February 2026 – Page 4 – Semper Iuvenis Photography

Peering into the Cocoon Nebula

Sh2-125 is an astronomical catalog designation for the Cocoon Nebula, also known as IC 5146 or Caldwell 19. It is a stellar nursery. It is also a combination emission and reflection nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The nebula is about 4,000 ly away, and the central star that lights it formed about 100,000 years ago.

The nebula gets its “cocoon” shape because the star birth within it has expelled gas and dust. It sits at the eastern end of a long, dark lane of dust. This is the dark nebula Barnard 168 (B168), which appears as a trail behind the glowing cocoon. Based upon the scarcity and dimness of the stars I’d say there’s a lot of dust all around the cocoon.

It is situated in a star-rich region of the Milky Way, which can make it challenging to spot. When viewing Sh2-125, dark nebula Barnard 168 (B168) is an inseparable part of the experience. It forms a dark lane that surrounds the cluster. This lane projects westward, creating the appearance of a trail behind the Cocoon. In short it’s a beautiful celestial object.

This image consists of 130 3 minute exposures calibrated, registered, integrated, and processed in Pix Insight. Subframe acquisition and session automation via APT. Astrobin link for acquisition details and annotated image.

Discovering a colorful gem in Canis Major – Sh2-301

Sh2-301, or Gum 5, is an emission nebula in the constellation of Canis Major. At a declination of -18 this little gem sits at the edge of my southerly reach. It’s unusual to find an Hii target this far south, although there are a few.

This nebula is rich in Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Sulfur emissions. It is often overlooked because it’s close to Thor’s Helmet and the Vela super nova remnant. It has a lot of structure as well. There are many small columns of dust and gas. You can also see wispy blue areas of oxygen and a nice Bok globule in the center.

Additionally there are 4 galaxies and 2 LBN targets in the image. Astrobin link for acquisition details and annotated image.

I happened upon this target after watching Gary Imm on the Astro Imaging Channel SAIC you tube channel. He went through a very interesting presentation on the Sharpless catalog and his approach to imaging it. Following that, I was looking through his images and this target caught my eye.

Session automation and image acquisition by APT. 132 subframes taken with an RC8 telescope at 1625mm fl and an ASI071MC Pro camera cooled to 15f. These ride atop a Skywatcher Eq6r Pro Equatorial mount. Subframe calibration, alignment, integration, and processing in PixInsight.

Exploring Sh2-206: The Fossil Footprint Nebula

Sh2-206 is also known as NGC 1491 or the Fossil Footprint Nebula. It is an emission nebula located approximately 10,700 light-years away in the constellation Perseus. The nebula gets its deep red coloration from the ionized hydrogen gas. The “Fossil Footprint” nickname comes from its distinctive shape in images.

It is a typical target for astrophotography during the late autumn and winter months in the Northern Hemisphere. Astrobin link for acquisition details and annotation.

This image contains 187 3 minute subframes captured from my driveway using APT. This natural color image was calibrated, integrated, and processed using PixInsight.

vdB 16 a Reflection in Aires

LBN 746 is a reflection nebula located approximately 947 light-years away in the constellation Aries. It is part of the Lynds’ Catalogue of Bright Nebulae. It is often identified as a portion of the larger vdB 16 (van den Bergh 16) nebulosity.

LBN 746 is embedded within a dense region of cosmic dust. It is surrounded by dark nebulae. These include LDN 1452 and several Barnard objects such as Barnard 202, 203, 204, and 206.

LBN 746 is situated near the border of Aries and Taurus. It lies about 7 degrees northwest of the Pleiades star cluster.
For Astro photographers, this region is known for its complex mix of “light and dust.” Capturing the subtle interactions between the blue reflection light of vdB 16 is a detailed process. Observing the surrounding dark molecular clouds requires time. Long exposure photography is necessary.

Image acquisition and session automation using APT. This image consists of approximately 12 hours of exposure. The equipment used included an RC8 telescope and an ASI071MC Pro camera. They were mounted on a skywatcher Eq6r Pro Mount. Subframe calibration, alignment, integration, and processing performed manually in PixInsight. Astrobin link for all the details.

Flaming Star Nebula: A Deep Dive

The object listed as Sh2-229 in the Sharpless catalog is the Flaming Star Nebula. It is also known as IC 405 or Caldwell 31. It is a combination emission and reflection nebula located in the constellation Auriga. The nebula surrounds the hot, bluish, irregular variable star AE Aurigae. This massive O-type star (about 23 solar masses) is responsible for illuminating the surrounding gas and dust.

Sh2-229 displays both emission (reddish glow from ionized hydrogen gas) and reflection (bluish cast from dust scattering starlight) properties. The “flaming” appearance is largely due to the bright red hydrogen emission.

I captured 166 240s subframes from my driveway. I used a Skywatcher Eq6r Pro mount, a Skywatcher Esprit 120ED telescope, and an ASI2600MC Pro camera cooled to 15f. APT was used for session management and automation. PixInsight was used to calibrate, align, integrate and process the image.

Astrobin link for acquisition details and image annotation.

Discovering Messier 95

Barred Spiral Galaxy in Leo - Messier 95

Messier 95 (M95 or NGC 3351) is a barred spiral galaxy. It is located approximately 33 million light-years away. You can find it in the constellation Leo. It is a notable member of the Leo I galaxy group. The group also includes other Messier objects like M96 and M105.

M95 has a prominent linear bar structure that crosses its core. It also has tightly wound spiral arms that form a nearly circular inner ring. This inner ring is an active region with a high rate of star formation. It sparkles with the light of countless young, blue stars.

Astrobin link to image acquisition details and an annotated image.

Exploring the Heart of the Clamshell Nebula – Sh2-119

Another of the Sharpless catalog objects is Sh2-119. It is also known as the Clamshell Nebula. This nebula is a large emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus. It is an active star-forming region located approximately 2,200 light-years from Earth.

Its shape has been described as resembling an open clam shell with a “pearl” inside. The nebula glows due to the intense ultraviolet radiation. Powerful stellar winds come from the bright, fifth-magnitude star 68 Cygni. The star is located near the center. These winds also cause the nebula to glow. This radiation ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to emit light. This image is of the core of the clamshell with 68 Cygni at the center.

The region contains a complex network of gas and dust clouds. This network includes several darker nebulae and Bok globules where new stars are forming. Sh2-119 is situated a few degrees east of the more famous and brighter North America Nebula (NGC 7000). Astro photographers often overlook it because of its proximity to the Pelican Nebula.

APT was used for session management and automation acquiring 123 4 minute images over two nights. Cygnus passes meridian right at dark here in the hills of WNC. PixInsight was used to calibrate, integrate, and process the image.

Astrobin link for acquisition details and annotated image.

Imaging a Planetary Nebula in Cetus: The Skull Nebula

NGC 246, commonly known as the Skull Nebula (or Caldwell 56), is a planetary nebula. It is located about 1,600 light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale). It gets its nickname from the appearance of the glowing gas shell surrounding its central stars. In certain orientations, this can resemble a human skull.

I chose to image this just by chance as I was perusing stellarium for targets. At -11 dec it’s a bit low for me, just over the tree line to the south. It was surprisingly bright at 180s subs. Very few stars in the area made guiding a challenge at 1625mm focal length.

Image acquisition and session automation by APT using a RC8 scope, ASI071MC Pro camera, and Eq6r Pro Mount. 176 subframes calibrated, integrated, and processed in PixInsight. Acquisition details and annotated image link.

Exploring the Crab Nebula: A Cosmic Marvel

Messier 1 (M 1), the Crab Nebula, is a really beautiful cosmic structure. Its unique aspect is that it was the first astronomical object recognized as being connected to a supernova explosion.

In the early twentieth century, scientists analyzed early photographs of the nebula taken several years apart. The analysis revealed that it was expanding. Tracing the expansion back revealed that the nebula must have become visible on Earth about 900 years before. Historical records revealed the original supernova was extremely bright. Chinese astronomers recorded it in 1054 AD as a “guest star.” It was visible in the daytime for several weeks and at night for nearly two years.

At its center is a rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar (the Crab Pulsar). It rotates about 30 times per second. This rotation powers the nebula’s intense radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum.

With an apparent magnitude of 8.4, the Crab Nebula is not visible to the naked eye. It can be spotted with binoculars or a small telescope. It appears as a faint, oval patch of light. This is best viewed during winter months in the Northern Hemisphere. You need larger telescopes to discern the intricate details. Long-exposure astrophotography reveals the filamentary structure that gives the nebula its name.

This image consists of 331 subframes, or 18 hours of 3 min exposures. These were taken from my driveway with a RC8 telescope at 1625mm fl @ f8. I used an ASI071MC camera cooled to 15f. This setup involved a Radian Ultra quad-band narrow-band filter. APT was used for image acqusition and session automation. Pixinsight was used to calibrate, integrate, and process the image. Link for acquisition details and annotated image.

I learned of this a very long time ago in school. I think it’s just awesome that I took a photograph of it 50 years later. It exists out there in space, about 6,500 light years from earth!

Discover a very faint cloud of ionized hydrogen in Cassiopeia – Sh2-202

A very faint cloud of ionized hydrogen in Cassiopeia cataloged as Sh2-202

A faint diffused Nebula in Cassiopeia. I chose it because of the dark nebula amid the apparent reflection nebula. There are 7 cataloged LDN targets in this image. These clouds of dust are so dense. They block all light behind them. This creates the subtle illusion of rivers running through the clouds. It is indeed a faint cloud of Hii gas.

Astrobin link for acquisition details and annotated image.