The March 14 Lunar Eclipse

We had fine weather here in North Carolina for the Pi Day March eclipse of the moon. Here’s how it looked through my telescope.

The Tadpole Nebula

The Tadpole Nebula (IC 410) gets its name from two striking tadpole-shaped clouds of dark dust that appear to be swimming towards the center. These “tadpoles” are dense streams of gas and dust, each stretching about 10 lightyears. Within them, new stars may be forming, hidden inside their thick cocoons.

The Skull and Crossbones Nebula

NGC 2467, also known as the “Skull and Crossbones Nebula,” is a region where new stars are being born. Some people think it looks like a grinning skull, while others see the face of a colorful mandrill.

The Lobster Nebula

I don’t think it will overly tax your imagination to see why NGC 6357 is nicknamed the Lobster Nebula. Or perhaps you think it resemblances a crab more?

The Butterfly Nebula

Near the bright star Sadr (grossly over exposed in the image) at the center of the Northern Cross lies the Butterfly Nebula. Its nickname comes from its intricate shape that somewhat resembles a butterfly with its delicate wings outstretched.

The Cat’s Paw Nebula

The lesser-known Cat’s Paw Nebula (officially NGC 6334) is a region teeming with activity – another stellar nursery where stars are born from swirling contracting clouds of gas and dust.

The Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula, also known as M27, is a stunning cloud of gas and dust, located about 1,360 light-years away from Earth. One of the brightest and most beautiful nebulae in the night sky, it is especially known for its vibrant colors and distinctive shape, which resembles a dumbbell or an hourglass.

The Whirlpool Galaxy

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as M51, is a magnificent face-on spiral galaxy. It is interacting with a smaller companion, NGC 5195, a dwarf galaxy connected to its larger neighbor by a tidal bridge of dust. The bridge is visible in the image silhouetted against the central region of the smaller galaxy.

That’s a whole LOT of stars

I’ve only shown globular clusters twice before and the last time was two years ago. It’s past time for a fresh look.

M5 is one of the largest and finest globulars in the sky. About 165 light years in diameter, it contains at least 100,000 stars and according to some estimates as many as 500,000.

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2903

One of the brighter nearby galaxies, NGC 2903 was somehow missed by comet hunter Charles Messier when he compiled his famous list of objects not to be mistaken for comets. Nonetheless, this barred spiral is an attractive telescopic object.