NGC 281 Pacman Nebula

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :7 hours & 15 minutes from 2 nights with SVBONY 220 7nm 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.4

NGC 281 (commonly known as the Pacman Nebula) is a bright emission nebula and active star-forming region located in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Key Facts

• Nickname: It is called the "Pacman Nebula" because its large, dark lane of obscuring dust cuts into the glowing gas, making it look like the classic video game character.
• Distance: It is located approximately 9,200 to 10,000 light-years away from Earth, positioned in the Perseus spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy.
• Discovery: The nebula was discovered in August 1883 by the famous American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard.
• Cosmic Nursery: It contains the open star cluster IC 1590. The high-energy radiation from these hot, newborn stars ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow with a brilliant red hue.
• Bok Globules: The nebula features prominent, dense clouds of dust and gas known as Bok globules, which are active sites where new stars are currently packing together and forming.

NGC 6992 The Eastern Veil

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :4hours & 45minutes with SVBONY 220 7nm 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.4

Location : Agio Pnevma , Serres SQM : 21.35

NGC 6992 is the bright Eastern Veil Nebula, a colorful supernova remnant and part of the larger Cygnus Loop in the constellation Cygnus. It lies roughly 2,400 light-years from Earth and was formed by a massive star that exploded 10,000 to 20,000 years ago.

Key Facts

Constellation: Cygnus (The Swan)
Distance: About 2,400 light-years
Alternative Designation: Caldwell 33
Discovery: Found by William Herschel in 1784.

Physical Traits

Origin: Shockwaves from an old stellar explosion crashing into surrounding gas and dust.
Colors: Glowing ribbons of ionized hydrogen (red/orange), oxygen (blue), and sulfur (green).
Movement: Expanding outward at speeds near 1.5 million kilometers per hour. 

WR 134 or Dolphin

 

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :18 hours & 20 minutes from 5 nights with SVBONY 220 7nm 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.4

WR 134 is a variable Wolf-Rayet star located around 6,000 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus, surrounded by a faint bubble nebula blown by the intense radiation and fast wind from the star. It is five times the radius of the sun, but due to a temperature over 63,000 K it is 400,000 times as luminous as the Sun.

WR 134 was one of three stars in Cygnus observed in 1867 to have unusual spectra consisting of intense emission lines rather than the more normal continuum and absorption lines. These were the first members of the class of stars that came to be called Wolf-Rayet stars (WR stars) after Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet who discovered their unusual appearance.[8] It is a member of the nitrogen sequence of WR stars, while the other two (WR 135 and WR 137) are both members of the carbon sequence that also have OB companions. WR 134 has a spectrum with NIII and NIV emission between two and five times stronger than NV, leading to the assignment of a WN6 spectral type. The spectrum also shows strong HeII emission and weaker lines of HeI and CIV.

NGC 2903

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :5 hours with SVBONY 260 5band 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.3

NGC 2903

is a stunning barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Leo. Often called the "Jewel of Leo," it is famous among amateur astronomers for being one of the brightest galaxies not included in the Messier catalog.

Key Characteristics

• Type: Barred spiral (SBbc), similar in structure and size to our own Milky Way.
• Distance: Located approximately 30 million light-years away from Earth.
• Diameter: Spans about 80,000 to 100,000 light-years.
• Apparent Magnitude: Around 9.0, making it one of the brightest galaxies in the northern hemisphere visible through small telescopes.

Scientific Interest

• Star Formation: Its core exhibits exceptionally high rates of new star formation, known as starburst activity.
• Central Bar: The central "bar" acts as a funnel, channeling gas toward the center of the galaxy and fueling the birth of new stars.
• Nuclear Ring: The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a ring of bright, young star clusters surrounding its nucleus.

NGC 4565 (Needle Galaxy)

 

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :4hours and 9minutes with SVBONY 260 5band 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.3

 

NGC 4565, also known as the Needle Galaxy or Caldwell 38, is one of the most famous and stunning examples of an edge-on spiral galaxy.

 

          Key Characteristics

• Location: Situated in the constellation Coma Berenices, near the North Galactic Pole.
• Distance: Estimated to be between 30 and 50 million light-years away from Earth.
• Size: It has a diameter of approximately 100,000 to 140,000 light-years, making it similar to or slightly larger than our own Milky Way.
• Apparent Magnitude: Around 9.6 to 10.4, which makes it visible even through small amateur telescopes under good conditions.
   
  Morphology and Appearance
• Shape: Due to its inclination (nearly 90 degrees relative to us), it appears as an extremely thin and elongated streak of light, which is how it earned the name "Needle."
• Structure: It features a bright central bulge and a prominent dark dust lane cutting across the plane of its disk, offering a view similar to what the Milky Way would look like if viewed from the outside.
• Classification: Although originally thought to be a simple spiral, newer observations (e.g., from the Spitzer telescope) suggest it is a barred spiral galaxy.

         Observation

• Equipment: Through small telescopes (80mm), it appears as a thin, fuzzy line. With larger instruments (8 inches and up), the dust lane and details in the central core become visible.
• Companions: It is often photographed alongside its smaller neighbor, NGC 4562, with which it may be gravitationally interacting.

The Medusa Nebula & NGC 2395

Telescope : SW Esprit 100ED

Mount : SW Wave 150i

Camera : ZWO 533mc

Guiding :Zwo 120mono with Touptek oag

Filters:   Total exposure time :8hours & 25minutes with SVBONY 220 7nm 2"

Programs I have used : ZWO AsiAir & PixInsight 1.9.3

From 2 night's 18/2/26, 19/2/26

 

The Medusa Nebula (Abell 21) is an ancient planetary nebula located roughly 1,500 light-years away in the Gemini constellation. Often paired in wide-field astrophotography with the nearby open cluster NGC 2395 (located about

away), the nebula spans over 4 light-years, showcasing, filaments of gas, and a hot, central, bluish star. 

Key Details about the Pair:

• Medusa Nebula (Abell 21/Sh2-274): A large, old planetary nebula, it gets its name from filaments resembling snakes. Its shape is often likened to a crescent or jellyfish, featuring emission from ionized gases (OIII and Ha).
• NGC 2395: A loose open cluster of stars situated near the Medusa Nebula, often included in the same field of view for astrophotography.
• Location: Situated in the constellation Gemini, making it a popular winter target for observing and imaging. 

The Medusa Nebula is known for being quite faint, requiring long exposure times or large apertures to observe its detailed structure, which is often enhanced by the nearby backdrop of NGC 2395.