Messier 42, known as the Great Orion Nebula, is in the constellation Orion. It’s best viewed in the winter. The Great Orion Nebula never fails to impress winter stargazers. I don’t care if I’m looking at M42 with a small pair of binoculars or larger scope, I find it difficult to break my gaze atContinueContinue reading “Messier 42 (NGC 1976): A Cosmic Fire and Stellar Nursery in Orion”
Category Archives: Nebulas
NGC 2392: An Enchanting Planetary Nebula in Gemini
This nebula is notable for looking like a person with a hood on. In reality, a dying star ejected its outer layers of gas to create the fuzzy cloud I see in my telescope.
IC 1396: The Elephant Trunk Nebula in Cepheus
IC 1396 is an open star cluster in the constellation Cepheus, which is part of large emission nebula in the region. It’s best viewed during the autumn. The region makes for stunning astrophotography as demonstrated by this photo posted on NASA’s site. Struve 2816 (a triple star system) and Struve 2819 (a double star systemContinueContinue reading “IC 1396: The Elephant Trunk Nebula in Cepheus”
Messier 57 (NGC 6720): The Ring Nebula
Messier 57, the Ring Nebula in Lyra, is a bright planetary nebula of gas and dust surrounding a dying star—perfect for backyard observing.
The Garden Astronomer 