Latest news with #TexasStarParty
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Amateur astronomer captures Cigar Galaxy and Bode's Galaxy swimming in a spectral nebula (photo)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astrophotographer Greg Meyer has captured a striking cosmic vista featuring the grand design spiral galaxy M81 alongside the nearby 'Cigar Galaxy' (M82), against the faint swirling mass of an integrated flux nebula (IFN). The stunning image shows the classic spiral swirl of M81 — also known as Bode's Galaxy — suspended against the chaotic cloud patterns of the nebula, with the Cigar Galaxy lurking to its left. The nebula featured in Meyer's photo is much closer to Earth than the galactic duo, and is illuminated not by starlight from within, but solely by the ambient light of the Milky Way. As a result, IFNs tend to be very faint, and challenging to capture, especially when framed alongside brighter objects. "I always admire shots with IFN. The Texas Star Party gave me the opportunity to get a lot of Lum data under dark skies to finally get my version of the classic couple," Meyer told in an email. "A bit of trick stretching the IFN data, and not blowing out the galaxies - masks!" Meyer continued, referring to a digital editing tool used to isolate and adjust specific parts of an image. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to explore the wonders of the deep sky for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Bode's Galaxy and M82 are found about 12 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. The pair are thought to have collided some 10 million years ago, with the gravitational tug of war distorting M82 into its current cigar-like shape, while prompting an explosion of starbirth, according to the European Space Agency. The Garland Galaxy (NGC 3077) can also be spotted as a blur of light towards the bottom of the image, while a fourth galactic interloper — NGC 2976 glows to the upper right of the cosmic vista. Meyer captured the scene over a total of 51 hours and 40 minutes using a Radian Raptor 61mm telescope paired with an ASI 2600 MM astronomy camera during the Texas Star Party astronomy event, which was held under dark sky conditions in April. About 30 of those hours were dedicated to gathering luminance data, with the remaining time split between red, green, blue and hydrogen-alpha filter exposures. The collected light data was then processed into a single image using the astronomy software PixInsight, Photoshop and Lightroom. Night sky enthusiasts hoping to get a glimpse of Bode's Galaxy for themselves should check out our guide to the best telescope deals, along with our roundups for the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. Editor's Note: If you are interested in sharing your astrophotography with the readers at please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Amateur astronomer reveals a colorful portrait of Earth's closest star-forming neighbor (photo)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astrophotographer Greg Meyer captured a breathtaking view of the Rho Ophiuchi stellar nursery and Messier 4 globular cluster while attending a stargazing event in Texas last month. Meyer used a thermoelectrically cooled monochrome astronomy camera mounted on a compact Radian Raptor 61mm telescope to snap 177 separate three- to five-minute exposures of the vast interstellar cloud. All told, it took a grand total of 14 hours and 45 minutes to image Rho Ophiuchi with a series of red, green, blue and luminance filters during the 2025 Texas Star Party stargazing event, which took place from April 20 to April 27. The resulting data was then expertly processed using the astrophotography software PixInsight, alongside Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to create a rich interstellar vista of swirling gas clouds, and dark, dusty filaments. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to explore wonders of the solar system and the stars beyond for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look, see our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. "A favorite among astrophotographers, I wanted to try it from a dark sky area, and I was at the Texas Star Party in April 2025," said Meyer in an email to discussing his observation of Rho Ophiuchi. "This object was rising after midnight with the Milky Way, so [I] was able to get some good data with my portable rig for several clear nights." The Rho Ophiuchi nebula system is the closest star-forming region to Earth, and as such has come under the scrutiny of both the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope in recent years. Brightest among the stars captured in Meyer's colorful portrait is the aging red giant Antares, which can be found illuminating the right hand side of the cosmic vista. Above Antares near the top of the frame is the famous Messier 4 globular cluster, which is estimated to be home to some 100,000 stellar bodies, according to NASA. Another dense city of stars designated NGC 6144 can be spotted to the upper left of Antares, while the bright stellar trio of Rho Ophiuchi B, C and D appear to illuminate the surrounding cloud structure at the top left of the image. Related stories: — Rho Ophiuchi: A colorful cosmic cloud in photos — Night sky, May 2025: What you can see tonight [maps] — Antares: Red star at the end of its life As is almost always the case when dealing with deep sky objects, the different elements comprising Meyer's scene are nowhere near as close to one another as they appear. For example, NASA estimates that Rho Ophiuchi is located some 390 light-years from Earth, while Antares — which appears to be totally enveloped in the nebulous structure — is roughly 550 light-years away. Messier 4, meanwhile, is even more remote, sitting some 5,500 light-years from our planet. Editor's Note: If you are interested in sharing your astrophotography with the readers at please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
