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
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) Disruptive Event
This morning I continued my daily imaging of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). My first test images this morning revealed a break/clump in the comet’s tail and that put me on alert to capture a time-lapse of the comet for the first time.
The comet is in the northeast in the mornings right now. I believe it will be transitioning to the evening sky as October progresses. I really need to get outside and take a look through my binoculars at this thing. It is really putting on a nice show.
So, I began capturing a sequence of 130 images to give approximately 4 seconds of video movement of the comet and follow this clump/break/disruptive event. I can’t imagine that the actual cause of the clump in the tail would have happened much earlier than when I started imaging around 5:00 a.m. CDT. I waited for the Moon to set for best conditions.
I have now been operational at Starfront Observatories for about 3 weeks and it has been incredible. I would never have imaged this comet from West Virginia. I would have to travel to a site with low horizons and that can be a challenge around here. To have my equipment setup 24/7 and so easy to operate, well, I have been imaging this comet every morning. I simply haven’t had time to process the still images yet. But I wanted to get this time-lapse out ASAP because I thought it had some interesting impact that may even be able to be seen visually.
Stay tuned for much more to come on this comet and about 6 deep sky projects in various stages of completion. Thanks for stopping by and clear skies.
Almost Heaven: Monongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest holds a very special place in my heart. It has to be one of the most unique areas in the U.S. From nature’s grandeur to scientific pursuits, the area is full of hope and wonder. This past June was the Green Bank Star Quest held at the Green Bank Observatory, smack dab in the middle of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). I have documented the GBSQ with multiple videos on my YouTube channel for more background. The weather for the week wasn’t ideal for night astronomy. But it was very nice for landscape photography. This is the portfolio from the week where I visited the Gaudineer Knob area of the MNF. This area is home to spectacular vistas and old growth Appalachian forest. It is a photography treasure trove. I hope to revisit again soon.
Miramar Mornings
Join me at Miramar Beach in the morning. Each morning I visited the Pompano Beach Access at Miramar Beach in FL. The sky and ocean never failed to put on a show. God’s wonderful creation in full color and textures. Please peruse the images and the YouTube video.
October Dark Skies
Finally had some time during Christmas break to work on the October and fall images and video. The results are below. For image details, please see my page at Astrobin linked in contact information. Happy New Year!!!
The Aurora from Spruce Knob Lake
A spectacular color palette presented over 3 hours of the Aurora from Spruce Knob Lake, WV. Please see my video for more information and look for fine art prints in the store soon.
Jeff's Blog
Join me on photography journeys from desert landscapes to deep sky wonders.
