Hickson 44 – The Leo Quartet
Hickson 44, also known as the Leo Quartet, is a small group of galaxies in the constellation Leo at a distance of about 80 to 100 million light-years. Its most prominent members are NGC 3190, NGC 3193, NGC 3187, and…
vdB 30
The image shows the region around vdB 30, an entry in Sidney van den Bergh’s catalog of reflection nebulae. In this image, however, the typical blue reflection components are not the main focus. Instead, the large-scale structures of hydrogen (H-alpha)…
M81 / M82 / NGC 3077
In the constellation Ursa Major, this image shows one of the most impressive galaxy groups in our local universe: M81, M82, and NGC 3077 – all about 12 million light-years away. These three galaxies are closely bound by gravity and…
IC 443 – Jellyfish Nebula
IC 443, also known as the Jellyfish Nebula, is a supernova remnant in the constellation Gemini, located about 5,000 light-years from Earth. It was formed when a massive star exploded roughly 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. Today, we see the…
IC 434 – Horsehead Nebula
In the constellation Orion, just south of the belt star Alnitak, lies one of the most famous regions in the sky: the Horsehead and Flame Nebula complex. This image shows the reddish emission nebula IC 434 with the dark silhouette…
IC 1848 – Soul Nebula
In the constellation Cassiopeia, the Soul Nebula IC 1848 is a vast H II region where young, massive stars flood the surrounding hydrogen gas with ultraviolet radiation, causing it to glow. This image was captured in the SHO palette, combining…
IC 63 & NGC 281 – Ghost of Cassiopeia & Pacman
In the constellation Cassiopeia, this wide-field image captures two objects at very different distances: IC 63 (“Ghost of Cassiopeia”) – A compact emission and reflection nebula illuminated by the bright star γ Cassiopeiae, surrounded by extended hydrogen gas and dust…
Auriga – Clusters & Nebulae
In the constellation Auriga, this wide-field image shows the emission nebulae IC 405 – Flaming Star Nebula, IC 410 – Tadpole Nebula and IC 417 – Spider Nebula. The image also includes the star clusters NGC 1912 and NGC 1960.…
LDN 1374 & NGC 957
Since I could not find an image of LDN 1374, I decided to give it a try myself. This field lies near the border between the constellations Perseus and Cassiopeia. On the left side of the image is the open…
NGC 1499 – California Nebula
In the constellation Perseus lies the emission nebula NGC 1499 (“the California Nebula”). Dark dust filaments absorb light and appear as silhouettes against the glowing gas—tracing dense material from which new stars can form over time in regions like this.…