Eagle Nebula (M16)

This image was taken in Abbotsford on July 9th, 2013.  It consists of 7 10-minute subs registered and combined in CCDStack and finished in Photoshop CS5. The guiding was not as good as previous nights and I stopped taking subs earlier than intended. The stars are not as round as I would like. I will realign the mount at the next opportunity and resume imaging.  The image is still worth posting, despite the poorer than normal guiding.

The Eagle Nebula is in Serpens (in the south-eastern sky) about 6,000 light years away.  The center of the nebula is an area of active star formation.  The slightly darker structures in the center are the "Pillars of Creation" made famous by a 1995 image taken from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Pelican Nebula

This image was taken on July 6th & 8th 2013 from my back deck in Abbotsford. The image consists of 18 10-minute subs registered and combined in CCDStack and finished in Photoshop CS5.

The Pelican Nebula is in Cygnus about 2,000 light years away. Dark dust clouds help define the Pelican' eye and long bill, while a bright front of ionized hydrogen gas suggests the curved head and neck.

Elephant Trunk Nebula (IC1396)

This image was taken on July 2nd & 3rd in Abbotsford.  A somewhat rare occurrence here: four clear dark nights in a row. The image consists of 18 15-minute subs registered and combined in CCDStack and finished in Photoshop CS5.

The Elephant Trunk (upper right) is a concentration of interstellar gas and dust in Cepheus about 3,000 light years away.

Cocoon Nebula (C19)

This image was taken from my back deck in Abbotsford on June 30th and July 1st 2013.  It consists of 18 15-minute subs registered and combined in CCDStack and finished in Photoshop CS5.

The Cocoon Nebula is in Cygnus about 3,300 light years away.