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
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.
A New Portfolio: Slot Canyon Light
Light Path
Vertical SwirlsThe light in the American southwest slot canyons is amazing. The blend of colors as the light is reflected on the canyon walls creates a unique palette that is hard to find anywhere else.
Today we announce a portfolio dedicated to this special light.
Please take a moment to journey to Lower Antelope Canyon and experience the unique palette of color and light today.
Please click on either image to enter the gallery or HERE. Please don't forget to click on each thumbnail to enter the black portfolio mode for best viewing.
December Print of the Month: Scorpius
ScorpiusI just love revisiting images, especially those from the film days. This particular image has always been special to me. It was taken while on an astronomy photography safari at New Mexico Skies near Cloudcroft, NM.
We had a large group of astrophotographers and it was a highlight of my photography life. The trip was in May 2003 and film was still a major player in photographic capture. I particularly loved, and still do, the results with my Pentax 6x7 and medium format Provia transparency film. This image was taken with a 55mm lens and presents the entire constellation of Scorpius. It is simply the most colorful region of our Milky Way galaxy.
The field of view is just barely clear of our horizon, but we had excellent transparency on this night that permitted the capture of nearly the entire Scorpius region. There are some areas of this image that contain data from other imaging instruments at higher focal lengths to provide a bit more definition to the area. All of the blending data is film with the exception of one very small area which is an early digital capture with a Canon 350D.
The image is the December Print of the Month. It is printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag paper and matted on black mat with black and silver framing. All glass is museum glass. I hope you enjoy the image and next time you are out under a dark sky in the summer look up and see Scorpius with a different perspective.
Please don't forget to click on the image (or here December Print of the Month) and then on the next thumbnail to see the image in the best presentation and full size in the black portfolio window.
The Designer Series is Now Available!
Autumn's Brilliance Designer PresentationWorking with designer Mary Johnson, I am extremely pleased to present to you the Designer Series Collection. The image and presentation are simply the finest in fine art photography today. The most popular prints from my collection are now accented with stunning matting and framing combinations that will look fantastic in any home or office decor.
There are currently 3 images in the collection. Each image has custom framing and matting which accentuates the color vibrancy and adds to the emotional impact of each composition.
For much more on the presentation please click on the image or on this link. Once you are at the Designer Portfolio page, please click on the thumbnail to enter and see the images and presentation. Don't forget to click on each image to see the best presentation of the Designer Series image. These are simply the finest presentation available in fine art photography today. I hope you find a place for one in your home or office.
Comet Hartley 2 visits our neighborhood
Comet Hartley and the Double ClusterThis image was taken from Spruce Knob in the highlands of West Virginia on October 9 at 1:00 a.m. The image shows the green glow of Comet Hartley 2 as it graces our neighborhood of the solar system on its latest journey to the sun. Also in the picture is the deep sky object known as the Double Cluster. The cluster is made up of two distinct open clusters of stars and are also know as NGC 869 and 884. The comet was visited by the EPOXI Mission spacecraft on November 4 and the amazing images from that visit are featured on this APOD page. The comet's closest approach to Earth was 11 million miles on October 28 and will visit our neighborhood again in April 2017.
Jeff's Blog
Join me on photography journeys from desert landscapes to deep sky wonders.
