Author: Dave Hearn

The Cave Nebula, or Sh2-155, is an emission nebula in the constellation of Cepheus, located at roughly 2,400 light years away from Earth. The Cave Nebula is an interesting astronomical feature in the night sky, but it is not one of the most well-known nebulae. The Cave Nebula is composed primarily of clouds of dust Read More …

Here is the 2023 update for my “best” image of M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. This is a milestone in my astrophotography journey, as I have captured new data on M31 this year, and then added last year’s image data as well. This proves the concept that it is possible to constantly improve images by adding Read More …

Here is a current visitor to our solar system: Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). ZTF stands for the Zwicky Transient Facility, which is located at the Mount Palomar Observatory. The comet was discovered there last March when it was 399 million miles (643 million kilometers) from the sun, just inside the orbit of Jupiter. This image Read More …

Here is the Helix Nebula, NGC 7293. It has also been called the Eye of God, or the Eye of Sauron. The Helix Nebula is a perfect example of a Planetary Nebula, formed by an intermediate to low-mass star, which sheds its outer layers near the end of its life. Gases from the star in Read More …

This is NGC 7380, otherwise known as The Wizard Nebula. The name comes from the shape of a wizard in profile, with his pointy hat & long robe, with outstretched arms. NGC 7380 is a young open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Cepheus, and was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1787. The Read More …