The Whale and the Hockey Stick
It’s not the title of a children’s story – it’s a pair of galaxies 30 million light-years away that look like, well, a whale and a hockey stick. Officially their names are NGC 4631 and NGC 4656.
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Horsehead Nebula
The iconic Horsehead Nebula, near Orion’s belt. Shot in narrowband over two evenings.
Goodness gracious, great balls of… oxygen?
Well, it was certainly born of fire. This is planetary nebula Abell 39, one of the largest spheres in the galaxy… it’s 2.6 light-years across! It really is that color blue. You’re seeing ionized Oxygen gas blown off by the dying star in its center. Look closely for the distant galaxies in the background, including…
The Bubble Nebula
11 light years away, the “bubble” itself is formed from the solar wind of the large, hot star inside of it. Imaged with narrowband filters.
The Needle Galaxy
A spiral galaxy almost 40 million light-years away, viewed edge-on. The dust lane in the center of its disk, and central bulge are clearly visible. A couple of its smaller, satellite galaxies can also be seen here.
The “Outer Limits” Galaxy
This one’s also known as the “Silver Sliver” Galaxy, or more formally NGC 891. It’s about 30 million light-years away, well beyond our own local group. It’s thought to be quite similar to our own Milky Way! What I really geek out on, though, is the wider views here – there are so many other…
Boldly Going Webcast: Behind the Scenes
If you’re a fellow amateur astronomer, you might be curious as to how our “live star parties” on our Boldly Going YouTube Channel are produced. The more people doing this, the better! Here’s how it all works behind the scenes, which might give you some ideas on how to produce your own show. The Heart…
