Nebulae are massive clouds of dust and gas. There are many different types of nebulae including; emission nebula, planetary nebula, reflection nebula, dark nebula, and supernova remnant.
Bright deep-sky objects, like nebulae, make great beginner deep-sky astrophotography targets because they are easier to focus, frame, and process compared to dimmer, smaller objects like most galaxies.
They also vary in color combinations, and compositions making them a popular deep-sky object to photograph. Some of my absolute favorite nebulae in the night sky include the Orion Nebula and the stunning Eagle Nebula.
Below, is an assortment of nebulas I have captured using my camera and telescope from the backyard.
M78 – Reflection Nebula in Orion I am finally done my “winter project” of M78 in the constellation Orion. The winter weather in the Niagara Region doesn’t bode to well for astrophotographers as the clear nights are slim to none. Last night, however, I was able to squeeze in another 1.5 hours of shooting on…
Here is my image of the M78 Reflection Nebula in Orion. The image below is a stack of multiple exposures combined over three nights, spanning three months! I captured this image using my stock Canon EOS Rebel XSi digital camera and my 80mm triplet apochromatic refractor telescope. M78 – A Reflection Nebula in Orion The…
The following photo of the California Nebula was captured using my DSLR camera before it was modified for astrophotography. NGC 1499 in Perseus is perhaps the best example of the difference removing the stock IR cut filter from your DSLR camera can make. For an emission nebula like this, an image with a stock camera…
The Iris Nebula is a beautiful, blue reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus. Cataloged as NGC 7023, this deep-sky object is a superb choice for your camera and telescope. If you haven’t photographed a reflection nebula before, you are in for a real treat. The dust and reflected light associated with the Iris Nebula are…
This post provides a great example of what to expect when shooting the Eagle Nebula with a stock DSLR camera. When people ask me whether it’s necessary to modify their DSLR to capture deep sky astrophotography images, I often think back to my early experiences with M16. M16 – The Eagle Nebula I have since…
This is an old post from my early adventures in deep sky astrophotography before I had a backyard to call my own. From 2011 through 2014, I spent a lot of time at my local astronomy clubs observatory. It took me about 45 minutes to drive there each way, and I set up all of…