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.

The Crab Nebula

M1, the Crab Nebula, is the debris left by the death of a massive star when it exploded in a brilliant flash of light and energy nearly a thousand years ago. We can see many intricate details in the remains left by that supernova – wispy tendrils of gas and dust intertwine illuminated by the intense radiation emitted by the pulsar at its core.

The Skull Nebula

The Skull Nebula is another example of the remains left by a dying Sun-like star that has cast away its outer layers in a cosmic farewell, leaving behind hot, glowing complex shells of ionized gas. I’ve shared examples before of these so-called planetary nebulae, but the Skull is a particularly appropriate nickname for such an object!

The Jellyfish Nebula

The Jellyfish Nebula gets its name from its striking resemblance to the graceful tendrils of a jellyfish swimming through the cosmic sea. It is a testament to the dynamic and chaotic nature of the universe, where destruction begets creation on a mind boggling scale.

The Fossil Footprint Nebula

Here’s an image of NGC 1491 (also designated Sharpless Sh2-206), a faint emission nebula that has an interesting shape. Some sources give it the name Fossil Footprint nebula.

The Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the closest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint smudge on a dark moonless night; it is impressive in a small telescope; but it takes a long exposure photograph to reveal its full extent and structure.