M1, (Crab Nebula)
Date: January 12, 2026
Name: Crab Nebula
Constellation: Taurus
Distance from Earth: ~6,300 ly.
Fun Facts: Chinese astronomers actually witnessed the star explosion in the year 1054.
The “M1” label comes from Charles Messier who was a fellow in France hunting for comets in the late 1700’s. He was getting many false positives from other fuzzy objects, such as galaxies and globular clusters. So…in an effort to remove the confusion and make record of previous observations he started naming the objects M1, M2 etc. There are a total of 110 Messier objects, with the vast majority located in the northern hemisphere. I believe C.M. resided near Paris.
IC410, (The Tadpole Nebula)
Date: February 11, 2026
Name: The Tadpole Nebula
Constellation: Taurus
Distance from Earth: ~12,000 ly.
Capture Details: This image consists of 170, 2-minute exposures captured over two evenings in early February using an Ha/OIII narrowband filter. The frames were stacked and processed in PixInsight.
M16, (The Eagle Nubula)
Date: July 08, 2026
Name: The Eagle Nebula
Constellation: Serpens
Distance from Earth: ~5,700 to 7,000 ly.
Capture Details: This image consists of 150 x 2-minute exposures captured over two evenings in early July using an Ha/OIII narrowband filter. The frames were stacked and processed in PixInsight.
Fun fact: M16 is a classic mid-summer target located low in the southern sky, reaching a maximum altitude of only about 30 degrees. Imaging it goes against one of my cardinal rules: never image objects below 45 degrees. Every rule has its exceptions, though, and the Eagle Nebula is certainly one of them. Despite its low altitude, it’s a spectacular target that’s well worth the effort.
NGC6914
Date: July 16, 2026
Name: NGC6914
Constellation: Cygnus,
Distance from Earth: ~6,000 ly.
Capture Details: This image consists of 160 x 2-minute exposures captured over two evenings in early July using an IR-Cut filter. The frames were stacked and processed in PixInsight.
Fun fact: NGC6914 is a reflection and emission nebulae.
NGC6960
Date: August 05 and 06, 2026
Name: NGC6960, (also known as the Western Veil Nebula or the Witch’s Broom)
Constellation: Cygnus
Distance from Earth: ~2,400 ly.
Acquisition & Processing Details:
- Total Exposure: ~10 hours (300 frames x 120 seconds) captured over two consecutive, crystal-clear nights.
- Filter: Antlia ALP-T Dual-Band 3nm Ha & OIII.
- Software: Processed entirely in PixInsight.
Fun fact: NGC6960 is a supernova remnant and is part of a larger structure known as the Cygnus Loop. It is essentially a vast cloud of heated, ionized gas, primarily oxygen, sulfur, and hydrogen, intertwined with interstellar dust.
SH2-103
Date: August 05 and 06, 2026
Name: SH2-103, (Cygnus Loop)
Constellation: Cygnus
Distance from Earth: ~2,400 ly.
Acquisition & Processing Details:
- Total Exposure: ~10 hours (300 frames x 120 seconds) captured over two consecutive, crystal-clear nights.
- Filter: Antlia ALP-T Dual-Band 3nm Ha & OIII.
- Software: Processed entirely in PixInsight.
Fun fact: This wide-field shot of the entire Cygnus Loop (Sh2-103)—including both the Eastern and Western Veil Nebula was captured using my ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera riding on the ZWO AM5 mount. This portable powerhouse setup yields a staggering 4° x 6° field of view, allowing me to easily frame the massive supernova remnant in a single, breathtaking frame.
