This is comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura). It was discovered on August 12, by Japanese astronomer Hideo Nishimura. He discovered it as an unexpected deep space object in a series of images he had taken. C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) is believed to orbit the Sun every 430 years and had a visual magnitude of +5.9 when I […]
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There are four deep-space objects worth looking for in September! This is the Western Veil Nebula, NGC 6960. With a visual magnitude of +5.00, you might think it would be easy to see with the naked eye. But in reality, it’s difficult to see unless you’re using an OIII filter on a telescope. The […]
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Two Planetary Nebula A planetary nebula (PN) is a type of emission nebula consisting of an expanding, glowing shell of ionized gas ejected from red giant stars late in their lives. This is M27, the Dumbbell Nebula. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. It is the first “Planetary Nebula” ever discovered. But Messier […]
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Below there are two images I took of M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy. One was taken several years ago and shows M101 in its normal stage. The other one was taken on June 5, 2023, a little more than two weeks after a supernova explosion was discovered by astronomers in Utah. Supernovas occur at the end […]
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This is the Hercules Cluster, M13. Many star watchers consider it to be the most interesting globular cluster in our skies. It was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714 and cataloged by Charles Messier in 1764 – (remember Messier’s catalog was a list of deep space objects you shouldn’t mistake for comets!) It contains several […]
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Sky Charts can be Misleading! If you look at the Big Dipper constellation (Ursa Major) using a computerized star chart, it appears to be at the center of a large collection of galaxies! But looks can be deceiving–consider these three galaxies: The is M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. It can be found just above the first […]
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Markarian’s Chain This is Markarian’s Chain. It’s a cluster of eight galaxies located in the constellation Virgo. (The other faint galaxies in this image are much further away and just happen to be in the line of sight of the telescope.) The two bright galaxies to the right are M86 and M84. They were both […]
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An Interesting Pair These are M81 (on the right) and M82. If they look close together, that’s because they are! Currently, the centers of the galaxies are about 150,000 light years apart. A couple of hundred million years ago, they were even closer together. Both galaxies were discovered by Johann Bode in 1774. Charles Messier […]
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The Green Comet I was lucky enough to get a very good evening of astrophotography on January 24. As a result, I got this image of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). Both the color and shape of this comet are rather unusual. Most comets are predominantly yellow-bodied, with a blue tail. This comet is green! That’s […]
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Need Something to do after the Party? Take a Look at the Orion Nebula! If you walk outside after celebrating New Year’s Eve and look to the south, you should be able to spot M42, the Orion Nebula. With a visual magnitude of +4.0, it is visible to anyone with normal eyesight, (unless it’s cloudy.) […]
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