The Herschel 400 Astronomical League Project is underway
It’s not too late to join. We are about 30 objects into the Herschel 400. Hope to get another session in soon. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel so you get notifications on LIVE STREAMS.
Angels in Monoceros: The Monoceros M2 Complex
The Monoceros R2 molecular complex (often shortened to Mon R2) is a massive giant molecular cloud and one of the nearest active star-forming regions to Earth. It's a dynamic stellar nursery embedded in dense gas and dust, where new stars—particularly massive ones—are actively being born.
Key Facts
Location: Southwestern part of the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn), near the border with Orion. It's part of the larger Orion-Monoceros cloud complex.
Distance: Approximately 2,400–2,700 light-years (around 830 parsecs).
Size and Structure: The main dense core is relatively compact (a few light-years across), but the overall molecular cloud and associated nebulae span a wide area—reflection nebulae alone stretch up to about 2° in the sky. It's situated well below the galactic plane, which makes it stand out in certain observations.
Age and Activity: Star formation here began roughly 6–10 million years ago. It hosts an OB association (young, hot, massive B- and A-type stars) that illuminates surrounding dust, creating prominent reflection nebulae with bluish hues. There's also significant emission from ionized gas (red glows) and dark nebulae that appear as shadowy silhouettes blocking background light.
Notable Features:
A central hub of massive star formation with embedded clusters, molecular outflows, and HII regions.
Infrared observations (like those from VISTA or 2MASS) penetrate the dust to reveal hidden young stars and protoplanetary disks.
It's a key site for studying early stellar evolution, variability in young stellar objects (YSOs), and the interplay between massive stars and their natal clouds.
The most famous and photogenic part of Mon R2 is the region around NGC 2170 (the Angel Nebula), a striking reflection nebula with wing-like dust structures, glowing blue from scattered starlight, mixed with red emission and dark lanes. Wider views of the complex reveal a richer tapestry of colorful gas, dust filaments, and star clusters.
Credit: GROK 2/28/26
Click on image for larger view.
New Astro Camera: OM-3
Join me for a LIVE conversation about this new astro camera coming to the market. Is this the best option for you? How does it compare to other options? https://www.earthandskyphoto.com Correction: when discussing Bulb mode with Canon, I incorrectly said it had a limit of 30”. I meant to say manual exposure has a max of 30”. In bulb, you need to use a remote control or app for exposure time control. The problem is you can’t set exposure time for stills in the camera menu. I was made aware that Olympus no longer owns the OM system. It is owned by Japanese industrial Partners, a private equity firm. For content on the OM-3 for astrophotography, please see Ben Chapell’s Narrow Band channel. https://youtube.com/@TheNarrowbandChannel?si=GcWY-BM9skG9LPhY
Mesa Arch Morning
Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National ParkMesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is an icon of the southwestern landscape. The early morning sun light reflects off of the deep canyon walls and provides intense illumination of the arch. The arch with the window to the desert floor below is a site not to be missed if you are in the Moab, UT area.
For a hgher resolution image please click on the image and then click on the thumbnail for best views. Enjoy and take care.
Kolob Canyon Sunset
Kolob CanyonOn the western edge of Zion National Park lies the intense red rock canyon of Kolob. The area is a must-see for those visiting Zion. In this image the last rays of sun illuminate the rocks creating an intense display of reds with the green foliage highlighted in the valley. Please click on the image for a higher resolution view.
Douglas Falls May 2011
Douglas Falls May 2011Revisiting familiar locations and employing new visualization techniques as well as new optimizing techniques is critical to improving your photography. Douglas Falls is one of my favorite locations in northern West Virginia. This interpretation is an attempt to capture the scene as it looks to the human eye, but the camera sensor is limited in capturing the scene in this manner. The techniques used in this capture and processing are what we teach in our workshops and one on one consulting. If you would like to learn more about this please see our list of workshops or contact me about scheduling your free one on one consulting session. Please click on the image or this link for a higher resolution image.
Tree in Fog
Tree in Fog: Canaan ValleyA new image from our spring workshop in the Canaan Valley area. Morning light and atmospheric fog create magical environments for photography. This is a look over the valley near Canaan Valley State park at sunrise. For a larger image presentation please click on the image and then click on the thumbnail at the bottom of the portfolio.
Elakala Falls with Black and White Interpretation
Elakala Falls Black and White DownstreamIt is important to experment with black and white interpretations of scenes when the color component is not critical and the image is more about light and structure. Flowing water lengs itself very nicely to black and white interpretations. This is not my primary visualization while in the field, but it is one that we need to be mindful of if we are not inclined to view a scene in the eyes of black and white.
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