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.
Astrophotography in late August and early September feature ideal conditions for spending a full night photographing the stars. The nights are longer, the temperature is warm, yet cool at night, and the breathtaking Milky Way core continues to stretch upwards into the night, as nightfall sets in. Right now, some of the first stars to…
While digging though some old folders on Adobe Bridge, I stumbled across some unprocessed, 300 second light frames of the Flaming Star Nebula from November 2013! When you are desperate to get out and image a new target, this is like hitting gold. I was originally looking for my raw files of the Pacman Nebula, which…
Located below Orion’s Belt, the Orion Nebula is now gracing our skies each night The skies were clear in Niagara last weekend, so I set up my telescope for a night of astrophotography imaging. There are so many great imaging options at this time of year. The Pleiades, the Pacman Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, the…
M27 – The Dumbbell Nebula The Dumbbell Nebula is well photographed by professional and amateur night sky photographers alike. It was one of the first deep-sky objects I imaged way back in 2011. A member of the astronomy forum I was a part of suggested that I give it a try, as it is a…
The Sadr Region in the Cygnus refers to the hydrogen emission nebula surrounding Sadr (Gamma Cygni) in the cross of the constellation Cygnus. In this area of the night sky, you will also find even more deep-sky astrophotography targets such as the Butterfly Nebula (IC 1318), and the Crescent Nebula. Sadr (a supergiant) has 12…
Photographing the Sadr Star in Cygnus If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I was poking around in the middle of the constellation Cygnus last weekend, specifically centered on to the extremely bright Sadr star. I really wanted to post a really snazzy wide field photo of this region on this…
Backyard Astrophotography Summer would not be complete without spending a night enjoying the dazzling beauty that is the constellation Sagittarius. The “teapot” asterism just clears my fence to the south of my backyard in central St. Catharines. From my latitude, August is my last chance to image the many star clusters and nebulae that populate…
One of the best ways to enjoy astronomy under a dark sky is to go camping. Campgrounds are usually well away from city light pollution, meaning that you will be able to enjoy many more stars in the sky than you are used to seeing at home. In mid-summer, the sun sets very late at…
The Wizard Nebula through my 80mm Telescope Clear August Nights More consecutive clear summer nights have allowed me to put in some serious time on the Wizard Nebula! In fact, this is the most amount of exposure time I have put into any object! Over 7 Hours! Truth be told, I would have hopped over…
IC 5164 – The Cocoon Nebula Imaged with an 80mm Refractor We have had a stretch of clear nights this summer, and I have been taking full advantage! This year I decided to spend some time in the sweet spot of the sky, Cygnus the Swan. This area of the night sky rises high overhead…
Above: IC 2118 – The Witchead Nebula – Imaged Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014 18 subs, 5 Minutes Each totaling 1 Hours 30 Minutes PHOTO DETAILS Scope: Explore Scientific ED80 with WO Flat III 0.8x FR/FF Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Synscan Guiding: Meade DSI Pro II and PHD Guiding Guide Scope: Orion Mini 50mm Camera: Canon…
How the Rosette Nebula looks with a Stock DSLR Will an unmodified Canon DSLR pick up the red nebulosity? Happy New Year! I was finally graced with some clear skies that showcased the beautiful winter milky way on Monday. The moon was about 19% lit, and it didn’t set until about 10:30 pm, so about…