NEQ6 Pro on Sergey's Astrophotography

LDN 1295: The Giraffe Nebula

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 23:18:00 +0000

This deep exposure showcases LDN 1295, popularly known as the Giraffe Nebula, situated in the constellation Cassiopeia. Unlike glowing emission nebulae, this object is a dense molecular dark nebula cataloged by Beverly Lynds. It is composed of interstellar dust grains and cold gas that physically obstruct the background starlight, creating prominent, sculpted lanes of darkness.

Deep luminance integration was essential to reveal the soft gradients, delicate outer fringes, and subtle illumination along the dust structures. Combined with broadband RGB data for natural star colors, this field highlights the vast, quiet expanse of dust lanes threading across our Milky Way.

The Sun in White Light: July 2026

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:14:00 +0000

The whole solar disk in white light, where sunspot groups stand out as dark marks against the granulated photosphere. The brightness fades subtly toward the edge, because at the rim we look through higher, cooler layers.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

M81, M82 and surroundings

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 18:56:00 +0000

This wide-field capture highlights the dynamic grouping of Bode’s Galaxy (M81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82), framed by the delicate, wispy structures of the Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN).

Dominating the center of the frame is M81, a grand-design spiral galaxy presenting a brilliantly warm core and sweeping spiral arms punctuated by pink star-forming regions. Positioned above it is the edge-on M82. The intense gravitational tidal forces from its larger neighbor have ignited massive starburst activity within M82, visible here as striking red plumes of ionized hydrogen gas erupting outward from its galactic plane perpendicular to the disk.

Filaments and an Active Region: April 2026

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:23:00 +0000

A winding dark filament runs through the field, with a sunspot and a region of bright plage below it.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

Twisted Fibrils Around a Spot Group

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:10:00 +0000

Dark sunspots and bright plage are wrapped in swirling fibrils, a close look at the magnetic structure of an active region in the chromosphere.

Captured as video, stacked in AutoStakkert!3 and sharpened in ImPPG.

IC 1805: The Heart Nebula in SHO

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 18:07:00 +0000

This spectacular image presents IC 1805, famously known as the Heart Nebula, captured using narrowband filters and processed in the classic Hubble Space Telescope (SHO) color palette. Located about 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia, this massive emission nebula is sculpted by the intense stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation from the young, central open star cluster known as Melotte 15.

The deep narrowband data—where Sulfur-II is mapped to red, Hydrogen-alpha to green, and Oxygen-III to blue—reveals the complex dynamics of the glowing gas and the silhouette of dark dust lanes in striking detail. To preserve a natural look for the starry background, broadband RGB data was also collected and blended specifically to render the stars in their true colors.

Sunspot, Plage and Fibrils in H-alpha

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:18:00 +0000

A sunspot sits beside a field of bright plage, surrounded by the dense web of fibrils that follow the magnetic field lines.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) in Motion

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A short time-lapse of comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) moving against the background stars.

Frames were calibrated, aligned and assembled into the video.

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) shows a large, luminous green coma with a faint tail stretching sideways across a rich star field; a small group of galaxies sits upper left.

Stacked on the comet to keep the coma sharp and processed in PixInsight.

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and NGC 3180

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) with a vivid green coma and a long ion tail that shows fine filamentary structure, with the spiral galaxy NGC 3180 in the same field.

Stacked on the comet and on the stars separately, then combined and processed in PixInsight.

M31: Andromeda Galaxy

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:24:00 +0000

This deep exposure of M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, reveals the intricate details of our closest large galactic neighbor. The inclusion of nearly 6 hours of Hydrogen-alpha data highlights the vivid red star-forming regions scattered throughout the galaxy’s sprawling spiral arms. The image also prominently features Andromeda’s two satellite galaxies: the compact elliptical galaxy M32, situated close to the bright galactic core, and the larger dwarf elliptical galaxy M110, located further below. The dark, sweeping dust lanes are highly defined, contrasting beautifully against the stellar glow of the galactic disk.

IC 1848: The Soul Nebula

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:35:00 +0000

This image captures IC 1848, famously known as the Soul Nebula, located approximately 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. Together with its neighbor, the Heart Nebula, it forms a massive star-forming complex in the Perseus Spiral Arm of our galaxy.

The nebula is home to several open star clusters, such as IC 1848 itself, whose intense radiation and stellar winds have carved out the vast cavities and pillar-like structures seen in the glowing hydrogen gas. This deep exposure combines narrowband Hydrogen-alpha data to highlight the intricate structural details of the ionized clouds with RGB data to ensure natural star colors and background depth.

LDN 1228 and LBN 552: Galactic Cirrus

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 15:55:00 +0000

This deep exposure focuses on LDN 1228 and the surrounding LBN 552 region, an expansive and intricate molecular cloud complex located in the constellation Cepheus. Unlike emission nebulae that glow from ionized gas, these structures are part of the galactic cirrus—massive, dense clouds of interstellar dust that obscure the starlight behind them while faintly reflecting the integrated light of the Milky Way galaxy.

The image reveals dramatic, sweeping filaments of dark brownish dust contrasting against the starry background. The long exposure times, particularly through the luminance filter, were crucial to pull out the incredibly faint details and delicate textures of this elusive cosmic landscape.

Sh2-115, Sh2-116 and surrounding LBNs

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 17:01:00 +0000

This deep wide-field exposure showcases Sh2-115, a prominent but faint emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. The field is incredibly rich in glowing hydrogen gas, featuring intricate networks of cosmic dust and faint Lynds Bright Nebulae (LBNs) spanning across the background.

Also visible in this deep field is the small, distinct circular patch of Sh2-116 (often associated with Abell 71). Once classified as a planetary nebula due to its morphological appearance, it was reclassified in 1991 as a compact HII region, although its classification is still discussed. This image perfectly highlights the intense red hydrogen-alpha emissions layered with natural RGB star colors.

NGC 7635: The Bubble Nebula

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:15:00 +0000

This image highlights NGC 7635, famously known as the Bubble Nebula, located in the constellation Cassiopeia. The delicate, glowing sphere is actually a cavity blown out of the surrounding molecular cloud by the intense stellar winds and radiation from a massive, hot central star (BD+60°2522). The fierce interaction between the expanding bubble and the denser surrounding material creates the sharp, luminous edges visible in this deep capture.

Note: This image is a detailed crop taken from the wider field capture of the Lobster Claw Nebula (Sh2-157) and its surrounding region.

Sh2-157: The Lobster Claw Nebula and Surrounding Region

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:15:00 +0000

This wide-field deep exposure captures a remarkably rich and active region of the night sky located on the border of the constellations Cassiopeia and Cepheus. Dominating the left side of the frame is Sh2-157, often referred to as the Lobster Claw Nebula, a large emission nebula characterized by its sweeping, claw-like structures of ionized hydrogen gas.

To the upper right, the iconic Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) is clearly visible, formed by the fierce stellar wind from a massive central star pushing against the surrounding molecular cloud. Just above it sits the bright and compact open star cluster M52 (The Scorpion Cluster), beautifully contrasting the deep red hydrogen emission with the sparkling blue and white light of its hundreds of young stars. Additional smaller emission patches are scattered throughout this incredibly dynamic cosmic landscape.

Sh2-114: The Flying Dragon Nebula

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:12:00 +0000

Sh2-114, popularly known as the Flying Dragon Nebula, is a faint and complex emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. It features delicate, wispy filaments of glowing hydrogen gas that stretch across the star-rich background, creating an unmistakable silhouette of a mythical dragon taking flight across the cosmos.

The intricate, ribbon-like structures of this nebula are quite unusual. This image combines deep Hydrogen-alpha data to reveal the structural details, layered with RGB data for natural star colors.

NGC 5395 & NGC 5394: The Heron Galaxy (Arp 84)

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 14:17:00 +0000

This image captures Arp 84, an interacting galaxy pair commonly known as the Heron Galaxy. The larger, face-on spiral is NGC 5395, which exhibits a bright core and tightly wound dusty spiral arms. It is gravitationally interacting with its smaller companion, NGC 5394, which features prominent tidal tail structures extending away from the main pair. This galactic dance, located approximately 160 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, triggers intense star formation visible as blue-tinted regions along the outer spiral arms. Several distant background galaxies are also visible scattered across the field. This image was acquired in collaboration with Federico Palaia, who contributed about 4 hours of integration using his ASI294MC Pro on a C11 telescope (which in turn was kindly lent by Davide Minotti). NGC 5395 is about 140,000 light-years across, while the barred spiral NGC 5394 measures about 90,000 light-years. William Herschel discovered both galaxies on 16 May 1787. Arp 84 is the 84th entry of Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy

Sat, 24 May 2025 12:32:00 +0000

This deep image captures M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, locked in an ongoing gravitational dance with its smaller companion, NGC 5195. M51’s classic grand-design spiral arms are clearly defined by dark, sweeping dust lanes and are heavily dotted with bright clusters of young blue stars and pink star-forming regions.

The intense gravitational interaction with NGC 5195 is responsible for triggering this starburst activity and warping the structure of both galaxies. Notably, the depth of this exposure reveals the faint, expansive tidal streams and halos of gas and stars that surround the entire system, providing striking evidence of their cosmic collision.

Prominence over the Limb: May 2025

Sat, 17 May 2025 12:09:00 +0000

A prominence rises over the limb in colored H-alpha, with the finely mottled chromosphere filling the lower part of the frame. In motion, the prominence’s structure changes slowly but visibly.

Frames were captured as video, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3 and sharpened in ImPPG, then aligned and assembled into the time-lapse.

A Serpentine Filament in H-alpha

Thu, 01 May 2025 11:52:00 +0000

A long, S-shaped filament curves across the chromosphere near the limb. Filaments are prominences seen against the disk, dense ribbons of gas held up by magnetic fields.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

M106: Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venatici

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:52:00 +0000

This deep exposure captures M106 (NGC 4258), a prominent and bright intermediate spiral galaxy located roughly 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. The image highlights the galaxy’s intensely bright, active core—powered by a supermassive black hole—surrounded by a warm, yellowish central bulge.

Sweeping outward from the center are distinct, tightly wound spiral arms defined by thick, dark dust lanes. The outer fringes of the galaxy are heavily studded with bright blue star clusters and pinkish regions of active star formation. Visible in the lower left of the frame is the small galaxy NGC 4248, a possible satellite of M106, adding depth to the rich background field.

NGC 3718: Peculiar Spiral Galaxy

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:11:00 +0000

This deep exposure features NGC 3718 (Arp 214), a highly peculiar spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. Its most striking feature is the thick, dark dust lane that violently twists across its bright central core, a result of strong gravitational interactions. These same tidal forces have drawn out faint, sweeping gaseous tails that give the galaxy its distinct “S” shape.

To the upper left is its spiral companion, NGC 3729, the likely gravitational culprit behind this severe distortion. Adding extraordinary depth to the background, the tight, interacting galaxy cluster Hickson 56 (Arp 322) is clearly visible near the bottom edge of the frame.

Limb Prominence and Chromospheric Texture

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:22:00 +0000

The limb in H-alpha, with prominence material hovering above the finely mottled texture of the chromosphere.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

Jupiter: Late-Apparition Detail

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:05:00 +0000

Captured near the end of Jupiter’s 2024-2025 apparition as the planet climbs lower and shrinks in apparent size, this image still resolves fine turbulent structure in the equatorial belts, along with a couple of small dark polar spots. The Great Red Spot is not in view this rotation.

Captured as RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

A Spotted Solar Disk in White Light

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 10:59:00 +0000

Near the peak of Solar Cycle 25 the disk is busy: several sunspot groups, including long trailing chains of small spots, cross the photosphere in this white-light mosaic.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

Mars: Late-Season Detail

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 23:36:00 +0000

Nearly seven weeks past opposition, Mars has shrunk to the smallest disk of the sequence, and a faint gibbous phase softens its eastern edge. Despite the reduced size, the bright polar cap and a subtle dark marking are still resolved, bookending the site’s coverage of the 2025 apparition.

Captured as a luminance video sequence, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Venus: A Razor-Thin Crescent

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Just three days later and even closer to inferior conjunction, Venus has thinned to a razor-sharp crescent, its largest apparent size of the entire apparition. The cusps extend further than half the disk’s circumference, a striking geometry unique to the inferior planets.

Captured as a luminance video sequence, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

The Moon's South Pole Region

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:35:00 +0000

Extreme grazing sunlight along the Moon’s southern limb throws this rugged polar terrain into dramatic relief, with countless overlapping crater rims catching the light in a landscape of near-constant shadow — a region of particular interest for its permanently shadowed craters thought to harbor water ice.

Captured as a single video through an IR-pass filter, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Mare Nectaris

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:34:00 +0000

Mare Nectaris, one of the Moon’s older lava-filled impact basins, sits along the terminator in this capture, its relatively smooth floor bordered by a dense ring of ancient, heavily degraded craters.

Captured as a two-pane mosaic through an IR-pass filter, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Vallis Rheita

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:33:00 +0000

Vallis Rheita, a roughly 500-kilometer chain of overlapping craters thought to be secondary impacts from the Mare Nectaris basin-forming event, cuts diagonally across this densely cratered stretch of the southeastern highlands.

Captured as a single video through an IR-pass filter, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Venus: A Thin Crescent

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 17:52:00 +0000

As Venus swings between Earth and the Sun ahead of its March 2025 inferior conjunction, its illuminated crescent thins dramatically while its apparent disk grows larger. Only a sliver of the dayside remains lit in this capture.

Captured as RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars: A Shrinking Disk

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 22:53:00 +0000

More than a month past opposition, Mars’s apparent size has noticeably shrunk as Earth pulls ahead in its faster orbit. A distinct bluish haze wraps the limb, and dark markings remain visible across the disk’s center on a clean, low-noise background.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars: A Broad Dark Region

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 01:15:00 +0000

A wide, diffuse dark region covers much of the lower half of the disk in this capture, contrasting against the pale orange upper latitudes and a small bright cap at the northern limb.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Jupiter: Turbulent Festoons and a Bright Oval

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 20:56:00 +0000

This capture shows Jupiter’s cloud bands in a particularly turbulent mood: fine, wave-like festoons stretch across the North and South Equatorial Belts, and a small bright white oval sits within the southern belt. No major storm systems are in view this rotation, but the fine-scale turbulence gives the disk a busy, dynamic texture.

The video above shows the raw derotated capture from the same night, before final stacking and color balancing — a rare look at the process behind the finished image, which appears further down the page.

Mars: Softening Detail Post-Opposition

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 23:40:00 +0000

Three weeks past opposition, Mars is visibly smaller and softer than at its peak. A bluish-white haze still lingers over the polar hood, while faint dark markings trail along the disk’s southern limb.

The video above is the same session’s raw IR-pass footage, shown here as captured — infrared light cuts through atmospheric haze that visible-light imaging struggles with, giving a cleaner look at the surface markings even as the disk shrinks. The finished LRGB composite appears further down the page.

Jupiter: The Great Red Spot Near the Limb

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:29:00 +0000

Here the Great Red Spot has rotated close to Jupiter’s western limb, still showing clear turbulent structure in the surrounding South Equatorial Belt. The planet’s characteristic banding remains sharply resolved, with a low-noise background typical of a steady night of seeing.

Captured as RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars: Polar Cap in Sharp Relief

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:38:00 +0000

Less than two weeks past opposition, the disk has only just begun to shrink. The north polar cap stands out here in vivid blue-white contrast against the orange disk, with a compact dark marking still sharply resolved nearby.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars: A Different Rotational Face

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:47:00 +0000

Just two days after the previous capture, Mars’s roughly 24.6-hour rotation period — only slightly longer than Earth’s — has turned a different hemisphere into view, with a distinct dark feature near the center of the disk and a pale polar hood above.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars Near Opposition

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:51:00 +0000

Captured right around Mars’s January 2025 opposition, when Earth passed between Mars and the Sun and the planet reached its largest apparent size and peak brightness for this apparition. A broad dark marking spans the disk, bordered by a soft polar hood — the best size-to-detail trade-off of the whole sequence.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Jupiter: The Great Red Spot at Central Meridian

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 23:31:00 +0000

The Great Red Spot sits almost exactly on Jupiter’s central meridian in this capture, compact and sharply defined against the surrounding cream-and-rust equatorial belts. Fine structure is visible throughout the cloud bands despite the planet’s modest apparent size this late in the apparition.

Captured as RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars with a Bright Polar Hood

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 03:28:00 +0000

The north polar hood dominates this capture, a bright blue-white band curving over the pole while the rest of the warm orange disk carries only a faint, diffuse dark patch. Mars was now less than three weeks from opposition.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Jupiter: The Great Red Spot in Sharp Detail

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 23:28:00 +0000

This is one of the sharpest Jupiter captures in the collection: the Great Red Spot appears in vivid orange with a turbulent, churning structure trailing behind it, set against finely detailed, braided cloud bands. Three of the Galilean moons are visible in the same frame as small points near the disk.

Captured as RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Mare Crisium

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 04:24:00 +0000

Mare Crisium, a roughly 550-kilometer lava plain isolated from the Moon’s other major maria, sits along the terminator in this capture, its smooth floor contrasting sharply with the dense, ancient cratering of the surrounding highlands.

Captured as a two-pane mosaic through an IR-pass filter, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars: Surface Detail Sharpens

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 03:50:00 +0000

Five nights after the previous capture, Mars presents a noticeably larger disk with crisper detail: a sharp, dark marking spans much of the visible hemisphere, and a small blue-tinted polar hood sits at the northern limb.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Jupiter: Scalloped Cloud Bands

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:51:00 +0000

Jupiter’s cloud bands take on a strongly scalloped, wave-like form in this capture, especially along the boundary between the South Equatorial Belt and the Equatorial Zone. Rich rust and cream coloring contrasts against the pale polar regions, with no major storms in view this rotation.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Uranus

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 22:45:00 +0000

At over 2.8 billion kilometers away, Uranus resolves as little more than a small, softly glowing teal-green disk even at high magnification — its faint cloud bands and rings lie well beyond the reach of amateur equipment. The distinct color comes from methane in its atmosphere absorbing red sunlight while reflecting blue-green.

Captured as RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Mars: Early Approach to Opposition

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 04:01:00 +0000

Captured about five weeks before Mars reached opposition in January 2025, this image shows a still-modest disk with a broad dark surface marking and a bright blue-white hood over the north pole. The first of a series tracking Mars as it grew larger and brighter approaching its closest point to Earth.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

LDN 1217 and PK 111+11.1: Wolf's Cave Region

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:25:00 +0000

This deep exposure captures the fascinating region around the dark nebula LDN 1217 in the constellation Cepheus. The long, dusty filament obscures background stars and terminates in a striking blue reflection nebula, vdB 152 (also known as Wolf’s Cave), where the dust is illuminated by a hot nearby star.

Adding brilliant contrast to the scene is the planetary nebula PK 111+11.1, glowing brightly in teal and red in the upper right. Faint sweeps of red hydrogen emission, captured using the dual-band L-eXtreme filter, streak across the rich starry background, highlighting the complex and dynamic interstellar medium of this area.

Jupiter: Fine Detail in the Equatorial Belts

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 02:02:00 +0000

This capture resolves Jupiter’s belts in fine detail: a braided, wave-like boundary runs along the North Equatorial Belt, several small white ovals sit in the temperate latitudes, and a faint dark barge threads through the South Equatorial Belt. Multiple captures spanning about three minutes were derotated in WinJUPOS to counteract Jupiter’s fast rotation before stacking, preserving sharp detail despite the longer total integration.

Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.

Venus: The Start of a New Apparition

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:44:00 +0000

This capture marks the start of a new apparition for Venus, following its 2024 superior conjunction on the far side of the Sun. The disk is small and gibbous, around three-quarters illuminated, with much growth ahead as Venus approaches Earth again over the following months.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Saturn: A Thinning Ring System

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 20:18:00 +0000

By November 2024, Saturn’s rings have thinned considerably further, with a distinct dark shadow band visible where the rings cross in front of the globe. This is one of the last captures before the site’s planetary imaging setup changed to the current Meade 8" ACF rig.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

LDN 1235: The Shark Nebula

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 17:28:00 +0000

This deep exposure captures LDN 1235, famously known as the Shark Nebula, located in the constellation Cepheus. This large, dark molecular cloud complex is part of a vast region of galactic cirrus—faint, dusty material illuminated by the integrated starlight of the Milky Way. Its dense, light-absorbing dust creates the distinct shape of a shark’s head and body seemingly cruising through the cosmic ocean.

Accompanying the “shark” are two beautiful blue reflection nebulae, vdB 149 and vdB 150, which are illuminated by nearby hot stars and perfectly highlight the edges of the dark dust. Adding further depth to the background, a distant spiral galaxy (PGC 67671) is visible to the right of the main nebula.

A Prominence Arch with Earth for Scale

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:40:00 +0000

A large arch of prominence material rises from the limb. Distance rings at 50,000 km steps and a small Earth drawn to the same scale show how vast it is.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 17:27:00 +0000

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) a few days after its closest approach to Earth: a compact green coma, from the glow of diatomic carbon, trails a broad, bright dust tail across the frame.

Stacked on the comet to keep the nucleus sharp and processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Montes Apenninus

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:18:00 +0000

The Apennine Mountains (Montes Apenninus), a roughly 600-kilometer arc marking part of the rim of the Imbrium impact basin, cast dramatic shadows across this capture, with a prominent crater visible at the range’s edge.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon's Polar Region

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:13:00 +0000

This capture looks toward one of the Moon’s polar regions, where ancient, heavily overlapping craters create a rugged terrain quite different from the smoother mare regions elsewhere on the near side.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Copernicus

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:12:00 +0000

Copernicus, a roughly 93-kilometer crater with a complex terraced rim and central peaks, sits in deep shadow near the terminator in this capture, its full depth thrown into relief by the low sun angle.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon: A Cratered Terminator

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:08:00 +0000

Low sun angle along the terminator throws long shadows across this dense cluster of craters, exaggerating their depth and revealing fine detail in their walls and floors.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Clavius

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:06:00 +0000

This capture looks toward the Moon’s southern limb, where the enormous crater Clavius and its chain of smaller interior craterlets sit alongside dramatic shadow relief along the terminator.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Rupes Recta

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:00:00 +0000

This close-up resolves the Straight Wall — Rupes Recta — a roughly 110-kilometer fault scarp that appears as a dark line near the terminator, along with a dense field of surrounding craters in fine detail.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

LDN 1355, 1357 & 1358: The Helping Hand Nebula

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 21:19:00 +0000

This deep exposure captures the intriguing dark nebula complex of LDN 1355, LDN 1357, and LDN 1358, affectionately known as the “Helping Hand Nebula.” Located in the constellation Cassiopeia, this dense cloud of interstellar dust obscures the light from the background stars, creating the distinct silhouette of a hand reaching out across the cosmos.

The surrounding field is heavily populated with faint, sweeping, brownish cosmic dust (often referred to as galactic cirrus) and delicate patches of blue reflection nebulae. This highlights the incredibly dynamic and dusty environment of this fascinating region.

A Mineral Moon at Waning Gibbous

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 21:48:00 +0000

Captured about four months after the previous mineral-color image, this waning gibbous view again reveals the Moon’s subtle surface chemistry: blue-toned mare basalts rich in titanium contrast against warmer, iron-poor highland material. The differing libration and lighting angle bring out a slightly different color balance than the earlier capture, particularly around Mare Tranquillitatis.

Assembled as a multi-pane mosaic, color-calibrated and processed in PixInsight.

vdB 142: The Elephant Trunk Nebula

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 11:02:00 +0000

This deep image features vdB 142, popularly known as the Elephant Trunk Nebula, located in the constellation Cepheus. It is a concentration of dense interstellar gas and dust embedded within the much larger ionized emission region IC 1396. The dark, meandering column is an active star-forming region, shielding newly born stars inside from the harsh surrounding environment.

The edges of the “trunk” are brightly illuminated and ionized by the intense ultraviolet radiation from a massive nearby star, creating the glowing bright rim that outlines the structure against the rich, red hydrogen background.

A Sunspot Complex in White Light

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 14:09:00 +0000

A large sunspot with a broad, filamentary penumbra sits among smaller companion spots, all surrounded by the fine grain of solar granulation.

Captured as video, stacked in AutoStakkert!3 and sharpened in ImPPG.

Jupiter: The Great Red Spot's Turbulent Wake

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 03:49:00 +0000

The Great Red Spot appears here trailed by a bright, turbulent wake of white ovals and swirling cloud structure in the South Equatorial Belt, a common sight where the anticyclone’s rotation disturbs the surrounding jet stream. Belt colors are rendered with strong contrast between the rusty brown bands and pale zones.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

IC 5146: The Cocoon Nebula

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 15:10:00 +0000

IC 5146, widely known as the Cocoon Nebula, is a striking star-forming region located roughly 2,500 to 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. This image beautifully captures the glowing red emission of ionized hydrogen, illuminated by a newly formed central cluster of young, hot stars.

The bright core is intricately laced with dark, obscuring dust lanes that surround the nebula and stretch outward. Off to the side, a delicate blue reflection nebula is visible, created by starlight scattering off the surrounding interstellar dust particles.

M16: The Eagle Nebula and The Pillars of Creation

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 13:37:00 +0000

This image showcases M16, the Eagle Nebula, a vast emission nebula and H II region located in the constellation Serpens. At the heart of the nebula lie the famous “Pillars of Creation,” towering columns of interstellar dust and gas that serve as active star-forming nurseries. The intense ultraviolet radiation from the open cluster of young, massive stars illuminates the surrounding hydrogen gas, carving out the cavity and creating the vibrant red glow.

NGC 6946: The Fireworks Galaxy

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:32:00 +0000

This deep exposure captures NGC 6946, a spectacular face-on intermediate spiral galaxy situated on the border of the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus. Popularly known as the “Fireworks Galaxy” due to the unusually high number of supernovae observed within it, the galaxy is characterized by a bright, golden central core and intricate dark dust lanes.

Sweeping outward from the center, its sprawling spiral arms are richly decorated with brilliant blue star clusters and prominent pinkish HII regions, indicating areas of intense and active star formation. These vibrant details are beautifully captured here, despite the galaxy being heavily obscured by the interstellar dust of our own Milky Way, given its position near the galactic plane.

NGC 6781: The Snowglobe Nebula

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 11:05:00 +0000

This image captures NGC 6781, widely known as the Snowglobe Nebula, a beautiful planetary nebula located in the constellation Aquila. The bubble-like structure is formed by the outer layers of a dying sun-like star being cast off into space. The intense ultraviolet radiation from the exposed white dwarf core illuminates the expanding gas, creating the distinct color separation seen here: a hot, glowing blue center dominated by ionized oxygen (OIII) and a cooler, delicate red outer shell composed primarily of hydrogen (H-alpha).

H-alpha Limb Panorama

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:06:00 +0000

A wide panorama along the limb in H-alpha, taking in active regions, bright plage and dark filaments on the disk.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

AR3697 in Motion

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:04:00 +0000

Active region AR3697 in H-alpha: a group of sunspots, bright plage and swirling fibrils, with a long, curving dark filament sweeping across the lower part of the frame. Watching the sequence play shows how restless the chromosphere is, even over a few minutes.

Frames were captured as video, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3 and sharpened in ImPPG, then aligned and assembled into the time-lapse.

M5: Globular Cluster in Serpens

Sun, 26 May 2024 18:19:00 +0000

This image presents M5, a spectacular globular cluster in the constellation Serpens, located roughly 24,500 light-years away. Spanning about 160 light-years, it is one of the larger globular clusters known, and with an estimated age of more than 10 billion years, it is also one of the oldest objects in our galaxy. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1702.

The image shows the cluster’s intensely concentrated, brilliant core surrounded by a wide halo of resolved stars. The natural star colors are well preserved, with numerous orange red giants standing out against the bluish-white glow of the dense stellar population, offering a vivid glimpse into one of the Milky Way’s most ancient stellar systems.

A Mineral Moon

Thu, 23 May 2024 23:50:00 +0000

This “mineral Moon” image pushes the subtle natural color differences across the lunar surface far beyond what the eye can see, revealing mineral composition hidden in the regolith: the blue-grey maria are rich in titanium-bearing ilmenite, while the golden-tan highlands and crater rays — especially the bright system radiating from Tycho at the bottom — are more iron-poor and aluminum-rich. These color differences are real but extremely faint in ordinary images; strong saturation boosting during processing is what makes them visible.

Active Region in H-alpha: May 2024

Tue, 21 May 2024 13:28:00 +0000

In H-alpha the sunspots of this active region sit within bright plage and a web of curving fibrils that trace the local magnetic field.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

The Moon, Montes Apenninus and Eratosthenes

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:17:00 +0000

Montes Apenninus, a roughly 600-kilometer arc marking part of the Imbrium basin’s rim, stretches across the upper part of this capture, its peaks catching the low sun while the lowlands below remain in shadow. At its western foot sits Eratosthenes, a 58-kilometer crater with terraced walls and no ray system of its own, its rays long since eroded away by billions of years of micrometeorite impacts.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon, Plato and Montes Alpes

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:13:00 +0000

The 101-kilometer walled plain Plato sits at upper left in this capture, its floor a smooth expanse of dark basalt in contrast to its rugged, terraced rim. Below it, the Montes Alpes range rises sharply from the shore of Mare Imbrium, its jagged peaks and ridgelines carved by the same impact that formed the Imbrium basin.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Gassendi

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:10:00 +0000

Gassendi, a 110-kilometer crater sitting on the northern rim of Mare Humorum, shows off its complex, fractured floor in this capture: a network of fine rilles cuts across the crater interior around a cluster of central peaks, the result of lava welling up and cracking the floor after the impact.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon: Copernicus and Its Ejecta

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:09:00 +0000

Copernicus, the 93-kilometer crater with terraced walls and a cluster of central peaks, sits at upper left in this capture, its full depth thrown into relief by the low sun. To the southeast, the rugged, hummocky terrain and chains of secondary craters mark the crater’s ejecta blanket, debris thrown out and sculpted by the impact that formed it.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon and Sinus Iridum

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:08:00 +0000

A closer view of Sinus Iridum, the roughly 236-kilometer bay left by an ancient impact basin later flooded by Mare Imbrium’s lava. Its arcing rim, anchored by the promontories of Heraclides and Laplace at either end, is thrown into sharp relief by the low sun, while the smooth mare floor within contrasts against the rugged terrain to the south.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon, Sinus Iridum and Plato

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:46:00 +0000

Sinus Iridum, the roughly 236-kilometer “Bay of Rainbows,” opens onto Mare Imbrium in the lower left of this capture, its arcing rim the remnant of an ancient impact basin later flooded by mare lava. To the upper right, the 101-kilometer walled plain Plato sits with its smooth, dark floor, both features rendered in fine detail by steady seeing.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

The Moon: A Long Terminator Mosaic

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:41:00 +0000

Assembled from several stacked panes, this tall mosaic follows the terminator across a long stretch of the Moon’s near side, from the walled plain Plato and the bay of Sinus Iridum in the north, down through the Apennine highlands, to the bright rays of Copernicus in the south. The low sun angle throws every crater rim and mountain range into sharp relief along the entire length of the strip.

Captured as a multi-pane mosaic, with each pane stacked in AutoStakkert!3, aligned and blended together, then processed in PixInsight.

M13: The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:45:00 +0000

This image captures M13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, one of the brightest and best-known globular clusters visible from the northern hemisphere. Lying roughly 22,000 light-years away, this tightly bound sphere of several hundred thousand stars spans about 145 light-years and is among the oldest structures in our galaxy, with an age of over 11 billion years.

The image resolves individual stars from the sparse outer halo all the way into the crowded core, while preserving their natural colors: cool, evolved red giants glow in warm orange tones, contrasting with the hotter blue stars scattered throughout the cluster. First recorded by Edmond Halley in 1714, M13 was also the target of the famous 1974 Arecibo radio message.

Saturn: A Narrower Ring Tilt

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 17:27:00 +0000

By the end of 2023, Saturn’s rings have visibly narrowed compared to the wide-open views from 2022, part of the multi-year progression toward the edge-on appearance the rings will reach later in this collection. This capture is crisp and well-exposed, with good tonal balance between rings and globe.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

M22: The Great Sagittarius Cluster

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 15:14:00 +0000

This image presents M22, the Great Sagittarius Cluster, one of the closest globular clusters to Earth at a distance of roughly 10,600 light-years. Discovered in 1665 by Abraham Ihle, it was one of the very first globular clusters ever recorded, and it is among the brightest in the entire sky.

Because M22 lies in the direction of the galactic bulge, the cluster is framed by an extraordinarily rich background of Milky Way stars, which fill the entire field in a tapestry of blue, white and orange points. Against this crowded backdrop, the cluster’s loosely concentrated core stands out as a bright, glittering ball of ancient stars.

Venus: A Thin Morning Crescent

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 03:55:00 +0000

Shot shortly after Venus’s inferior conjunction in August 2023, this capture shows a thin crescent with a large apparent disk, as Venus re-emerged into the morning sky on the near side of its orbit to Earth.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Jupiter Through an Antique 1875 Refractor

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 00:29:00 +0000

This capture used a very different instrument from the rest of the collection: a 162mm f/15 refractor built in 1875 by the Merz-Dallmeyer optical workshop, paired with a 2x Barlow lens. The long, slow optical path and 19th-century glass render Jupiter’s belts with a distinct soft, warm character quite unlike the modern views elsewhere in this gallery, though the same equatorial banding and pale hollow near the South Equatorial Belt are still clearly resolved.

Saturn with Rhea, Iapetus, Tethys and Dione

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 00:28:00 +0000

This wide-field capture catches Saturn alongside four moons at once: Rhea, Iapetus, Tethys and Dione, each visible as a faint point at varying distances from the planet, illustrating the scale of Saturn’s extensive moon system.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Venus: A Clear Crescent

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 19:52:00 +0000

Two months later, Venus has thinned into a clear crescent phase, illuminated across roughly a quarter of its disk. The apparent size has grown substantially as the planet closes in on Earth ahead of its 2023 inferior conjunction.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Venus Just Past Dichotomy

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:34:00 +0000

Just two days after the previous capture, Venus has moved just past dichotomy, its illuminated portion now visibly less than half as it transitions from gibbous toward crescent phase, with the apparent disk noticeably larger than earlier in the year.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

ISS Transit Across the Sun

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000

The International Space Station crosses the face of the Sun in a fraction of a second, so the transit is shown here as a sequence of frames merged into one composite, the station’s path running diagonally across the disk past a few sunspots.

Captured as video panels, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3, sharpened in ImPPG and stitched into a mosaic.

M45: The Pleiades

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 17:14:00 +0000

This image captures M45, the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, one of the nearest and most recognizable open star clusters in the sky. Located about 440 light-years away in the constellation Taurus, this group of hot, young blue stars formed only around 100 million years ago, making it a true infant on cosmic timescales.

The cluster’s brightest members are enveloped in a striking blue reflection nebula. Rather than being the remnant of the cloud from which the stars were born, this dust belongs to an unrelated interstellar cloud that the cluster is currently passing through, scattering the intense blue starlight. The image reveals the fine, streaky filaments of this dust, especially around Merope and Maia, as well as the fainter nebulosity extending into the surrounding field.

Saturn: The Sharpest of 2022

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 18:02:00 +0000

Closing out this run of October 2022 sessions, this capture is the sharpest of the batch: a small but crisp disk with a clean, well-resolved Cassini Division and good color throughout the ring system.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Neptune

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 19:27:00 +0000

At roughly 4.3 billion kilometers away, Neptune appears as little more than a faint, pale blue-green point in this capture — the most distant planet in the solar system and by far the smallest, dimmest target in this gallery. Its largest moon, Triton, was not resolved in this exposure.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Saturn with Titan, Rhea, Dione and Tethys

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 18:07:00 +0000

Pulling back to a wider field of view, this capture places Saturn in context alongside four of its moons scattered across the frame: bright Titan, the solar system’s second-largest moon, along with Rhea, Dione and Tethys as fainter points.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Jupiter with Ganymede, Europa and Io

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 19:56:00 +0000

Recorded on 26 October 2022, this video captures Jupiter alongside three of its Galilean moons — Ganymede, Europa and Io — through the original Meade Maksutov 127/1900 and ASI224MC setup with a 2x Barlow lens. Like the other October clip, it is shown centered and cropped for framing, ahead of any stacking or color processing.

Saturn: Rings and Globe in Fine Color

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 18:42:00 +0000

This capture shows crisp color contrast between the pale blue-grey rings and the warm cream tones of the globe, with the Cassini Division — the main gap in the ring system — faintly resolved near the ansae.

Captured as a single video and stacked in AutoStakkert!3, then processed in PixInsight.

Jupiter with the Great Red Spot, Callisto and Io

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 21:00:00 +0000

This rotation video from October 2022 captures Jupiter alongside two of its Galilean moons, Callisto and Io, with the Great Red Spot visible as a small orange oval near the disk’s southern edge. It was recorded through the original Meade Maksutov 127/1900 and ASI224MC setup with a 2x Barlow lens, the rig used for planetary imaging before it was replaced by the current Meade 8" ACF and mono camera combination.

A Prominence Drifting off the Limb

Sat, 27 Aug 2022 14:13:00 +0000

A delicate, wispy prominence stands off the limb in H-alpha, its filaments of plasma shifting and drifting as the sequence plays. Along the edge of the disk, the ragged texture of spicules is visible.

Frames were captured as video, each stacked in AutoStakkert!3 and sharpened in ImPPG, then aligned and assembled into the time-lapse.