Nebulae

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.

Nebulae in the night sky

M78 Project – Done!

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…

The Iris Nebula

The Iris Nebula

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…

Show me the Crab

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…