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
Forest Mist
Forest MistSome of the best photographic opportunities are with fog, rain, and mist in the atmosphere. These elements provide a beautiful light in the forest and one simply has to be on the lookout for the more intimate landscape setting that captures the emotion of the scene. This image is from the 2011 workshop. To see the full size image please click on the link and then click on the image thumbnail for lighbox presentation.
"Mountains of Color" fall photography workshop registration is now OPEN
Tree Portrait-Dolly Sods National Recreation AreaHello! I am very excited to announce that the registration for the "Mountains of Color" fall photography workshop is now OPEN. Please review the website and if this workshop looks like one you would like, please register early and secure your hotel or camping accomodations early as spaces are filling up fast. This is one of the golden times to be in the highlands of West Virginia. Not only will we be in the midst of beautiful scenery, we will be learning some great photography approaches and developing friendships with fellow photographers. It is a great fun learning environment. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. I hope you can join us for this great weekend of beautiful photography.
Lindy Point Sunset
Our workshop group was treated to many great sites and one was this sunset from Lindy Point. My favorite time for sunsets is actually after sunset to see if we get beautiful light on the clouds. While we do mostly photograph flowing water, we seek out great light and opportunities in other landscapes during the workshop. You can see the full size image along with other images from the workshop at this link.
Lindy Point Sunset
Flamingo Sunsets
In the winter of this year I had the opportunity to visit the Everglades for a week of photography. I journeyed over most of the park from the eastern entrances everyday from pre-sunrise to post-sunset. One location quickly became my favorite after my very first visit. Flamingo is about 38 miles from the east entrance to the park. I wasn't setup for camping so I made the drive every day to Flamingo for sunset.
I was looking for a western exposure to the open water where I had a feeling that magical light could happen around sunset. My first trip to Flamingo was a stark reminder of the the official bird of Florida-the mosquito. They nearly carried me away that night and I never left my Deep Woods Off at home after that. 
The evening was very special as the Florida Bay was dead still and the post-sunset sky glow was reflecting off of the water like a mirror. This evening was colored by pink and blue pastels in the sky. The next evening was a little overcast and didn't provide much in the way of special light. My third evening was specactular. The pre-sunset sky was full of popcorn clouds and a brilliant sun reflecting off of the bay. Then it followed up with fantastic post-sunset sky glow and clouds that really made the trip special.
So it goes without saying that I have found a favorite photo location in the Everglades and will visit this spot every time I am in the area.
I invite you to view the full size images of Flamingo Sunsets at this link.
Two New Images Join the "Designer Series"
Light Path
Vertical SwirlsMary Johnson has worked her magic again to produce two new designer presentations featuring the amazing light from Antelope Canyon. Please click on the thumbnail to view the image and gorgeous framing presentation in the black portfolio presentation window at full resolution. These new prints make a wonderful companion presentation on any home or office wall. The prints were designed as a pair to complement each other in a stunning presentation of slot canyon light. More information on the prints and framing may be found here.
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