 light-years across, but also follows fainter outer halo features that give the nebula a span of well over six light-years. The white dot at the Helix's center is this Planetary Nebula's hot, central star. A simple looking nebula at first glance, the Helix is now understood to have a surprisingly complex geometry (text adapted from APOD). Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (2550 min), OIII (2550 min), R (160 min), G (150 min), B (160 min) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

the Betta Fish Nebula (G296.5+10.0 Supernova Remnant)

G296.5+10.0 in Centaurus is a a very large supernova remnant that consists of a series of filaments spread out over an area of more than 1 degree near Rho Centauri. The optical shell was discovered in 1974 and has never been studied or imaged. To the best of my knowledge this is to date (July 2022) the first and only color image ever published of this object. This supernova remnant closely reminds me a Betta Fish ("Betta Splendens" also known as Siamese Fighting Fish, a popular freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia), floating in the deep cosmic void (thanks to Sakib Rasool for suggesting this elusive target). Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (810 min), OIII (885 min), L (180 min), B (100 min), G (100 min) and R (100 min) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

Halos in NGC 2899 & VBRC 2

This deep telescopic narrowband image shows a rarely photographed pair of planetary nebulae in the constellation of Vela. On the right is NGC 2899 while on the left is VBRC 2. The advantage of long exposures taken under dark skies is revealing fainter extended structures that would not ordinarily be visible. A 28 arcminute long outflow associated with NGC 2899 can be seen clearly represented by two lobes of material to either side of the PN. The left one is much larger while the right component is smaller. This outflow was discovered by the professional astronomer Quentin Parker in 2005. Looking closely at VBRC 2, a faint outer halo can be glimpsed, which was discovered by the Galactic Planetary Nebula Halo Survey (GPNHS) team in August, 2014. (thanks to Sakib Rasool for suggesting this elusive target and for providing the above description). Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (1,170 min), OIII (480 min), B (90 min), G (90 min) and R (110 min) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

The Great Orion Nebula (M42) - Wide Field

The Great Nebula in Orion, an immense, nearby starbirth region, is probably the most famous of all astronomical nebulas. This relatively wide field image is the resoult of the combination of two different images taken from far apart locations. The background image covering the wider field was taken from Australia using a 5.5" Refractor with a large CCD camera and covering a square area of about 2 degrees per side (4x the diameter of the full Moon). The core image was taken from Chile using a much higher sampling sensor coupled to a 10" reflector, to bring details to the tiny features of this area. Background image: Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (300m) OIII(120m) L (270m) R (190m) G (180m) B (230m), Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. Central features (incl M43 and NGC1977): Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - L (330m) R (60m) G (60m) B (60m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

The Great Orion Nebula (M42) - Medium Field

The Great Nebula in Orion, an immense, nearby starbirth region, is probably the most famous of all astronomical nebulas. Here, glowing gas surrounds hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud only 1500 light-years away. The Great Nebula in Orion can be found with the unaided eye near the easily identifiable belt of three stars in the popular constellation Orion. In addition to housing a bright open cluster of stars known as the Trapezium, the Orion Nebula contains many stellar nurseries. These nurseries contain much hydrogen gas, hot young stars, proplyds, and stellar jets spewing material at high speeds. Also known as M42, the Orion Nebula spans about 40 light years and is located in the same spiral arm of our Galaxy as the Sun. Aside M42 this image includes the popular "running man" nebula group on the top of the frame, a group reflection nebulae (NGC1977, NGC 1973 and NGC1975) also associated with Orion's giant molecular cloud about and which are dominated by the characteristic blue color of interstellar dust reflecting light from hot young stars. Further south, the beautiful "peninsula" attached to M42 which lays at the center of the frame is catalogued M43. This part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex is itself a star forming region that displays intricately-laced streams of dark dust although it is really composed mostly of glowing hydrogen gas. The entire Orion field is located about 1600 light years away. Opaque to visible light, the picturesque dark dust is created in the outer atmosphere of massive cool stars and expelled by strong outer winds of protons and electrons (text adapted from APOD). Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - L (330m) R (60m) G (60m) B (60m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile.

In the web of the spider

With a diameter of over a thousand light years, the Tarantula Nebula is a gigantic star-forming region within our satellite galaxy of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Located about 180,000 light-years away, it is one of the largest known star-forming regions and has created unusually strong star-forming episodes every few million years. Within the Tarantula (NGC 2070), intense radiation, stellar winds, and bubbles of energetic gas from a young central cluster of stars so dense it was once thought to be a single star, excite the nebular glow and shape the filaments they give spider shape. Around the Tarantula are other star-forming regions with young star clusters, filaments and bubble-shaped clouds that appear to be blown away. The rich field of view, captured with narrow-band filters focused on the emission of ionized hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur atoms, extends for about one and a half degrees or 3 full moons, in the southern constellation of Dorado. But if the Tarantula Nebula were closer, say 1,500 light-years away like the Orion Nebula, it would take up half the sky (text adapted from APOD). Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (285m) OIII(270m) SII (240m) R (90m) G (60m) B (70m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile. Image processing M.Lorenzi.

North of Orion (SH2-278 & LDN1634)

Located north of Rigel, not far from the more popular Witch head nebula, the little photographed emission nebula Sharpless 278 is though to be the gaseous remnant of the Orion Molecular Cloud that formed thousands of stars (including several dozen giant stars) in Orion. The dark nebula LDN 1634, on the bottom half of this image, is surrounded by a red glowing sea of hydrogen gas and a few blue nebulae that reflect starlight from nearby Rigel. Within LDN 1634, few Herbig Haro objects are visible in the form of tiny (but bright) nebulosity, narrow jets of partially ionized gas ejected by forming stars which collide with nearby clouds of gas and dust at several hundred kilometers per second. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - Ha (345m) L (440m) R (90m) G (60m) B (70m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile. Image processing M.Lorenzi.

In the hearth of Corona Australis

Large clouds of cosmic dust spread over a rich starfield in this patch of sky near the northern border of Corona Australis, the southern crown. At the center is the beautiful group of reflection nebulae NGC 6726, 6727, 6729 and IC 4812. The characteristic blue color is produced when the light of hot stars is reflected by cosmic dust. Top right is the globular cluster NGC 6723, which is actually about 30,000 light years away, well beyond the Corona Australis dust clouds. Takahashi CCA250 (250/f5) - ZWO 6200MM - L (280m) R (90m) G (90m) B (70m) - AMT Observatory (A.Lau/M.Lorenzi/T.Tse), Río Hurtado, Chile. Image processing M.Lorenzi.

M42 Trapezium from white zone

The core of the Orion nebula M42 imaged from my badly light polluted terrace in Singapore (white zone). A quick experiment of deep sky "lucky imaging" technique, 60 x 10 sec subs, no flat, no dark, no bias (and no guiding ^_^). C14 + Starizona reducer 0.63x (F=2460 mm / f/6.9) - ZWO ASI533MC - ZWO Duo Band filter - iOptron CEM120 - Singapore

The Dark Tower in Scorpius

In silhouette against a crowded star field toward the constellation Scorpius, this dusty cosmic cloud evokes for some the image of an ominous dark tower. In fact, clumps of dust and molecular gas collapsing to form stars may well lurk within the dark nebula, a structure that spans almost 40 light-years across this gorgeous telescopic portrait. Known as a cometary globule, the swept-back cloud, extending from the lower right to the head (top of the tower) left and above center, is shaped by intense ultraviolet radiation from the OB association of very hot stars in NGC 6231, off the upper edge of the scene. That energetic ultraviolet light also powers the globule's bordering reddish glow of hydrogen gas. Hot stars embedded in the dust can be seen as bluish reflection nebulae. This dark tower, NGC 6231, and associated nebulae are about 5,000 light-years away (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha(330m) L (330m) R (130m) G (120m) B (180m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. Spikes added with StarSpikes Pro 4.

Monoceros nebular complex

What do the following things have in common: a cone, the fur of a fox, and a Christmas tree? Answer: they all occur in the constellation of the unicorn (Monoceros). Just below the center of the left panel of this 4 degree wide mosaic is a star forming region cataloged as NGC 2264. The complex jumble of cosmic gas and dust is about 2,700 light-years distant and mixes reddish emission nebulae excited by energetic light from newborn stars with dark interstellar dust clouds. Where the otherwise obscuring dust clouds lie close to the hot, young stars they also reflect starlight, forming blue reflection nebulae. Outlined by the red glow of hydrogen gas, the cone points toward the left and bright, blue-white S Monocerotis. Itself a multiple system of massive, hot stars S Mon is adjacent to bluish reflection nebulae and the convoluted Fox Fur nebula. Given their distribution, the stars of NGC 2264 are also known as the Christmas Tree star cluster. The curious compact cometary shape at the bottom of the left panel is known as Hubble's Variable Nebula. Expansive dark markings on the sky are silhouetted by a larger region of fainter emission with yellowish open star cluster Trumpler 5 near the center of the frame. On the right panel lays several interesting objects as well, with the largest bluish reflection nebula at the utmost right being IC2169, known as Dreyer's Nebula. The color comes from scattered star light of the illuminating stars which are either in or behind it. The nebula is blue for the same reason our sky is blue. The tiny molecules of dust and gas scatter blue light better than the other colors due to its short wavelength. It matters little what color the illuminating stars are, as long as they emit some blue light the nebula was take on a blue color same as the somewhat yellow sun still results in our blue sky. IC2169 is thought to be part of the same huge cloud of dust and gas that includes the Cone Nebula as well as the Christmas Tree, laying at the same distance and considerably further away than the nearby Orion Nebula complex. The remaining bright reflection nebula are NGC 2245, NGC 2246 and IC446 which seems connected to the Dreyer's Nebula by a bridge of dust (text adapted from APOD). Two panel mosaic, Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - total exposure Ha(480m) L(400m) R (270m) G (270m) B (270m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. Spikes added with StarSpikes Pro 4.

The Rosette Nebula

Would the Rosette Nebula by any other name look as sweet? The bland New General Catalog designation of NGC 2237 doesn't appear to diminish the appearance of this flowery emission nebula. Inside the nebula lies an open cluster of bright young stars designated NGC 2244. These stars formed about four million years ago from the nebular material and their stellar winds are clearing a hole in the nebula's center, insulated by a layer of dust and hot gas. Ultraviolet light from the hot cluster stars causes the surrounding nebula to glow. The Rosette Nebula spans about 100 light-years across, lies about 5000 light-years away, and can be seen with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha(360m) OIII(360m) L (300m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. Spikes added with StarSpikes Pro 4.

Snake in the Dark

Dark nebulae snake across a gorgeous expanse of stars in this telescopic view toward the pronounceable constellation Ophiuchus and the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. In fact, the twisting central shape seen here is well known as the Snake Nebula. It is also listed as Barnard 72 (B72), one of 182 dark markings of the sky cataloged in the early 20th century by astronomer E. E. Barnard. Unlike bright emission nebulae and star clusters, Barnard's nebulae are interstellar dark clouds of obscuring gas and dust. Their shapes are visible in cosmic silhouette because they lie in the foreground along the line of sight to rich star fields and glowing stellar nurseries near the plane of our Galaxy. Many of Barnard's dark nebulae are themselves likely sites of future star formation. Barnard 72 is about 650 light years away. With bluish star 44 Ophiuchi at bottom left, the intriguing star field spans nearly 2 degrees or almost 20 light-years at the estimated distance of the Snake Nebula (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (210m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. Spikes added with StarSpikes Pro 4.

Tarantula Nebula (NGC2070) in LMC

The 16th century Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan and his crew had plenty of time to study the southern sky during the first circumnavigation of planet Earth. As a result, two fuzzy cloud-like objects easily visible to southern hemisphere skygazers are known as the Clouds of Magellan, now understood to be satellite galaxies of our much larger, spiral Milky Way galaxy. About 160,000 light-years distant in the constellation Dorado, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is seen here in a remarkably deep, colorful composite image, starlight from the central bluish bar contrasting with the telltale reddish glow of ionized atomic hydrogen gas. Spanning about 15,000 light-years or so, it is the most massive of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies and is the home of the closest supernova in modern times, SN 1987A. The prominent patch at top left is 30 Doradus, also known as the magnificent Tarantula Nebula. The giant star-forming region is about 1,000 light-years across and is the largest and most complex star forming region in the entire galactic neighborhood. Were it placed at the distance of Milky Way's Orion Nebula, only 1,500 light-years distant and the nearest stellar nursery to Earth, it would appear to cover about 30 degrees (60 full moons) on the sky. Intriguing details of the nebula are visible in the above image shown in composite narrowband and RGB "true colors". The spindly arms of the Tarantula nebula surround NGC 2070, a star cluster that contains some of the brightest, most massive stars known, visible in blue in the image center. Since massive stars live fast and die young, it is not so surprising that the cosmic Tarantula also lies near the site of a close recent supernova (text adapted from APOD). Officina Stellare Rifast 500 (500/f3.8) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (270m) OIII (270m) R (60m) G (60m) B (60m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Cometary Globule CG13 in Puppis

Cometary globules, first observed in 1976, are interstellar clouds with comet-like morphology, consisting of compact, dusty, and opaque heads and long, faintly luminous tails. Unlike most dark clouds, CG's are isolated neutral globules surrounded by a hot ionized medium. Most CG's known are located in the Gum nebula, a large HII region mostly stretching between the constellations of Vela and Puppis. CG13 is a large diffuse globule, with an opaque core surrounded by extended bright rims, and a rather inconspicuous tail. It is associated with a nebulous star, Bernes 136, which is a F star merely passing through the globule. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (180m) L (190m) R (120m) G (60m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Sh2-54 (RCW 167) & NGC 6604

Sh2-54 is an extended bright nebula in the constellation of Serpens that belongs to an extended nebulosity that includes also the Eagle Nebula and the Omega Nebula. The older star population in this region has an average age of 4-5 millions years, and its components are grouped in the open cluster NGC 6604. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (720m) L (210m) R (150m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

GUM14 / RCW27 Nebula

Gum 14 is a large emission nebula complex that also includes the bright and prominent reflection nebula NGC 2626, which is illuminated by a 10th magnitude star. Gum 14 is ionized by the supergiant star HD 73882 and was first catalogued in 1955 by the Australian astronomer Colin Gum. Subsequently, it was also included in the RCW catalogue in 1960 and is therefore also known as RCW 27. With a size of approximately 2 degrees, this giant nebula is the largest of a prominent grouping of emission nebulae to the north of the Vela Supernova remnant. Along with Gum 14, this group is comprised of the smaller Gum 15 (RCW 32) and the almost equally large Gum 17 (RCW 33). Gum 14 is a fairly active site of star formation and has an extensive series of dark clouds and bright rimmed globules. Detailed observations and studies by professional astronomers have also uncovered a small collection of Herbig Haro objects (not visible at a widefield scale) and cometary reflection nebulae associated with young stellar objects. Also visible near the top edge is the small planetary nebula Hen 2-11, one of hundreds discovered by the famous astronomer Karl Henize in the 1960's (text provided by Sakib Rasool) Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (300m) L (270m) R (120m) G (120m) B (130m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad

The delightful Dark Doodad Nebula drifts through southern skies, a tantalizing target for binoculars in the constellation Musca, The Fly. The dusty cosmic cloud is seen against rich starfields just south of the prominent Coalsack Nebula and the Southern Cross. Stretching for about 3 degrees across this scene the Dark Doodad seems punctuated at its southern tip (lower left) by globular star cluster NGC 4372. Of course NGC 4372 roams the halo of our Milky Way Galaxy, a background object some 20,000 light-years away and only by chance along our line-of-sight to the Dark Doodad. The Dark Doodad's well defined silhouette belongs to the Musca molecular cloud, but its better known alliterative moniker was first coined by astro-imager and writer Dennis di Cicco in 1986 while observing comet Halley from the Australian outback. The Dark Doodad is around 700 light-years distant and over 30 light-years long (text adapted from APOD). Full resolution image shown at about 75% of original resolution. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - 2 panels mosaic, total L (440m) R (300m) G (300m) B (300m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Vela Supernova Remnant

The plane of our Milky Way Galaxy runs through this complex and beautiful skyscape. At the northwestern edge of the constellation Vela (the Sails) the telescopic frame is about 4 degrees wide, centered on the brightest glowing filaments of the Vela Supernova Remnant, an expanding debris cloud from the death explosion of a massive star. Light from the supernova explosion that created the Vela remnant reached Earth about 11,000 years ago. In addition to the shocked filaments of glowing gas, the cosmic catastrophe also left behind an incredibly dense, rotating stellar core, the Vela Pulsar. Some 800 light-years distant, the Vela remnant is likely embedded in a larger and older supernova remnant, the Gum Nebula (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - 4 panels mosaic, total Ha (1440m) OIII (1200m) R (480m) G (480m) B (360m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Supernova Remnant Puppis A

Driven by the explosion of a massive star, supernova remnant Puppis A is blasting into the surrounding interstellar medium about 7,000 light-years away. The expanding shock waves from that explosion are heating up the dust and gas clouds surrounding the supernova, causing them to glow and creating the beautiful red cirrus we see scattered around the center of the image. Much of the material from that original star was violently thrown out into space. However, some of the material remained in an incredibly dense object called a neutron star. This particular neutron star (too faint to be seen in this image) is moving inexplicably fast: over 3 million miles per hour! Astronomers are perplexed over its absurd speed, and have nicknamed the object, the “Cosmic Cannonball." Some of the teal-colored gas and dust in the image is from yet another ancient supernova, the Vela supernova remnant. That explosion happened around 12,000 years ago and was four times closer to us than Puppis A. If you had X-ray vision like the comic book hero Superman, both of these remnants would be among the largest and brightest objects you would see in the sky. On the top of the image the little bluish glare is vdBH15. (Text adapted from APOD and "Star explosion leaves behind a rose" ScienceDaily, 12 Dec. 2011, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Many thanks to Sakib Rasool for suggesting me this interesting target. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (540m) OIII (540m) L (180m) R (70m) G (80m) B (60m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Alnilam and Mintaka

Alnilam and Mintaka are the two bright bluish stars from east to west (left to right) in this cosmic vista. Otherwise known as the Belt of Orion (together with Alnitak), these blue supergiant stars are hotter and much more massive than the Sun. They lie about 1,500 light-years away, born of Orion's well-studied interstellar clouds. In fact, clouds of gas and dust adrift in this region have intriguing and some surprisingly familiar shapes, including the dark Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula near Alnitak. The famous Orion Nebula itself lies off the bottom of this star field that covers about 2x2 degrees on the sky (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (360m) L (230m) R (150m) G (130m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Great Rift around Mu Serpentis

Mu Serpentis (μ Serpentis) is a blue giant star in the head of constellation Serpens (Serpens Caput). Located about 160 light years away, Mu Serpentis shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 3.54. This area is a dense part of the Great Rift, a series of overlapping, molecular dust clouds that are located between the Solar System and the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (290m) R (80m) G (150m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Bernes 149 in Scorpius

Bernes 149 is an obscure nebula complex consisting of the reflection nebula GN 16.05.2 at the centre of an elongated dusty dark nebula. Although mostly unknown to amateurs, it has been well studied by professionals and is also known as the Lupus 3 cloud. The name comes from its connection with many other dark clouds in the constellation of Lupus. Near the centre of the image are the blazing bright stars HR 5999 and HR 6000. They belong to a class of YSO known as Herbig Ae/Be stars, which are intermediate mass pre-main sequence precursors to supergiant stars. The central reflection nebula is illuminated by HR 5999, the southern of the pair. Out of all the Lupus clouds, Lupus 3 exhibits the highest rate of star formation. Searches for young stellar objects have yielded the detection of more than a hundred x-ray sources in a 30 arcminute radius around HR 5999 and HR 6000. The Lupus 3 cloud also contains protostars with detected jets and outflows and Herbig Haro objects have been found near the central region (not visible in image). Near the bottom right corner is the small reflection nebula GN 16.01.6. The Lupus clouds are approximately 450-650 light years away (text and target suggestion by Sakib Rasool). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (300m) R (170m) G (120m) B (100m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

The Seagull Nebula (IC 2177)

A broad expanse of glowing gas and dust presents a bird-like visage to astronomers from planet Earth, suggesting its popular moniker - The Seagull Nebula. This portrait of the cosmic bird covers a 2 degree wide swath across the plane of the Milky Way, near the direction of Sirius, alpha star of the constellation Canis Major. Of course, the region includes objects with other catalog designations: notably NGC 2327, a compact, dusty emission region with an embedded massive star that forms the bird's head (aka the Parrot Nebula, right center). IC 2177 forms the sweeping arc of the seagull's wings. Dominated by the reddish glow of atomic hydrogen, the complex of gas and dust clouds with bright young stars spans over 100 light-years at an estimated 3,800 light-year distance (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (330m) OIII (300m) L (250m) R (160m) G (120m) B (60m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Tarantula Nebula (NGC2070) with labels

Tarantula Nebula (NGC2070) with labels reporting the main objects visible in the area

Tarantula Nebula (NGC2070) in LMC

The 16th century Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan and his crew had plenty of time to study the southern sky during the first circumnavigation of planet Earth. As a result, two fuzzy cloud-like objects easily visible to southern hemisphere skygazers are known as the Clouds of Magellan, now understood to be satellite galaxies of our much larger, spiral Milky Way galaxy. About 160,000 light-years distant in the constellation Dorado, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is seen here in a remarkably deep, colorful composite image, starlight from the central bluish bar contrasting with the telltale reddish glow of ionized atomic hydrogen gas. Spanning about 15,000 light-years or so, it is the most massive of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies and is the home of the closest supernova in modern times, SN 1987A. The prominent patch at top left is 30 Doradus, also known as the magnificent Tarantula Nebula. The giant star-forming region is about 1,000 light-years across and is the largest and most complex star forming region in the entire galactic neighborhood. Were it placed at the distance of Milky Way's Orion Nebula, only 1,500 light-years distant and the nearest stellar nursery to Earth, it would appear to cover about 30 degrees (60 full moons) on the sky. Intriguing details of the nebula are visible in the above image shown in composite narrowband and RGB "true colors". The spindly arms of the Tarantula nebula surround NGC 2070, a star cluster that contains some of the brightest, most massive stars known, visible in blue in the image center. Since massive stars live fast and die young, it is not so surprising that the cosmic Tarantula also lies near the site of a close recent supernova (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (300m) OIII (300m) L (180m) R (120m) G (120m) B (150m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Cometary Globule CG12 (NGC 5367)

Cometary Globule 12 is a high latitude low mass star forming region associated with the young cluster and reflection nebula NGC 5367. While the cluster and associated nebula were discovered by John Herschel in 1834, the cometary globule was discovered only in 1976 on an ESO/SRC Sky Survey plate taken with the UK Schmidt telescope. It is estimated to be about 600 pc away, toward the constellation of Centaurus. Cometary globules are known stellar bithplaces that show a head–tail morphology similar to comets. Their heads are dusty, compact and bright-rimmed. A faintly luminous tail extending from the head generally points away from a nearby bright early-type star. CG12 is not only unusual because its isolated location far from the galactic plane, but Chandra also discovered more than 50 new young stars in CG12 with their age and stellar distributions inconsistent with the simple radiation driven implosion model that is believed to be a major triggering process of star formation in many cometary clouds. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (300m) R (130m) G (130m) B (130m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

LDN 1622: "The Boogie Man" Dark Nebula in Orion

The silhouette of an intriguing dark nebula inhabits this cosmic scene. Lynds' Dark Nebula (LDN) 1622 appears against a faint background of glowing hydrogen gas only easily seen in long telescopic exposures of the region. LDN 1622 lies near the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy, close on the sky to Barnard's Loop - a large cloud surrounding the rich complex of emission nebulae found in the Belt and Sword of Orion. But the obscuring dust of LDN 1622 is thought to be much closer than Orion's more famous nebulae, perhaps only 500 light-years away. At that distance, this 2 degrees wide field of view would span less than 20 light-years. (Text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (330m) L (240m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

The Horsehead and Alnitak region

The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most famous nebulae on the sky. It is visible as the dark indentation to the red emission nebula seen above and to the right of center in the above photograph. The Horsehead is some 1,500 light-years distant, embedded in the vast Orion cloud complex. About five light-years "tall", the dark cloud is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is visible only because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434. Contrasting blue reflection nebula NGC 2023 is visible on the lower left. In this color image, both Horsehead and NGC 2023 seem to be caught in beams of light shining from above -- but the beams are actually just internal reflections from bright star Sigma Orionis, just off the upper edge of the view. The bright star on the left is located in the belt of the familiar constellation of Orion. The horse-head feature is dark because it is really an opaque dust cloud which lies in front of the bright red emission nebula. Like clouds in Earth's atmosphere, this cosmic cloud has assumed a recognizable shape by chance. After many thousands of years, the internal motions of the cloud will alter its appearance. The emission nebula's red color is caused by electrons recombining with protons to form hydrogen atoms. Also visible in the picture are blue reflection nebulae, which preferentially reflect the blue light from nearby stars. (Text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (270m) L (200m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

M78 and Reflecting Dust Clouds in Orion

Interstellar dust clouds and bright nebulae abound in the fertile constellation of Orion. One of the brightest, M78, is just left of center in this colorful telescopic view, covering an area north of Orion's belt. At a distance of about 1,500 light-years, the bluish nebula itself is about 5 light-years across. Its blue tint is due to dust preferentially reflecting the blue light of hot, young stars in the region. Dark dust lanes and other nebulae can easily be traced through this gorgeous skyscape. The scene also includes the remarkable McNeil's Nebula -- a newly recognized nebula associated with the formation of a sun-like star, and the telltale reddish glow of many Herbig- Haro objects, energetic jets from stars in the process of formation (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (420m) L (220m) R (220m) G (150m) B (280m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

At the feet of Orion (NGC1999) Full Frame

South of the large star-forming region known as the Orion Nebula, lies bright blue reflection nebula NGC 1999. The nebula is marked with a dark inverted T-shape at the lower left in a broad cosmic vista that spans over 10 light-years. The dark shape is a dense gas and dust cloud, or Bok globule, seen in silhouette against the bright nebula, and likely a site of future star formation. At the edge of the Orion molecular cloud complex some 1,500 light-years distant, NGC 1999's illumination is provided by the embedded variable star V380 Orionis. The region abounds with energetic young stars producing jets and outflows that create luminous shock waves, including HH (Herbig-Haro) 1 and 2 just below and left of NGC 1999, and the apparent cascade of reddish arcs and bow shocks beginning at the upper right. The stellar jets and outflows push through the surrounding material at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (330m) L (360m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Ring of Ice and Fire in SMC

At the "feet" of the SMC, east of the nebular group know as the "magnificent seven" is this amazing area rich of HII and O3 emissions. NGC456, NGC460 and NGC465 is the array of bright emission nebulae at right in the image above. The assortment of irregular shapes appear to be cut through with dark lanes, while the individual nebulae have a large brightness range amongst them. On the middle-left of the image is visible the blue spot of (Henize) N-89, than at its left lays NGC 602 (a young, bright open cluster) and the very faint but large ring of N-90. Radiation and shock waves from the stars have pushed away much of the lighter surrounding gas and dust that compose N90, and this in turn has triggered new star formation in the ridges (or "elephant trunks") of the nebula. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (360m) OIII(450m) L (180m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Gas and stars of a nearby galaxy

NGC 292, or the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the smaller of the two ‘Nubeculas’ first sighted by Ferdinand Magellan during his circumnavigation around the globe at the beginning of the sixteenth century. At a distance of "merely" 210,000 light-years away in the constellation Tucana, the SMC is tidally distorted by both the LMC and our own Milky Way. It actually spans 15,000 light-years or so and contains several hundred million stars. Despite being often overlooked due to the smaller size and brightness compared to the Large Magellanic cloud, the SMC is very rich of objects to see. The large blue patch in the top right of the image is clusters and nebulae NGC 346, a a star forming region about 200 light-years across, as big as the Eta Carinae Nebula. Exploring NGC 346, astronomers have identified a population of embryonic stars strung along the dark, intersecting dust lanes visible here on the right. Still collapsing within their natal clouds, the stellar infants' light is reddened by the intervening dust. Under this giant nebula, close the center of the image lay Henize N36 and N37, a pair of emission nebulae fairly bright. Al bottom left in the picture above there is a group of objects known as "the Magnificent Seven", in fact NGC 249–261–267, Dem 132 and N 25–28–30. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - - Mosaic of two panels - Ha (750m) OIII(840m) L (410m) R (240m) G (270m) B (280m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Ancient Supernova SN185 (RCW86)

In 185 AD, Chinese astronomers recorded the appearance of a new star in the Nanmen asterism - a part of the sky identified with Alpha and Beta Centauri on modern star charts. The new star was visible for months and is thought to be the earliest recorded supernova. The gaseous shell RCW 86 is probably the supernova remnant of this event and has a relatively large angular size of roughly 45 arc minutes (larger than the apparent size of the full moon). The distance to RCW 86 is estimated to be 9,100 light-years. Recent X-ray studies show a good match for the expected age. New infrared observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) reveal how the supernova occurred and how its shattered remains ultimately spread out to great distances. The findings show that the stellar explosion took place in a hollowed-out cavity, allowing material expelled by the star to travel much faster and farther than it would have otherwise (text adapted from Wikipedia). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (1020m) OIII (490m) R (90m) G (90m) B (90m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Inside the Small Magellanic Cloud

NGC 292, or the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the smaller of the two ‘Nubeculas’ first sighted by Ferdinand Magellan during his circumnavigation around the globe at the beginning of the sixteenth century. At a distance of "merely" 210,000 light-years away in the constellation Tucana, the SMC is tidally distorted by both the LMC and our own Milky Way. It actually spans 15,000 light-years or so and contains several hundred million stars. Despite being often overlooked due to the smaller size and brightness compared to the Large Magellanic cloud, the SMC is very rich of objects to see. The large blue patch in the top centre of the image is clusters and nebulae NGC 346, a a star forming region about 200 light-years across, as big as the Eta Carinae Nebula. Exploring NGC 346, astronomers have identified a population of embryonic stars strung along the dark, intersecting dust lanes visible here on the right. Still collapsing within their natal clouds, the stellar infants' light is reddened by the intervening dust. Under this giant nebula, close the center of the image lay Henize N36 and N37, a pair of emission nebulae fairly bright. Lower right in the picture above there is a group of objects known as "the Magnificent Seven", in fact NGC 249–261–267, Dem 132 and N 25–28–30. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (390m) OIII(390m) L (230m) R (120m) G (150m) B (160m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Octans dust and molecular cloud

Octans is an inconspicuous constellation introduced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. Its name is Latin for the eighth part of a circle, but it is named after the octant, a navigational instrument. Octans is notable as the location of the south celestial pole but, unlike the north pole, it has no bright pole star. This constellation is circumpolar to the south celestial pole, so it can be seen in Southern Hemisphere skies during the evening in any month of the year. Octans does not contain many deep sky objects but contain a vast complex of dust and molecular clouds, of which a small part is imaged here. The blue reflection nebula close to the center of the image is cataloged as GN 19.41.5 and is merely 4' across. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (270m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

The huge halo of NGC3242

NGC 3242, commonly known as the Ghost of Jupiter, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Hydra. William Herschel discovered the nebula that later was catalogued by Dreyer as NGC 3242. After a star like our Sun completes fusion in its core, it throws off its outer layers it a striking display called a planetary nebula. NGC 3242 is such a planetary nebula, with the stellar remnant white dwarf star visible at the center. While the planetary nebula's core measure only about 16" x 26" in diameter, NGC 3242 is surrounded by a first fainter shell and by another very faint giant halo measuring almost half degree in diameter, same as the full Moon, with a prominent arc containing both strong emissions of Ha and OIII. This huge halo was first discovered on the Palomar DSS plates and later confirmed to be related to the planetary nebula itself. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (510m) OIII (540m) R (90m) G (90m) B (110m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia