Jan 212024
 

NGC 281 / IC 11 / Sh2-184 – Commonly called the Pacman Nebula. Located in the Perseus Spiral Arm of the Milkyway. Taken over multiple nights totally 26 hours of total emission line exposure time from Clinton, TN.

Close up crop showing some of the interesting Bok Globules; dark nebulas of dense cosmic dust and gas from which new star formation can begin.

Jan 202024
 

Sh2-261 AKA Lower’s Nebula – 10 Hours of Exposure time from Clinton, TN

Sh2-261, also called Lower’s Nebula in honor of Harold and Charles Lower who discovered it in 1939,  is located between the Orion and Perseus arms of the Milkyway.  It is dominated by H-alpha emission with little O[III] emission.

Jul 162022
 

AP130GTX with QHY268M CMOS Camera on AP1200GTO Mount. Total Exposure time of ~17.5 hours comprised of 105 x 5 minute sub frames. Images captured from Clinton, TN.

Located roughly 5,000 light years from earth, the Rosette Nebula is approximately 130 light years in diameter and is home to about 2,500 new born stars in this star forming complex. For a more down to earth factoid, the Rosette Nebula is the official astronomical object of the State of Oklahoma as passed by the Legislature in 2019.