NGC 281 Pacman Nebula

NGC 281 is a busy workshop of star formation. Prominent features include a small open cluster of stars, a diffuse red-glowing emission nebula, large lanes of obscuring gas and dust, and dense knots of dust and gas in which stars may still be forming. The open cluster of stars IC 1590 visible around the center has formed only in the last few million years. The brightest member of this cluster is actually a multiple-star system shining light that helps ionize the nebula's gas, causing the red glow visible throughout. The lanes of dust visible left of center are likely homes of future star formation. Particularly striking in the above photograph are the dark Bok globules visible against the bright nebula. The NGC 281 system, dubbed the Pacman nebula for its overall shape, lies about 10 thousand light years distant.

Optics: Vixen ED81s @ f/5.2
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 synscan Pro
Guiding: SBIG ST2000XM ST4
Camera: SBIG ST2000XM
Filter Wheel: SBIG CFW9
Filters: Baader Ha
CCD Temperature: -10 degrees Celsius
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Date: Aug 22, 2018
Location: Sekoulas - Ileia - Greece- Albireo Observatory 2
Exposure
Ha : 100 min (5x20 min)
Binning: 1x1(Ha)
Calibration: Darks, Flats, Bias

NGC 6871

NGC 6871 is a small, young open cluster in the constellation of Cygnus. The cluster has less than 50 members, most of which are blue and white stars. It is located 5135 light-years from Earth.

Optics: Vixen ED81s @ f/5.2
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 synscan Pro
Guiding: SBIG ST2000XM ST4
Camera: SBIG ST2000XM
Filter Wheel: SBIG CFW9
Filters: Astronomik LRGB
CCD Temperature: -10 degrees Celsius
Constellation: Cygnus
Date: Aug 17, 2018
Location: Sekoulas - Ileia - Greece - Albireo Observatory 2
Exposure
L: 10x10 min bin 1x1
R:G:B: 10x5 min bin 2x2
Calibration: Darks, Flats, Bias

LDN 673

 At a distance of about 600 light years from us, LDN 673 is a beautiful dark nebula covering almost a full degree of sky in the constellation of Aquila. The nebula is superimposed upon the thick molecular clouds within the Milky Way. The dust in these molecular clouds scatters the blue light from these stars, giving the surrounding stars a decidedly yellow-red bias.

Technical Details

Optics: Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L lens

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan pro

Guiding: Skywatcher 9x50 finderscope+DMK21AU04

Camera: Canon EOS 450D

Date: 29-30 Jul, 2016

Constellation: Aquila

Location: Parnonas Mountain, Greece

Exposure: 4x10 min, ISO 800

Barnard 138

 

In this photo we see a curved, dark marking, B 138, finally ending in a sharp, black spot. The curved object looks like a great, black lizard. Its head is the sharply defined black spot, B 139.  The "lizard" even has legs, one of which is a sharp, dark projection, B 137.

Technical Details

Optics: Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L lens

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan pro

Guiding: Skywatcher 9x50 finderscope+DMK21AU04

Camera: Canon EOS 450D

Date: 29-30 Jul, 2016

Constellation: Aquila

Location: Parnonas Mountain, Greece

Exposure: 4x10 min, ISO 800

Pleiades Star Cluster (Seven Sisters or M45)

 

Hurtling through a cosmic dust cloud some 400 light-years away, the lovely Pleiades or Seven Sisters star cluster is well-known for its striking blue reflection nebulae. In the dusty sky toward the constellation Taurus and the Orion Arm of our Milky Way Galaxy, this remarkable image shows the famous star cluster in the middle.

This image appeared in:

- "Covjek i svemir" magazine (Croatia)

- Sky & Telescope magazine Online Gallery (Miscellaneous Scenes & Skies)

- Editor choice in "Astronomski magazin" (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

- "Astropis" magazine issue Dec 2015 (Czech Republic)

Optics: Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L lens
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan pro
Guiding: Skywatcher 9x50 finderscope+DMK21AU04
Camera: Canon EOS 450D
Date: 14 Nov, 2015
Constellation: Taurus
Location: Parnonas Mountain, Greece
Exposure: 5x5 min + 2x10 min, ISO 800

Milky Way around Sagittarius

 

Sagittarius lies in the direction of the densest part of the Milky Way, the spiral galaxy in which our Solar System resides. If it were not for interstellar dust, which is concentrated along the plane of the Milky Way, this constellation and those near it would be obscured by the brilliance of the galactic core. The field of view near the galactic center is heavily mottled with stars and interstellar matter. In addition, several large fuzzy patches of light are clearly visible.

Technical Details

Optics: Canon EF 24mm f/5.6 lens

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan pro

Guiding: Skywatcher 9x50 finderscope+DMK21AU04

Camera: Canon EOS 450D

Date: 27 Jun, 2014

Location: Parnonas Mountain, Greece

Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex

 

Near the star Rho Ophiuchi, in the extreme southwest corner of Ophiuchus, is a region of strangeness and beauty. The star itself is enmeshed in a vast diffuse nebulosity, IC 4604, too faint to be studied visually. But from this nebulous region a number of dark narrow lanes flow out toward the east, appearing like black tentacles obscuring the starry background. These vacant lanes end near the star Xi Ophiuchi. Near Xi also is the large and strangely shaped dark cloud B63. This is an extraordinary region, described by Barnard as making a picture almost unequalled in interest in the entire heavens.

Technical Details

Optics: Canon EF 24mm f/5.6 lens

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan pro

Guiding: Skywatcher 9x50 finderscope+DMK21AU04

Camera: Canon EOS 450D

Date: 27 Jun, 2014

Location: Parnonas Mountain, Greece

Exposure: 3x15 min, ISO 800