DeepSky Photos

Deep Sky Objects

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Click on each picture for a larger image.

Digital Astrophotography

2020 and later

Emission and Reflection Nebulae

Nebulae are clouds of interstellar gas where stars are born as the gaseous material condenses into a tightly packed mass. Emission nebulae have one or more bright stars nearby that cause the gases to emit energy primarily in the reddish hydrogen-alpha part of the spectrum. Reflection nebulae have one or more bright stars nearby but not close enough to cause emission, and only bluish light from the stars is reflected.


Orion & Running Man
Nebulae

Flame & Horsehead Nebulae
(Orion Belt)

Orion Belt
and Sword

Barnard's
Loop

M78, Flame &
Horsehead Nebulae

Witch Head
Nebula

Lagoon & Trifid
Nebulae

Lagoon & Trifid
Nebulae

Lagoon
Nebula

Trifid Nebula &
M21 Open Cluster

Omega & Eagle
Nebulae

Omega Nebula &
M18 Open Cluster

Eagle
Nebula

Rosette Nebula

Rosette & Cone
Nebulae

Rosette & Cone
Complex

Rosette & Cone
Complex annotated

Heart & Soul
Nebulae

California & NGC1579
Nebulae

Seagull
Nebula

Pacman
Nebula

North American &
Pelican Nebulae

North American &
Elephant Trunk Nebulae

North American &
M39 Open Cluster

Veil Nebula &
NGC6940 Open Cluster

North American, Elephant Trunk,
& Veil Nebulae

Wizard, Lobster Claw, &
Bubble Nebulae
M52 Open Cluster

Monkey Head & Jellyfish
Nebulae

Antares Nebulae
M4 globular cluster

Flaming Star and Sh2-236
Nebulae; M38 open cluster

Flaming Star and Sh2-236
Nebulae; M35, M36, M37,
& M38 open clusters

Flaming Star and Sh2-236
Nebulae: M35, M36, M37,
& M38 open clusters

Planetary Nebulae

These deep sky objects are tiny and not like the large emission and reflection nebulae where stars are born. A planetary nebula is a type of emission nebula consisting of an expanding, glowing shell of ionized gas ejected from a star late in its life, and only exists for a few tens of thousands of years. They are also not related to planets, but were given this name when first discovered in the 1700s because they resembled the size and shape of planets.


Dumbbell
Planetary Nebula

Helix
Planetary Nebula

Owl Planetary
Nebula&M108 galaxy

Owl Planetary
Nebula&M108 galaxy

Dumbbell Planetary Nebula & NCG6820 Emission Nebula
M71 Globular Cluster & NGC6823, 6825, 6830, 6873, 6882 Open Clusters

Supernova Remnant

The Crab Nebula, while quite small and really difficult to photograph without a telescope, is the remnant of the great supernova (explosion of a dying star) of 1054 A.D. This supernova was so bright in 1054 that it was visible in the daylight for 23 days, and some medieval rulers added its representation to their coinage as a divine signal for their rule.


Crab Nebula

Galaxies

Galaxies contain hundreds of billlions of stars.


Andromeda
& M110 Galaxies

Andromeda
& M110 Galaxies

Triangulum
Galaxy

Pinwheel
& NGC 5474 Galaxies

Pinwheel
Galaxies annotated

Whirlpool
& NGC 5195 Galaxies

Bode's, Cigar
& NGC 2976 Galaxies

Sombrero Galaxy

M106+ Galaxies

M106+ Galaxies

M95 & M96 Galaxies

M95&M96+ Galaxies

M95&M96+ annotated

Leo Trio

Leo Trio annotated

Leo Quartet

Leo Quartet annotated

Leo Trio and Quartet

Leo Trio and Quartet annotated

Virgo Cluster of Galaxies


Markarian's Chain

Markarian's Chain annotated

Virgo Cluster

Virgo Cluster annotated

M88

M90

M91

Star Clusters

Open star clusters appear to be associated as stellar groupings in the sky, but often are separated by greatly different distances from the earth. Note the blue nebulosity around the stars of the Pleiades. Globular clusters do form a spatially connected group, and often there more than a million stars in a single cluster.


Pleiades Star
Open Cluster

H & Chi Persei
Double Open Cluster

M38
Open Cluster

Christmas Tree
Open Cluster

M18
Open Cluster

M21
Open Cluster

M23
Open Cluster

M35
Open Cluster

M36
Open Cluster

M37
Open Cluster

M39
Open Cluster

M41
Open Cluster

M52
Open Cluster

M12
Globular Cluster

M3
Globular Cluster

M22
Globular Cluster

M71
Globular Cluster

M4
Globular Cluster

Meteors


Tau Herculis Meteor
31 May 2022

Tau Herculis Meteor
31 May 2022


Film-based Astrophotography

1980s - 1990s

The Eta Carina image has the nebula in the center, with the Southern Cross to the left, and the False Cross to the right.


Ring
Planetary Nebula

Beehive
Open Cluster

Wild Duck
Open Cluster

Eta Carina Nebula, Omega Centauri, Southern and False Crosses

Eta Carina Nebula, Omega Centauri, Southern and False Crosses

M5
Globular Cluster

M13
Globular Cluster

M15
Globular Cluster

Locations of the deep sky objects shown above

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