The Trifid Nebula

The Trifid Nebula, M20, is a beautiful gaseous cloud within which new stars are being born. It is one of several spectacular telescopic sights embedded in the summer and autumn Milky Way.

The Eagle Nebula

The Eagle Nebula M16, one of the brightest night sky nebulae, is an area where stars are actively forming. It is filled with dark regions and globules, including a peculiar dark column named the “Stellar Spire”. Of special note are the “Pillars of Creation” made famous by an early (1995) picture from the Hubble Space Telescope. The pillars and spire are collapsing clouds of dust and gas being sculpted by intense starlight from newly formed hot stars.

The Rosette Nebula

The Rosette Nebula is one of the more spectacular nebulae in the night sky. It is a huge cloud of glowing gas heated and ionized by stars created only about five million years ago when a giant molecular cloud collapsed to form a new cluster of stars.

The Odd Couple - Galaxies M82 and M81

These two spectacular galaxies are neighbors, located near the bowl of the big dipper. M82 is an irregular edge-on galaxy that shows red gas and dark clouds. Its neighbor M81 is face-on, and displays stately grand spiral arms.

Thor’s Helmet

I never cease to be amazed at the imagination shown by astronomers over the years in coming up with names to attach to celestial nebulae. Here is a look from last week at Thor’s Helmet, a hat shaped emission nebula with wing-like appendages, more formally known as NGC 2359.

The Triangulum Galaxy

The Triangulum Galaxy (also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy or M33) is the third largest galaxy in our Local Group of galaxies (after the Milky Way and Andromeda). It is about three million lightyears away from us. Hence we enjoy a better view of it than any other galaxy except Andromeda.

The Pelican Nebula

The Pelican Nebula is an emission nebula whose outlines somewhat resemble the namesake bird. The nebula’s appearance is defined by dark dust clouds that outline the pelican’s long bill and eye, and by bright clouds of ionized gas that form the curved shape of the pelican’s head and neck. The pelican’s body and wing are formed by a complex mixture of bright nebulosity intermixed with dark dust clouds, as is the pouch hanging down from the bill.

The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula

The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (IC 1396A) is a twisted sinuous structure of interstellar gas and dust that we see back-lit and ionized by intense radiation coming from a nearby massive star. Red light from ionized hydrogen makes it stand out amid the other streams and swirls of dark nebulae.

The Iris Nebula

The Iris Nebula NGC 7023 looks like a celestial blossom. It is a bright reflection nebula whose trademark glowing blue color results from the scattered light of its central star.