Archive for the ‘Chris Thayer’ Category

Copernicus Imaged by Chris Thayer

Copernicus, a prominent lunar impact crater situated in Oceanus Procellarum , is named after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543). It is over 90km in diameter and almost 4km deep. Its ‘rays’ spread up to 800Km across the surrounding mare.   This ‘young’ crater...
October 30th, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

Pelican Nebula Imaged by Chris Thayer

The Pelican Nebula (also known as IC5070) is a large emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus.  It is separated from its larger neighbour, the North America Nebula, by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust.Pelican Nebula – click to enlarge  Imaged using an ED80 and DSI3mono. 9 x 5.5...
October 14th, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

Swan Nebula (M17) Imaged by Chris Thayer

M17, the Swan Nebula (also designated NGC 6618) is an emission nebula (HII region) in the constellation of Sagittarius.  The radiation of a cluster of stars embedded in nebula is exciting the gass and causing the emission.  It is roughly 40 light years in diameter and is  over 5,000 ly away.  ...
September 23rd, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (IC1396) Imaged by Chris Thayer

 IC 1396 is an emission nebula in the constellation of Cephus. It is a mix of gas and dust clouds; the gas is energised by a bright, central star. This region spannsing over three degrees on the sky and yet is nearly 3,000 light-years away.  The winding Elephant’s Trunk nebula seen here is only...
August 28th, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

M42 Imaged by Chris Thayer

The Orion Nebula, M42 (also designated NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula (an HII region) situated south of Orion’s Belt and is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye.   It is approximately1,344±20 light years away and is the closest region of massive star formation to...
August 24th, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

Globular Cluster M13 Imaged by Chris Thayer

M13, the Great Globular cluster in Hercules (also designated NGC 6205)  is easily the best known globular cluster in the Northern celestial hemisphere.   Globular clusters are spherical compact gravitationally bound clusters of stars. There are about 160 globular clusters in our Galaxy and they contain...
August 24th, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

Crescent Nebula Imaged by Chris Thayer

The Crescent Nebula (also designated NGC 6888 and Caldwell 27 on Patrick Moore’s Caldwell catalogue) is an emission nebula in the constellation of Cygnus. It was formed by fast stellar winds from the Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 (HD 192163) colliding with and energizing the slower moving wind (ejected by...
August 24th, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

The Eagle Nebula (M16) Imaged by Chris Thayer

The Eagle Nebula, M16 is a region of star formation in the constellation Serpens – it has already created an open cluster of stars (the cluster is designated NGC 6611 and the nebula is IC 4703).   It was discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-4.  The Eagle Nebula features in one of...
August 23rd, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More

Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392) Imaged by Chris Thayer

The Eskimo nebula is a bipolar double-shell planetary nebula in the constellation of Gemini. It has is a complex shell of ionized gas that once formed the outer layers of a star a few thousand years ago. Lookup NGC 2392 on SEDSEskimo nebula imaged by Chris ThayerImaged using a Mead  LX200 GPS...
August 20th, 2009 | Chris Thayer | Read More