M 57 – The Ring Nebula Description: The Lyra Ring Nebula is one of the most popular with amateur astronomers. It is relatively bright, although very small. Looking at it through a telescope creates an unreal impression of seeing a puff of cigarette smoke...
M 97 – The Owl Nebula Description: The Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula that results from the end of life of a giant red star. When the star has burned all of its hydrogen and then its helium, its core collapses and a shell of gas is ejected. The star becomes a...
The Horsehead Nebula Description: The Horsehead Nebula is a favorite among amateur astrophotographers. It is easy to find in the constellation Orion in winter. The big shining star (Alnitak) that we see in the photo is the star on the left among the 3 stars of...
NGC 2392 – The Eskimo nebula Description: Sometimes called the Clownface Nebula, NGC 2392 is a small planetary nebula. When photographed in a powerful enough telescope, it resembles the face of a human dressed in a fur parka, hence its former name: the Eskimo...
NGC 6543 – Cat’s Eye Nebula Description: NGC 6543, the Cat’s Eye Nebula is located in the constellation Draco about 3,000 light-years away. It is the result of a star that has burned all its gas and ejected a shell of ionized gas about 1,000 years...
