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M45 – The Pleiades or Seven Sisters

Full size image can be seen here : The Pleiades with Canon 400D

M45 in Taurus
12 x 15 minute exposures (3 hours)
Skywatcher 200P Newt / Canon 400D
Sailsbury (Dark sky site)

M45 is also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Unfortunately in this close up image the full seven are not visible. This is one of the closest star clusters to us, and is clearly visible to the naked eye as a ‘cloudy patch’ in the night sky. The cluster is dominated by hot blue stars which are lighting up the dust cloud they are passing through.

M33 – Triangulum Galaxy

Full size image can be seen here : M33 with Canon 400D

M33 in Triangulum
3 x 15 minute exposures (45 minutes)
Skywatcher 200P Newt / Canon 400D
Salisbury (Dark sky site)

M33, also known as the Triangulum galaxy, has a diameter of about 50,000 light years. It is the third largest galaxy in the Local Group, a group of galaxies that also contains the Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy, and it may be a gravitationally bound companion of the Andromeda Galaxy.

IC 1805 – Heart Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : Heart Nebula with Atik 314L+

IC 1805 in Cassiopeia
26 x 15 minute exposures (6 hours 30 minutes)
Skywatcher 8″ Newt / Atik 314L+
Chatham (Light polluted site)

This is a narrowband Hydrogen Alpha view of the very centre of the Heart Nebula. Click here for a wider view.

NGC 281 – Pacman Nebula in Hubble Palette

Full size image can be seen here : Pacman Nebula with Atik 314L+

NGC 281 in Cassiopeia
69 x 15 minute exposures (17 hours and 15 minutes)
Approx. 6 hours per filter (SII, Ha, OIII)
Skywatcher 8″ Newt / Atik 314L+
Hoo Peninsula (Fairly dark sky site)

This open star cluster with associated nebulosity, also known as the Pacman Nebula, is 10,000 light years away from us, and is in our very own Milky Way. This image uses the Hubble Palette, which is falsely coloured, to reveal more delicate structure than a true colour representation would.

M16 – Eagle Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : M16 with Atik 314L+

M16 in Serpens
5 x 15 minute exposures (75 minutes)
Skywatcher 8″ Newt / Atik 314L+
Hoo Peninsula (Fairly dark sky site)

M16, also known as the Eagle Nebula, is 6,500 light years away. This area of the sky was made famous by the Hubble photograph entitled ‘The Pillars of Creation’. These so called pillars are approximately 57 trillion miles high, and get their name due to the new star formation that happens there. This image was taken with a narrowband Hydrogen Alpha filter.

M27 – Dumbbell Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : M27 with Atik 314L+

M27 in Vulpecula
6 x 15 minute exposures (90 minutes)
Skywatcher 8″ Newt / Atik 314L+
Romney Marsh (Dark sky site)

M27, also known as the Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula about 1,300 light years away. This image was produced using narrowband Ha and an OIII filters, representing red and blue. From those a synthetic green channel was created to make a full colour image.

IC 1805 – Heart Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : Heart Nebula with Canon 400D

IC 1805 in Cassiopeia
21 x 20 minute exposures (7 hours)
WIlliams Optics 72mm Refractor / Canon 400D
Chatham (Light polluted site)

IC 1805, also known as the Heart Nebula, is 7,500 light years away. This is an emission nebula showing glowing gas and darker dust lanes. The nebula is formed by plasma of ionized hydrogen and free electrons. This image was taken with a narrowband Hydrogen Alpha filter.

NGC 281 – Pacman Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : Pacman Nebula with Canon 400D

NGC 281 in Cassiopeia
20 x 20 minute exposures (6 hours and 40 minutes)
Skywatcher 8″ Newt / Canon 400D
Chatham (Light polluted site)

This open star cluster with associated nebulosity, also known as the Pacman Nebula, is 10,000 light years away from us, and is in our very own Milky Way. This image was taken through a narrowband Hydrogen Alpha filter.

M101 – Pinwheel Galaxy

Full size image can be seen here : M101 with Canon 400D

M101 in Ursa Major
7 x 10 minute exposures (70 minutes)
Skywatcher 8″ Newt / Canon 400D
Romney Marsh (Dark sky site)

M101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is about 27 million light years away. With a diameter of 170,000 light years it is nearly twice the size of the Milky Way. It is thought that M101 underwent a near collision with another galaxy, and the associated gravitational tidal forces caused the asymmetry.