top of page
Don Bouc Astrophotography
Distance: 5,200 light years
Radius: 65 light years
What is it?: This is one of the largest and most beautiful emission nebula. It is believed to be about 4 million years old.
The star cluster in its center is NGC 2244
Radius: 65 light years
What is it?: This is one of the largest and most beautiful emission nebula. It is believed to be about 4 million years old.
The star cluster in its center is NGC 2244
Distance: 1,300 light years
Radius: 12 light years
What is it?: This is one of my top 3 favorite pictures. A book could be written about it. It contains emission, reflection, and dark nebula, as well as open star clusters and other stuff. It is the most popular and recognizable DSO. It is part of the Great Orion Cloud which is largest and most prolific star generating nebula in our galaxy. Click on the link below to see where this nebula region is in the night sky
Radius: 12 light years
What is it?: This is one of my top 3 favorite pictures. A book could be written about it. It contains emission, reflection, and dark nebula, as well as open star clusters and other stuff. It is the most popular and recognizable DSO. It is part of the Great Orion Cloud which is largest and most prolific star generating nebula in our galaxy. Click on the link below to see where this nebula region is in the night sky
Distance: Heart-6,000 light years Soul-6,500 light years
Radius: 580 light years
What is it?: These are two very large and very bright nebulae. The star cluster in the center of the Heart Nebula contains stars that are 50 times more massive than our sun.
Radius: 580 light years
What is it?: These are two very large and very bright nebulae. The star cluster in the center of the Heart Nebula contains stars that are 50 times more massive than our sun.
Common Name: Tadpole Nebula
Distance: 12,000 light years
Radius: 100 light years
What is it?: Although this nebula is about 4 million years old, that is considered very young in cosmic terms. The "tadpoles" of dark gas that give this nebula its name are about 10 light years long and may be forming new stars.
Distance: 12,000 light years
Radius: 100 light years
What is it?: Although this nebula is about 4 million years old, that is considered very young in cosmic terms. The "tadpoles" of dark gas that give this nebula its name are about 10 light years long and may be forming new stars.
Distance: 4,000-5,000 light years
Radius: 25 light years
What is it?: There’s an awful lot going on with this picture. I stitched together several images to get this one overall picture. Most of what you see is are emission nebulae, but there are also two open star clusters; one in lower middle (NGC 6910), and one upper right (Messier 29). The distinctive emission in the lower left (NGC 6888) is call the Crescent Nebula. Is it lit from behind by the star WR 136. It’s about 4.7 million years old and will likely explode into a supernova in the next 100,000 years. This star is 15 times larger than the sun and 260,000 times more luminous. A more detailed image of the Cresent Nebula is on the next page.
Radius: 25 light years
What is it?: There’s an awful lot going on with this picture. I stitched together several images to get this one overall picture. Most of what you see is are emission nebulae, but there are also two open star clusters; one in lower middle (NGC 6910), and one upper right (Messier 29). The distinctive emission in the lower left (NGC 6888) is call the Crescent Nebula. Is it lit from behind by the star WR 136. It’s about 4.7 million years old and will likely explode into a supernova in the next 100,000 years. This star is 15 times larger than the sun and 260,000 times more luminous. A more detailed image of the Cresent Nebula is on the next page.
Distance: 5,000 lioght years
Radius: 25 light years
What is it?: This nebula is formed from gases being blown away by a massive star at its center (WR 136). This star is shedding its mass at a rate equivalent to our suns mass every 10,000 years. It will likely, ultimately, end in a supernova explosion.
Radius: 25 light years
What is it?: This nebula is formed from gases being blown away by a massive star at its center (WR 136). This star is shedding its mass at a rate equivalent to our suns mass every 10,000 years. It will likely, ultimately, end in a supernova explosion.
Distance: Horsehead-1,300 light years Flame-900 light years
Radius: Horsehead-3.5 light years Flame-6 light years
What is it?: This is one of my top 3 favorite pictures. A book could be written about it. It contains emission, reflection, and dark nebula, as well as open star clusters and other stuff. It is the most popular and recognizable DSO. It is part of the Great Orion Cloud which is largest and most prolific star generating nebula in our galaxy. While Horsehead and Flame seem close together, they are about 400 light years from each other.
Click on the link below to see where this nebula region is in the night sky.
Radius: Horsehead-3.5 light years Flame-6 light years
What is it?: This is one of my top 3 favorite pictures. A book could be written about it. It contains emission, reflection, and dark nebula, as well as open star clusters and other stuff. It is the most popular and recognizable DSO. It is part of the Great Orion Cloud which is largest and most prolific star generating nebula in our galaxy. While Horsehead and Flame seem close together, they are about 400 light years from each other.
Click on the link below to see where this nebula region is in the night sky.
What is it?: This is a picture made by stitching together several pictures in the Orion Cloud Complex. Previous pictures in the Emission Nebula section show closer versions of these nebulae (Horsehead, Flame, Orion, Running Man, and Casper the Friendly Ghost Nebulae)
Distance: 11,000 light years
Radius: 3.5 light years
What is it?: There is a lot going on in this picture. Right center is the open star cluster Messier 52 with about 190 stars that are 35 million years old. More dominantly is the center top NGC 7635 – Bubble Nebula. The bubble shape is caused by the stellar wind of a very bright star in its center…SAO 20575.
To “zoom into” the Bubble Nebula, click the link below.
Radius: 3.5 light years
What is it?: There is a lot going on in this picture. Right center is the open star cluster Messier 52 with about 190 stars that are 35 million years old. More dominantly is the center top NGC 7635 – Bubble Nebula. The bubble shape is caused by the stellar wind of a very bright star in its center…SAO 20575.
To “zoom into” the Bubble Nebula, click the link below.
Distance: 7,000 light years
Radius: 15 light years
What is it?: This is a very popular nebula to image. Near the center of this nebula are some large pillars of gas known as the "Pillars of Creation". Some brand new stars are just about complete at the tips of these pillars.
A picture of these pillars was on the wall of Sheldon's apartment for several seasons of The Big Bang Theory.
Radius: 15 light years
What is it?: This is a very popular nebula to image. Near the center of this nebula are some large pillars of gas known as the "Pillars of Creation". Some brand new stars are just about complete at the tips of these pillars.
A picture of these pillars was on the wall of Sheldon's apartment for several seasons of The Big Bang Theory.
Distance: 6,000 light years
Radius: 15 light years
What is it?: This is a very large star forming nebula, not unlike the Orion Nebula. There are about 800 new stars that were born in the region.
Many nebula have more than one name. This nebula is referred to as Omega, Horseshoe, Checkmark, Swan, and Lobster Nebula.
Radius: 15 light years
What is it?: This is a very large star forming nebula, not unlike the Orion Nebula. There are about 800 new stars that were born in the region.
Many nebula have more than one name. This nebula is referred to as Omega, Horseshoe, Checkmark, Swan, and Lobster Nebula.
Distance: 2,400 light years
What is it?: This is a very large ionized gas region that has produced several very young stars (less than 100,000 years old). The nebula was named this for the column located in the lower center of the image.
What is it?: This is a very large ionized gas region that has produced several very young stars (less than 100,000 years old). The nebula was named this for the column located in the lower center of the image.
Distance: 9,000 light years
Radius: 21 light years
What is it?: This nebula is a combination of a star cluster, an emission nebula, a dark nebula, and a reflection nebula. The largest star born in this region is 20 times the mass of our sun.
Radius: 21 light years
What is it?: This nebula is a combination of a star cluster, an emission nebula, a dark nebula, and a reflection nebula. The largest star born in this region is 20 times the mass of our sun.
Distance: 2,100 light years
Radius: 3 light years
What is it?: This is a dusty star forming region providing contrasting emission and reflection nebulae in the same field - the glow is hydrogen gas and reflected starlight.
Radius: 3 light years
What is it?: This is a dusty star forming region providing contrasting emission and reflection nebulae in the same field - the glow is hydrogen gas and reflected starlight.
Common Name: Pacman Nebula
Distance: 9,500 light years
Radius: 48 light years
What is it?: This nebula is about 3.5 million years old and has created about 300 new stars.
What is amazing to me is that this nebula, like a great number of DSOs, was discovered over 100 years ago. Their equipment was "a little different" from what I use.
Distance: 9,500 light years
Radius: 48 light years
What is it?: This nebula is about 3.5 million years old and has created about 300 new stars.
What is amazing to me is that this nebula, like a great number of DSOs, was discovered over 100 years ago. Their equipment was "a little different" from what I use.
Distance: 4,100 light years
Radius: 48 light years
What is it?: This nebula is near the Trifid Nebula, both quite bright and popular to image.
The dark columns of gas are where new stars are currently being born.
The star cluster near its center is NGC 6530. The cluser in the lower right is NGC 6544.
Radius: 48 light years
What is it?: This nebula is near the Trifid Nebula, both quite bright and popular to image.
The dark columns of gas are where new stars are currently being born.
The star cluster near its center is NGC 6530. The cluser in the lower right is NGC 6544.
Distance: 10,700 light years
What is it?: Hydogen regions like this are well known for being places where new stars are born, and are created when ultraviolet radiation from hot stars ionizes the surrounding gas, causing it to glow in visible light
What is it?: Hydogen regions like this are well known for being places where new stars are born, and are created when ultraviolet radiation from hot stars ionizes the surrounding gas, causing it to glow in visible light
Distance: 1,000 light years
Radius: 50 light years
What is it?: This nebula is just cool. It really is shaped like California.
(Politically, it should be colored blue (D) , not red (R))
Radius: 50 light years
What is it?: This nebula is just cool. It really is shaped like California.
(Politically, it should be colored blue (D) , not red (R))
Distance: 3,600 light years
What is it?: I really like this image. It shows two very interesting nebulae at once: the very large Seagull Nebula, and the small, faint Thor's Helmet Nebula.
There is more information on the Thor's Helmet Nebula with a separate picture of it in this section.
The Seagull Nebula what is called an HII region. Hot new stars are born here, and their intense ultraviolet radiation causes the surrounding gas to glow brightly.
What is it?: I really like this image. It shows two very interesting nebulae at once: the very large Seagull Nebula, and the small, faint Thor's Helmet Nebula.
There is more information on the Thor's Helmet Nebula with a separate picture of it in this section.
The Seagull Nebula what is called an HII region. Hot new stars are born here, and their intense ultraviolet radiation causes the surrounding gas to glow brightly.
Distance: 12,000 light years
What is it?: This nebula is quite difficult to image because it is so faint. It took me several tries over a few years to get a picture I liked. The star in the center is thought to be a "pre-supernova", i.e., a large star near the end of its life and about to explode. Stay tuned, sometime between "now" and 10,000 years, it could happen.
What is it?: This nebula is quite difficult to image because it is so faint. It took me several tries over a few years to get a picture I liked. The star in the center is thought to be a "pre-supernova", i.e., a large star near the end of its life and about to explode. Stay tuned, sometime between "now" and 10,000 years, it could happen.
Common Name: Tarantula Nebula
Distance: 160,000 light years
Radius: 500 light years
What is it?: This is an incredibly large nebula that is visible only in the southern hemisphere. It is part of the Magellanic Cloud, a small dwarf galaxy orbiting our Milky Way. If it were as close as the Orion Nebula in our hemisphere, it would take up about half our sky.
This picture was taken from a telescope/camera in Australia I controlled from my computer. It is part of a sort of “telescope timeshare” that allows me to use telescopes/cameras in different parts of the world.
Click the link below to watch a video that “zooms into” this nebula.
Distance: 160,000 light years
Radius: 500 light years
What is it?: This is an incredibly large nebula that is visible only in the southern hemisphere. It is part of the Magellanic Cloud, a small dwarf galaxy orbiting our Milky Way. If it were as close as the Orion Nebula in our hemisphere, it would take up about half our sky.
This picture was taken from a telescope/camera in Australia I controlled from my computer. It is part of a sort of “telescope timeshare” that allows me to use telescopes/cameras in different parts of the world.
Click the link below to watch a video that “zooms into” this nebula.
Distance: 10,000 light years
Radius: 4 light years
What is it?: This emission nebula looks unique due to the "bubble" in the middle formed by steller wind from a massively hot center star. That star is 45 times more massive than our sun, and the stellar wind is blowing at 4 million miles/hour!
The open star cluster to upper right is Messier 52.
Radius: 4 light years
What is it?: This emission nebula looks unique due to the "bubble" in the middle formed by steller wind from a massively hot center star. That star is 45 times more massive than our sun, and the stellar wind is blowing at 4 million miles/hour!
The open star cluster to upper right is Messier 52.
bottom of page