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The Crab Nebula (M1)

Messier 1, also known as the Crab Nebula, is a bright supernova remnant located in the constellation Taurus. It was formed when a massive star exploded in the year 1054, an event recorded by ancient astronomers.

The nebula lies about 6,500 light-years from Earth and is expanding as the leftover material from the explosion moves outward. It measures roughly 11 light-years across, making it large despite appearing small in the sky. At its center is a rapidly spinning neutron star called the Crab Pulsar, which gives off strong energy that helps power the nebula’s glow. The object’s tangled, claw-like appearance is what earned it the nickname “Crab Nebula.”

This image is a combination of three dual band filters and four distinct bands.

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IC 2177 - Seagull Nebula

IC 2177 is a huge cloud of glowing gas and dust in space called a nebula. Sometimes referred to as the Seagull Nebula because its shape in photos looks a bit like a seagull flying. It lies on the border between the constellations Monoceros (the Unicorn) and Canis Major (the Big Dog), and it’s about 3,650–3,800 light-years from Earth.

The Seagull Nebula is very large, spanning about 200–250 light-years across. The nebula IC 2177 is often thought of as the “head” of this seagull shape, and it’s also been cataloged as Gum 1 and Sh2-292.

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Heron Galaxy

NGC 5394 is interacting with a nearby, larger galaxy called NGC 5395. Together they are known as Arp 84 and are sometimes called the “Heron Galaxy” because their shapes combined appear to look like a heron in pictures.

NGC 5394 is a barred spiral galaxy found in the northern constellation Canes Venatici. It is about 175 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy is roughly 97,000 light-years wide, which makes it a little smaller than the Milky Way.

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M45 - The Pleiades/Seven Sisters

Messier 45 (M45)—better known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters—is one of the brightest and closest open star clusters to Earth.

Located in the constellation Taurus, it lies roughly 440 light-years away. The cluster spans about 17–20 light-years across and contains more than 1,000 stars, though only a handful are visible to the naked eye. Its most famous members—bright blue, hot B-type stars—illuminate surrounding interstellar dust, creating the cluster’s characteristic blue reflection nebula.

M45 has been recognized by cultures worldwide for thousands of years and is sometimes also called Subaru (in Japan) and The Hen and Her Chicks in various folklore traditions.

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Orion Nebula - Trapezium

At the heart of the Orion Nebula lies the Trapezium Cluster, a tight group of young, massive stars whose intense ultraviolet radiation lights up and completely transforms the surrounding clouds of gas and dust.

These stars are powerful enough to carve out a hollowed-out cavity in the nebula, pushing away material with their strong stellar winds while simultaneously illuminating the region with a characteristic glow. This dynamic interaction between the Trapezium and the surrounding nebula creates the bright, sculpted structures seen in the Orion Nebula’s core, one of the most active and visually striking star-forming regions in the night sky.

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Rosebud Nebula - NGC 7129

NGC 7129 also known by nicknames such as the “Rosebud Nebula” or “Cosmic Rosebud”, is a compact reflection nebula and star-forming region in the constellation Cepheus. Situated at a distance of about 3,300 light-years from Earth, the nebula is especially noted for its vivid structure: a young cluster of stars (many under a million years old) have carved out a bubble-like cavity in a molecular cloud, creating the rosebud-shaped appearance that gives it its nickname.

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Lion Nebula

The Lion Nebula (Sh2-132) is a sprawling emission region located in the constellation Cepheus (near the border with Lacerta), about 10,000 to 11,000 light-years away, and it spans on the order of a few hundred light-years in diameter. It is popularly nicknamed the “Lion Nebula” because its shape—especially in wide-field astro-images—evokes a lion’s head or body.

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Comet 2025 A6 Lemmon

Comet Lemmon on October 2nd 2025 as it races towards closest approach with Earth later this month on October 21st 2025

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Blue Horsehead Nebula (IC 4592)

IC 4592, often nicknamed the "Blue Horsehead Nebula", is a striking reflection nebula located in the constellation Scorpius. Its nickname comes from its distinctive shape, which resembles a horse's head, and its blue coloration caused by starlight reflecting off interstellar dust. The nebula spans a vast region of space, covering an area over 10 light-years across, and lies approximately 400 light-years from Earth.

Unlike emission nebulae that glow due to ionized gas, IC 4592 shines primarily through reflected light, particularly from the nearby bright star Nu Scorpii. This ethereal and expansive nebula is part of a larger complex of dust and gas in the region, making it a popular subject for astrophotographers and sky watchers.

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Cat’s Eye Nebula

NGC 6543, commonly known as the Cats Eye Nebula, is a well-known planetary nebula located in the constellation Draco. It lies approximately 3,300 light-years from Earth and has a complex structure.

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NGC4361 - The Lawn Sprinkler Nebula

NGC 4361, also know as the Lawn Sprinkler Nebula, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Corvus. It lies approximately 1,300 light-years from Earth and spans about 1 light-year across, making it relatively large for a planetary nebula. Sometimes referred to as a "halo planetary nebula" due to its location in the galactic halo and its older, low-metallicity characteristics.

The grass may not always be greener on the other side of the cosmic fence, but sometimes the lawn sprinklers are WAY cooler!

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NGC 4565 - The Needle Galaxy

A magnificent edge-on spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Coma Berenices.

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Sh2-284, also sometimes referred to as the “Portal Nebula”, located in the constellation Monoceros the unicorn.

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The Owl Nebula, M97

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Blood Worm Moon on March 14, 2025

The Blood Worm Moon on March 14, 2025, was a full moon that coincided with a total lunar eclipse, giving it the "Blood Moon" name due to the reddish hue caused by Earth's shadow. This moon is traditionally called the "Worm Moon" because it marks the time when earthworms and other creatures begin to emerge as the ground thaws, signaling the arrival of spring. Some Native American traditions also associate the name with beetle larvae emerging from tree bark rather than earthworms.

Spiritually, the Worm Moon is associated with renewal, letting go of the past, and embracing change. Many people use this time for rituals such as writing down what they want to release, meditating under the moon, or setting new intentions.

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Flaming Star Nebula (IC405)

IC 405, also known as the Flaming Star Nebula, is an emission and reflection nebula in the constellation Auriga, about 1,500 light-years from Earth. It surrounds the bright variable star AE Aurigae, which is thought to have been ejected from the Orion Nebula due to a past stellar interaction.

The nebula glows due to a combination of ionized hydrogen gas emitting red light and dust scattering blue light from AE Aurigae. IC 405 spans about 5 light-years and is a popular target for astrophotography due to its striking colors and complex structure.

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Tadpoles Nebula (NGC1893 / IC410)

IC 410 is a nebula located about 12,000 light-years away in the constellation Auriga. It is an emission nebula, meaning it glows due to ionized gas energized by radiation from young, hot stars. At its center lies the open star cluster NGC 1893, which contains massive, newly formed stars that illuminate the surrounding gas.

A notable feature of IC 410 is its "Tadpoles"—dense clouds of gas and dust shaped by stellar winds and radiation, which are sites of ongoing star formation. The nebula spans roughly 100 light-years and is a rich astrophotography target due to its intricate structure and striking colors.

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