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

Orion
Nebula

Flame & Horsehead
Nebulae (Orion Belt)

Barnard's
Loop

Orion Belt
and Sword

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

EagleNebula

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 &
M39 Open Cluster

Elephant Trunk
Nebula

Veil Nebula &
NGC6940 Open Cluster

North American &
Gamma Cygni
Nebulae

North American &
Elephant TrunkNebulae

North American, Elephant
Trunk, & Gamma Cygni
Nebulae

North American, Elephant
Trunk, & Veil
Nebulae

Fish Head
Nebula

IC5076 Reflection
Nebula

Cocoon Nebula
NGC 7209&7243

Antares Nebulae
M4 globular cluster

Wizard, Lobster Claw, &
Bubble Nebulae
M52 Open Cluster

Monkey Head & Jellyfish
Nebulae

Thor's Helmet
& NGC2360

Thor's Helmet
& Wide Field of View

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 Nebula

Helix Nebula

Owl Nebula
& Surfboard Galaxy

Ring Nebula

Dumbbell
Nebula

Helix
Nebula

Ring
Nebula

Medusa Nebula &
NGC 2395 Open Cluster

Blinking Eye
Nebula

NGC 6833
Nebula

Little Gem
Nebula

Galaxies

Galaxies contain hundreds of billlions of stars.


Andromeda &
M110, M32 Galaxies

Andromeda &
M110, M32 Galaxies

Triangulum
Galaxy

Pinwheel
& NGC 5474 Galaxies

Pinwheel
Galaxies annotated

Whirlpool
& NGC 5195 Galaxies

Bode's, Cigar
& NGC 2976 Galaxies

Sombrero Galaxy

Black Eye Galaxy

Surfboard Galaxy

Silver Needle Galaxy

M95 & M96
Galaxies

M95&M96+
Galaxies

M95&M96+
annotated

Fireworks Galaxy
& NGC6939

Leo Trio

Leo Trio annotated

Leo Quartet

Leo Quartet annotated

Leo Trio
& Quartet

Leo Trio
& Quartet annotated

M106+
Galaxies

M106+
Galaxies annotated

Virgo Cluster of Galaxies


Markarian's Chain

Markarian's Chain annotated

Virgo Cluster

Virgo Cluster annotated

M88

M90

M91

Supernovae

Supernovae are powerful explosions of stars when their internal nuclear fuel supplies burn out and the stars quickly collapse, resulting in massive shock waves causing stars to explode.



Supernova SN 2023ixf
Pinwheel Galaxy
3 July 2023 & 19 April 2022

Supernova SN 2023ixf
Pinwheel & NGC 5474 Galaxies
3 July 2023

Supernova Remnant

The Crab Nebula, while quite small and really difficult to photograph without a telescope, is the remnant of the great supernova 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

Star Clusters

Open star clusters are loosely bound by mutual gravitational attraction. Note the blue nebulosity around the stars of the Pleiades. Globular clusters are spheroidal conglomerations of stars, and often contain more than a million stars in a single cluster.



M45 Pleiades
Open Cluster

H & Chi Persei
Double Open Cluster

M38 Starfish
Open Cluster

Christmas Tree
Open Cluster

M18 Black Swan
Open Cluster

M21 Webb's Cross
Open Cluster

M23
Open Cluster

M35 Shoe-Buckle
& NGC 2158

M36 Pinwheel
Open Cluster

M37 Salt & Pepper
Open Cluster

M39
Open Cluster

M41 Little Beehive
Open Cluster

M47 & NGC 2423
Open Clusters

M44 Beehive
Open Cluster

NGC2355
Open Cluster

M52 Scorpian
Open Cluster

NGC 2360
Caroline's Cluster

NGC 752
Open Cluster


M13 Hercules
Globular Cluster

M15
Globular Cluster

M92
Globular Cluster

M5
Globular Cluster

M10 & M12
Globular Clusters

M10
Globular Cluster

M12
Globular Cluster

M14
Globular Cluster

M3
Globular Cluster

M22
Globular Cluster

M71
Globular Cluster

M4 & NGC 6144
Globular Clusters


Film-based Astrophotography

1980s - 1990s


M11 Wild Duck
Open Cluster

Omega Centauri
Globular Cluster

Canis
Major+

Canis Major+
annotated

Eta Carina Nebula, Omega Centauri, Southern and False Crosses

Eta Carina Nebula, Omega Centauri, Southern and False Crosses

Locations of the deep sky objects shown above

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