Astrophotography Gallery

The Dumbbell Nebula was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764 and was the first planetary nebula to be observed. It’s located in the constellation Vulpecula about 1200 light years from Earth. Planetary nebulae are formed when red giant stars eject some of their material into the surrounding space. This ejected material consists of dust and gases such as hydrogen and oxygen. As the red giant star collapses, it emits ultraviolet light, which ionizes the surrounding cloud of gases. The red color we see in the Dumbbell Nebula is due to ionized hydrogen gas. The brilliant green color is due to ionized oxygen gas.

Libra Sep 23 - Oct 22. The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy is a grand design spiral galaxy 15 million light years from us near the constellation Libra. This brilliant galaxy with its dramatic spiral arms is difficult to view in the northern hemisphere as it doesn’t get far above the horizon. It gets its name because it is easily visible in the southern hemisphere. The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy was one of the first galaxies to be discovered. The French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille observed it in 1752 at the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.