Click On Each Image To Enlarge

NGC-2024 is known as the Flame Nebula. It is located in Orion right next to the bright star Alnitak.   It lies about a 1000 light years away.

Taken from Ft. Davis on 11-25-08 with the STL-6303 and a 14.5" RCOS. Exposure was 30 min. each of RGB.

M-78 is a bright reflection nebula located in Orion. It is a cloud of interstellar dust which shines in the reflected light of a nearby bright blue star.

NGC-2359 is also known as Thor's Helmet and is located in Canis Major. A very hot star excites this bubble of gas and makes it light up. It lies about 15,000 light years away. This image was taken with a Takahashi FS-128 with exposure of L=120 min. and RGB=30 min. each.

Wide field shot of the Horse Head and the Flame nebula taken on 2-8-08. This was a tough one to image because of the bright star in the field. Exposure was L=110 min. and RGB 25 min. each.  Even with the bright star causing big problems I think it is still a pretty object.

M-42 in Orion is one of my favorites. It has so many different features and lots of detail. Taken on 2-7-08 with the FS-128 at f/6. Exposure was L= 90 min. and RGB= 25 min. each.

NGC-2392 is a planetary nebula located in Gemini. It is also know as the Eskimo or Clown Face Nebula. It is one of the brighter planetary nebulae in the skies. It is a shell of gas and other material that is being blown into space by a star which is visible at the center.

NGC-1514 is a planetary nebula located in Taurus. It has a bright inner shell with a faint outer shell. The bright star in the center of the nebula makes it a hard object to image. It is about 2300 light years away.  Exposure was L=50 min. and RGB=20 min. each. Taken on 1-10-08 from Ft. Davis, Tx.

M-57, often called the Ring Nebula is located in Lyra. It lies about 2000 light years away. Planetary nebulas are shells of gas shed by stars late in their life cycles after using up all of their nuclear fuel. The star then ejects a significant portion of its mass in a gaseous shell, which is illuminated by its extremely hot central star, which is just the core left from the original star. The central star can be seen in this   image.

NGC 7129 is a star-forming region that contains many interesting features. It is located about 3000 light years away in the constellation Cepheus and is 10 light years across. It contains around 130 young stars surrounded by glowing clouds of gas and dust. It is a reflection nebula which means it is reflecting the light from nearby stars. Also taken from Ft. Davis in September of 2006.

NGC-7293 also known at The Helix Nebula is one of the closest to Earth of all planetary nebulae: It lies at a distance of about 450 light years away. The Helix Nebula  is the closest example of a planetary nebula created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. . Taken from Ft. Davis in Sept. 06.  Exposure was L=60 min. and RGB=20 min. each.

Abell 39 is a Planetary Nebula that  has a diameter of about five light-years, and the thickness of the spherical shell is about a third of a light-year. The nebula itself is roughly 7,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Hercules. It was formed as a once sun-like star's outer atmosphere was expelled over a period of thousands of years. Still visible, the nebula's central star is evolving into a hot white dwarf. Taken from Ft. Davis, Tx. on 7-16-06. This object is very faint and is not an easy target. Exposure was L=90min. and RGB=20min.each. Equipment was the ST-10XME and a 16" RCOS at f5. Processed in Maxim and Photo Shop.

NGC-7023 is a nebula that is a complex mixture of reflection, emission and dark nebulosity surrounding a 7.4 magnitude star that illuminates the reflection nebula. It is located  in the constellation of Cepheus.  Taken on 6-19-06 from Ft. Davis, Tx. Equipment was a Takahashi FS-128 & the ST-10XME. Exposure was L=120min. and RGB=30min. each

The Trifid Nebula M20, is famous for its three-lobed appearance. The red emission nebula with its young star cluster near its center is surrounded by a blue reflection nebula which is particularly conspicuous to the northern end. The nebula's distance is rather uncertain, with estimates of 2,200 light years to 7,600 light years. It is located in the constellation of  Sagittarius. This image was taken form Ft. Davis, Tx with the  ST-10XME and the Takahashi FS-128. Exposure was L-75min. and RGB=20min. each.

The dark winding lanes visible in part of the constellation Ophiuchus belong to the Snake Nebula. The Snake Nebula is a series of dark absorption clouds made up of Interstellar dust. Interstellar dust grains composed predominantly of carbon - absorb visible starlight and reradiate much of it in the infrared. This absorption causes stars behind the clouds to be obscured from view, hence the appearance of starless voids on the sky. Taken from Ft. Davis, Tx. with the Takahashi FS-128 and the ST-10XME. Exposure was L-50min. and RGB=15min. each.

Hubbles Variable also known a NGC-2661.  It is a reflection nebula made of gas and fine dust fanning out from the star R Monocerotis. The faint nebula is about one light-year across and lies about 2500 light-years away towards the constellation of Monocerotis  This unusual nebula changes its appearance noticeably in just a few weeks. This image was taken on 1-5-06. Exposure was L=50 min. and RGB=30 min. each.

M-76 is a planetary nebula, also known as the  Little Dumbbell Nebula.  It is located in Perseus. Taken on 1-4-06 from Ft. Davis. Exposure was L=60 min. and RGB=20 min. each.

NGC-1501 is a nice little planetary nebula which displays a surprising amount of detail.  It is  located in Camelopardalis. It is about 1 light year across and lies 4000 light years away. This image was taken on 1-4-06 from Ft. Davis. Exposure was L=80 min. and RGB=20 min. each.

Barnard 33, the Horsehead Nebula is located just below the Belt in Orion.  It is a dark globule of dust and non-luminous gas, obscuring the light coming from behind.  It is about 1600 light years away. Very hard to see visually but very easy with a CCD camera. Exposure was L=60 min. and RGB=20 min. each.This image was taken on 1-2-06 from Ft. Davis.

NGC-7008 is a Planetary Nebula located in Cygnus. Exposure was L=50 min. and RGB=25 min.each. Taken on 8-30-05 from Ft. Davis with the ST-10XME and a 16" RCOS.

NGC-6820 is a Diffuse Nebula located in Vulpecula. NGC-6823 an open cluster is embedded in the nebula. This image was taken from Ft. Davis, Tx. on 8-30-05. Exposure was L=50 min. and RGB=20 min. each.

NGC-6888 also know as the Crescent Nebula is located in Cygnus. This image was taken in July of 2005 from Ft. Davis, Texas with the SBIG ST-10XME and the Takahashi FS-128. Exposure time was L=60 min. and RGB=25 min. each. Combined in MaxIm and processed in Photoshop.

NGC-6781 is a Planetary Nebula located in Aquila. It is a bubble of gas that was expelled by a star that has died. This images was taken on 7-8-05 with a 16" RCOS and the ST-10XME. Exposure time was L=50 min. and RGB=20 min. each. Combined in MaxIm and processed in Photo Shop.

M-1 also know as the Crab Nebula was taken with the 16" RCOS and the ST-10XME. Exposure was L=60 min. RGB=20 min each. M-1 is a supernova remnant. The supernova was seen on July 4, 1054A.D. It was visible in the daylight for 23 days.

M-16 wide field was taken from Ft. Davis, Texas on 8-12-04.  Image taken with the Takahashi FS-128 and the SBIG ST-8XE. Exposure was L=50 min. and RGB=20 min. Combined in MaxIm and processed in Photoshop.   

NGC-6894 is a small planetary nebula located in Cygnus. Exposure was L=35 min. & RGB=15 min. each. Combined and processed in MaxIm.

M -16 taken from Ft. Davis, Texas with the ST-10XME and a 16"RCOS.  Exposure time was L=60 min. bin 1 and RGB=15 min. each in bin 2. Combine in MaxIm and processed in Photoshop.

M-27 is known as the Dumbbell Nebula because of  it's shape. It is located in Vulpecula at a distance of 1,250 light years away. It is one of the most impressive objects in the night sky. It also was created when it's central star ejected it's outer shell..

M-57 known as the Ring Nebula is located in Lyra.  It was formed when its central star ejected  its outer shell and the gas expanded outward. It lies about 2,300 light years away.  This planetary nebula is the showpiece of the northern hemisphere summer sky.

M-17 also know as the Omega Nebula  or the Swan Nebula is an emission nebula located in Sagittarius. It lies about 5,500 light years away. This gas clouds glow is caused by high energy radiation of young stars.

NGC-7635 is know as the Bubble Nebula and is located in Cassiopeia. It is a very rare example of a planetary nebula around an OB star. In our galaxy there is only one other like it, NGC-6164.

NGC-7293  also known as the Helix Nebula is located in Aquarius. It is a very large planetary nebula. Exposure was L=80 min. and RGB=15 min. each.

M-8 is a Diffuse Nebula located in Sagittarius. It is referred  to as the Lagoon Nebula because of the dark matter cutting thru the center. It is estimated to be 5,200 light years away. From a dark site this object can be seen with binoculars

NGC-7048 is a Planetary Nebula  located in Cygnus. Exposure was L=60 min. RGB=20 min. each.

This image contains the Horse Head, a dark dust nebula,  and the Flame Nebula. They are located in Orion and the Horse Head Nebula lies 1,600 light years from Earth while the Flame Nebula is 1500 light years away. They can be found at the end of the belt stars in Orion.

NGC-2237/2244.   The center is known as NGC-2244 which is an open cluster,  and the outer cloud of gas and dust  is known as NGC-2237, commonly called the Rosetta Nebula. This object is about 130 light years across.

NGC-2024 is known as the Flame Nebula. It is located next to the easternmost star in Orion's belt. It is an emission nebula that is ionized and caused to light up by the easternmost star in Orion's Belt. It is about 1300 light years away.

NGC-7000 known as the North American Nebula due to it's shape. It can be found  just north-east of  the star Deneb, located in Cygnus. IC-5070 The Pelican Nebula lies to the right. These two emission nebula are located about 1500 light years away. From a dark site they can be seen naked eye.

NGC-246 is a very dim planetary nebula located in Cetus. It has very low surface brightness. It is located 1500 light years away.

NGC-1977 often called the Running Man Nebula consist of a sparse open star cluster with some faint reflection nebula surrounding them. It is located just north of the Orion Nebula

                                                                       Home