The Flickr Asi2600Mc Image Generatr

Messier 51 ( aka Whirlpool Galaxy) . It is a stack of 20 X 5 minutes subs from Bortle 6 sky. Processed in Pixinsight.

NGC 5466 is a class XII (Shapley–Sawyer - almost no concentration towards the center) globular cluster in the constellation Boötes. Located 51,800 light years from Earth and 52,800 light years from the Galactic Center. (ref: Wikipedia)

Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class: XII
Constellation: Boötes
Right ascension: 14h 05m 27.29s
Declination: +28° 32′ 04.0″
Distance: 51.9 kly
Apparent magnitude (V): 10.5
Apparent dimensions (V): 11

Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT Telescope, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at 0F, 65 x 60 second exposures, Celestron CGX-L pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in PixInsight. Image Date: April 23, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

Messier 3 (also known as M3 or NGC 5272) is a globular cluster found in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. M3 is one of the three brightest globular clusters in the Northern hemisphere (along with M13 and M5). This cluster is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 11.4 billion years old. It is located at a distance of about 33,900 light-years away from Earth.

Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class: VI
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Right ascension: 13h 42m 11.62s
Declination: +28° 22′ 38.2″
Distance: 33.9 kly
Apparent magnitude (V): 6.39
Apparent dimensions (V): 18′.0

Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT Telescope, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at 0F, 81 x 60 second exposures, Celestron CGX-L pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in PixInsight. Image Date: April 23, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

Date d'acquisition : Février à avril 2025 - France

Instruments :

- Lunette APM107/700 avec un réducteur correcteur Riccardi x0,75 sur une monture AM5

- Lunette FLT110 avec un correcteur Riccardi sur une monture AZEQ6

Acquisitions :
- Caméra ZWO 2600MCpro
- Filtre L-Ulitmate & L-Enhance
- Temps de pose total : 30 heures

Pinwheel Galaxy ( Messier 101 )
Backyard (Bortle class 6), stack of 30 X 5 minutes sub using ZWO ASI2600MC camera and processed in Pixinsight.

Messier 99 or M99 (NGC 4254) in the constellation Coma Berenices is a spiral galaxy approximately 56 million light-years away from Earth. Burnham states, “The spiral pattern is very well defined, although somewhat asymmetric, with an unusually far-extending arm on the west side….”

Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation: Coma Berenices
Right ascension: 12h 18m 49.625s
Declination: +14° 24′ 59.36″
Distance: 45.2 Mly
Group or cluster: Virgo Cluster
Apparent magnitude (V): 9.9

Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT Telescope, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 73 x 60 second exposures, Celestron CGX-L pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in PixInsight. Image Date: April 1, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

2025-01-28
Winter Star Party, Scout Key, FL

This is an HOO image. I processed using a workflow that included narrowband normalization. It is interesting to compare this image with the same image I posted a few weeks ago where I used the Foraxx palate.

Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC
Guide Camera: QHY5III462
Telescope: Vixen ED80SF F/7.5
Mount: Losmandy G11
Integration: 32 x 900s=450m (7.5h)
Filter: Optolong Ultimate Dual
Capture: NINA
Processing: Pixinsight, Affinity

Galaxy season is here! This is the Black Eye Galaxy (also called Sleeping Beauty Galaxy or Evil Eye Galaxy and designated Messier 64, M64, or NGC 4826) is a relatively isolated spiral galaxy 17 million light-years away in the mildly northern constellation of Coma Berenices. A dark band of absorbing dust partially in front of its bright nucleus gave rise to its nicknames of the "Black Eye", "Evil Eye", or "Sleeping Beauty" galaxy. (ref: Wikipedia)

Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation: Coma Berenices
Right ascension: 12h 56m 43.696s
Declination: +21° 40′ 57.57″
Distance: 17.3 Mly
Apparent magnitude (V): 8.52

Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT Telescope, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 76 x 60 second exposures, Celestron CGX-L pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in PixInsight. Image Date: April 1, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

La galaxie de l’Aiguille, officiellement nommée NGC 4565, est une galaxie spirale située à environ 40 millions d’années-lumière de la Terre, dans la constellation de la Chevelure de Bérénice.

Observée par la tranche depuis notre point de vue terrestre, elle présente une forme fine et allongée qui lui vaut son surnom. Elle est souvent considérée comme un exemple spectaculaire de galaxie spirale vue par la tranche, avec un bulbe central brillant et un disque sombre parcouru de poussières interstellaires.
Avec un diamètre estimé à plus de 150 000 années-lumière, elle est comparable en taille à la Voie lactée

– 236 x 300 s – ASI 2600MC Pro (gain 100, -10 °C)
– Filtre L-quad enhanced Optolong
– Monture NEQ6 Pro GoTo
– Lunette guide Askar FRA400 + ASI 120MM Mini, le tout piloté par l’ASIAIR
– Bortle 5
– Traitement : Siril / PixInsight / Photoshop

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The Needle Galaxy, officially known as NGC 4565, is a spiral galaxy located about 40 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices.

Seen edge-on from our earthly perspective, it has a thin and elongated shape, which gives it its nickname. It is often regarded as a spectacular example of an edge-on spiral galaxy, with a bright central bulge and a dark disk filled with interstellar dust. With an estimated diameter of over 150,000 light-years, it is comparable in size to the Milky Way.

– 236 x 300 s – ASI 2600MC Pro (gain 100, -10 °C) – L-quad enhanced Optolong filter – NEQ6 Pro GoTo mount – Askar FRA400 guide scope + ASI 120MM Mini, all controlled by ASIAIR – Bortle 5 – Processing: Siril / PixInsight / Photoshop

Here is a view of the Sunflower Galaxy, Messier 63 (M63, NGC 5055) found in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is a spiral galaxy surrounded by many short spiral arm segments. It is also a member of a group of galaxies referred to as the M51 Group. The Sunflower Galaxy lies roughly 37 million light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 9.3. This has been one of my favorite galaxies to image during galaxy season.

Distance to Earth: 27 million light years
Radius: 49,000 light years
Right ascension: 13h 15m 49.3s
Declination: +42°01’45”
Apparent Magnitude: 9.3
Apparent dimensions: 12′.6 x 7′.2
Stars: 400 billion
Common Name: Sunflower Galaxy

Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT Telescope, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 81 x 60 second exposures, Celestron CGX-L pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in PixInsight. Image Date: April 1, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

M101 est une galaxie spirale située dans la constellation de la Grande Ourse, à environ 23 millions d’années-lumière de la Terre… 🌌

Elle est environ 70 % plus grande que notre Galaxie, la Voie lactée, et même plus imposante que notre voisine M31 (la galaxie d’Andromède), avec un diamètre de 170 000 années-lumière.

Vue parfaitement de face, cette orientation met en valeur ses bras spiraux très développés, riches en détails : amas d’étoiles, nébuleuses (en rouge/violet), zones de formation stellaire, etc.

Non loin de M101 se trouve la petite galaxie NGC 5474, qui interagit gravitationnellement avec elle ; cette interaction a déformé sa structure, décalant son noyau du centre de son disque — un détail visible sur la dernière image.
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🔭Cette photo est le résultat de 30 heures de pose (mon record perso ahah) :
– 370 x 300 s – ASI 2600MC Pro (gain 100, -10 °C)
– Filtre L-quad enhanced Optolong
– Monture NEQ6 Pro GoTo
– Lunette guide Askar FRA400 + ASI 120MM Mini, le tout piloté par l’ASIAIR
– Bortle 5
– Traitement : Siril / PixInsight / Photoshop

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M101 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major, about 23 million light-years from Earth… 🌌

It is about 70% larger than our Milky Way galaxy, and even more massive than our neighbor M31 (the Andromeda galaxy), with a diameter of 170,000 light-years.

Viewed perfectly face-on, this orientation highlights its highly developed spiral arms, rich in details: star clusters, nebulae (in red/purple), stellar formation zones, etc.

Not far from M101 is the small galaxy NGC 5474, which interacts gravitationally with it; this interaction has distorted its structure, shifting its nucleus away from the center of its disk — a detail visible in the latest image.

🔭 This photo is the result of 30 hours of exposure (my personal record haha): – 370 x 300 s – ASI 2600MC Pro (gain 100, -10 °C) – Optolong L-eNhance filter – NEQ6 Pro GoTo mount – Askar FRA400 guide scope + ASI 120MM Mini, all controlled by ASIAIR – Bortle 5 – Processing: Siril / PixInsight / Photoshop

This is a supernova designated as 2025fvw discovered by Koichi Itagaki on March 26, 2025. It is located in the galaxy NGC 5957 in the constellation Serpens. The current estimated magnitude from my observation is 14.5V.

Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 47 x 60 second exposures, Celestron CGX-L pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in PixInsight and Tycho. Image Date: April 1, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

The Flying Bat and Squid Nebula,
A very difficult target to image and requires many hours of exposure to revolve the blue-green emission which due to doubly ionized oxygen atoms. This collection of images was a total exposure time of over 21 hours through a tri-narrowband filter. Enjoy 🌌 ✨ 🔭
Camera: ASI2600MC
Telescope: ASKAR 500
Mount: CEM70EC
Frames: 254X300sec
Filter: Optolong LeNhance

Going through some data archives looking for lost data I never processed, here is over five hours of collected data from late 2023 on the Bubble Nebula.

From Wikipedia: “NGC 7635, also known as the Bubble Nebula, Sharpless 162, or Caldwell 11, is an H II region emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. It lies close to the direction of the open cluster Messier 52. The "bubble" is created by the stellar wind from a massive hot, 8.7 magnitude young central star, SAO 20575. The nebula is near a giant molecular cloud which contains the expansion of the bubble nebula while itself being excited by the hot central star, causing it to glow.”

Observation data:J2000 epoch
Right ascension: 23h 20m 48.3s
Declination: +61° 12′ 06″
Distance: 7100 to 11000 ly
Apparent magnitude (V): ~10
Apparent dimensions (V): 15′ × 8′
Constellation: Cassiopeia

Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at 0C, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro mount, Optolong L-eXtreme filter (2”), 66 x 300 second exposures (5 hours 30 minutes), guided using a ZWO 30mm f/4 mini guide scope and ZWO 120 Mini, focus with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: October 18, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

A wide field image of Centaurus A (C77 and NGC5128) taken at Waikari (Bortle 2) in Canterbury New Zealand over the night of 29 to 30 March 2025. The dust lane through the galaxy has led to it being called the Hamburger Galaxy. Visible also are the smaller surrounding galaxies down to 14th magnitude.
Centaurus A, in the constellation of Centaurus, is the fifth-brightest galaxy in the sky. Located 11 million light-years from earth and spanning over 60,000 light-years across, our view of Centaurus A is the result of a collision of two galaxies. The centre of the galaxy contains a massive black hole.
The galaxy was discovered in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop from his home in Australia, and is only visible from the southern hemisphere and low northern latitudes.
In total 150 frames of 3 minutes each were taken between 9.00 pm and 5.15 am for a total of 7.5 hours of data. 132 frames were stacked for this image as the last frames were discarded as a thin layer of cloud came in.
ZWO ASI2600MC camera with EAF focuser, Askar FRA400 refractor on iOptron CEM40 mount. No guiding. Capture greatly helped by ZWO ASIair Pro which allowed me to monitor over WIFI while I was warm in the camper. Processed using Deep Sky Stacker, GraXpert, Siril, and Photoshop. Cropped slightly to give a field of view 3 degrees x 2 degrees.

Thank you for choosing this photo for Explore on April 1, 2025.
Thanks also to everyone that has viewed, faved, and commented on this image.
www.flickr.com/explore/2025/04/01/

In the classic figures of the constellations the head of Orion the hunter is marked by the bright blue star at the left of this frame - λ Orionis. It is surrounded by a red H-II emission nebula, part of the λ Ori Molecular Ring. This large region is listed as number 264 in the Sharpless catalog and over on the right, the small combined emission and reflection nebula is Sharpless 263.
This image was taken with a William Optics Redcat51 telescope and an ASI2600MC Pro camera. It is an integration of 4 hours of luminance data and another 8 hours of dual narrowband shot with an Optolong L-eXtreme filter. All post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.

The bright star at centre left of frame is γ Cassiopeiae which is a very hot and energetic star whose radiation is illuminating and ionizing the gas in the emission and reflection nebulae to the right. In a broadband image only the blue reflection nebulae IC59 and IC63 are easily visible. Both look a little spooky but it is the upper one, IC63, which is popularly known as the ghost of Cassiopeiae. This image includes narrowband Ha data which better reveals the extent of the surrounding red emission nebula, #185 in the Sharpless catalog. The small red emission nebula at right of frame is another Sharpless object, #187.
This image is an integration of 12 hours of data captured with a William Optics Redcat51 telescope and an ASI2600MCPro camera; 8 of those hours were taken with an Optolong L-eXtreme dual narrowband filter. All post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.

Located 8,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cepheus, NGC 7380 is a young star cluster surrounded by a dynamic nebula. It is only about 4 million years old. For comparison, our Sun is roughly 4.6 billion years old, and dinosaurs went extinct around 66 million years ago 😊. By cosmic standards, this is an extremely young cluster, and new stars are still actively forming here. The most massive stars in the cluster are 20 times heavier than the Sun and emit intense ultraviolet radiation. Their energy ionizes hydrogen and oxygen, causing the gas to glow.
Stellar winds — streams of charged particles carve out giant "bubbles" and filaments, shaping the nebula’s intricate structures visible in photographs.
Interestingly, dense clumps of dust within this nebula hide protostellar formations where future "suns" are taking shape under the influence of gravity. These are invisible in the optical range but detectable in the infrared spectrum by telescopes like Spitzer and JWST. Thus, this is one of the few places where star formation can be observed "live" (by cosmic standards, of course 😁).
It’s fascinating: on one hand, NGC 7380 can be called a stellar nursery, while on the other, its newly born young stars unleash vast amounts of energy, generating destructive stellar winds. The cosmos is not static, and even this snapshot captures a fleeting moment in a long-term process where destruction and creation go hand in hand.

Separately, why is this nebula called the "Wizard"? At first glance… and even after a second look 😁, the nebula doesn’t resemble a wizard at all. The name likely originated from an optical illusion in early photographs, where, at certain angles, the gaseous filaments resembled the silhouette of a figure in a billowing cloak — as if a cosmic magician were casting a spell. Modern images reveal a far more complex structure, but the name "Wizard Nebula" remains as a tribute to the imagination of early observers and has become part of astronomical folklore.

P.S. Do you see the silhouette of a wizard in these patterns? Or maybe something entirely your own? 😊

NGC2023 (The Flame Nebula) and Barnard 33 (The Horsehead Nebula). A re-working of the image I uploaded in January last year. This version has added dual band data (Ha and OIII).

IC 342 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis, located relatively close to the Milky Way. Despite its size and actual brightness, its location behind dusty areas near the galactic equator makes it difficult to observe, leading to the nickname "The Hidden Galaxy" (Wikipedia)