StarCatcher 🇨🇦

@starcatcherjohn.bsky.social

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Exploring the universe through my telescopes. Astrophotographer, foodie, and lover of all animals, often more than humans. #Astrophotography #DeepSpace #Astronomy My images: https://telescopius.com/profile/jean_legros

Starless version fo the Veil Nebula is a massive, expanding cloud of ionized gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus. Located about 2,100 light-years away, it is the remnant of a star roughly 20 times more massive than our Sun that exploded as a supernova 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.The entire complex—also known as the Cygnus Loop—spans about 110 light-years across (roughly 3 degrees of the sky). Because of its vast size, observers and astrophotographers typically target specific, intricately woven sections of the nebula.
The Veil Nebula is a massive, expanding cloud of ionized gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus. Located about 2,100 light-years away, it is the remnant of a star roughly 20 times more massive than our Sun that exploded as a supernova 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.The entire complex—also known as the Cygnus Loop—spans about 110 light-years across (roughly 3 degrees of the sky). Because of its vast size, observers and astrophotographers typically target specific, intricately woven sections of the nebula.
The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on, counterclockwise intermediate spiral galaxy located 21 million light-years (6.4 megaparsecs)[5] from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781[a] and was communicated that year to Charles Messier, who verified its position for inclusion in the Messier Catalogue as one of its final entries. On February 28, 2006, NASA and the European Space Agency released a very detailed image of the Pinwheel Galaxy, which was the largest and most detailed image of a galaxy by Hubble Space Telescope at the time.[10] The image was composed of 51 individual exposures, plus some extra ground-based photos.
The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on, counterclockwise intermediate spiral galaxy located 21 million light-years (6.4 megaparsecs) from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and was communicated that year to Charles Messier, who verified its position for inclusion in the Messier Catalogue as one of its final entries. On February 28, 2006, NASA and the European Space Agency released a very detailed image of the Pinwheel Galaxy, which was the largest and most detailed image of a galaxy by Hubble Space Telescope at the time. The image was composed of 51 individual exposures, plus some extra ground-based photos.
The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a (M51a) or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy.[9] It is 31 million light-years (9.5 megaparsecs/Mpc) away and 23.58 kiloparsecs (76,900 ly) in diameter. The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195, are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may be seen with binoculars. The Whirlpool Galaxy has been extensively observed by professional astronomers, who study it and its pair with dwarf galaxy NGC 5195 to understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions. Its pair with NGC 5195 is among the most famous and relatively close interacting systems, and thus is a favorite subject of galaxy interaction models.
Messier 106 (NGC 4258) is a stunning, bright spiral galaxy located roughly 23.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. Shot from my backyard
Tonight didn’t go as planned — I was aiming for a thin crescent moon. Instead, I found Venus shining brilliantly in the sky. Sometimes the best shots are the ones you don’t expect. ✨ Second image = Telescope used, SCT8+ASI2600 MC 75% best of 12 000 frames #Astrophotography #Space #Venus #Astronomy
Our Sun, up close ☀️ Captured from my backyard with my telescope—never gets old. Sunspots, texture, and constant motion—all from 150 million km away. Shot May 9th, 2026 🔭 SCT 8 @ ƒ6.3 📷 ZWO 2600 25% best of 1500 frames #Astrophotography #Space #Sun #Astronomy
Pointed my telescope at the Sun yesterday and caught this. It’s a high‑detail image, meant to be explored. Zoom in—there’s a lot happening on that surface. ☀️ 🔭 SCT 8 📷 ZWO 2600 50% best of 1000 frames #Astrophotography #Space #Sun #Astronomy
Pointed my telescope at the Moon tonight and couldn’t stop staring. This is a full‑resolution capture—zoom way in and explore the surface. 🌕 Space is wild. Moon Illumination 87.7% 🔭 SCT 8 📷 ZWO 2600 50% best of 1000 frames #Astrophotography #Space #MoonHour #Astronomy
NGC 3628, also known as the Hamburger Galaxy or Sarah's Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1784. It has an approximately 300,000 light-years long tidal tail.
Messier 66 or M66, also known as NGC 3627, is an intermediate spiral galaxy located around 31 million light years from Earth in the equatorial half of the Leo constellation. This galaxy is a member of the Leo Triplet, a small group of galaxies that includes M65 and NGC 3628.
Messier 65 is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo, within its highly equatorial southern half. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. With M66 and NGC 3628, it forms the Leo Triplet, a small close group of galaxies.
Leo’s Triplet, Light from three galaxies—M65, M66, and NGC 3628—finally reached my telescope tonight. What we’re seeing here started its journey long before humans looked up. 🔭 William Optics Pleiades 111 📷 QHY MiniCam8 Exposure: 4h 10min #Astrophotography #Space #DeepSpace #Astronomy
Detailed close up of the Moon
Our natural satellite, the Moon 🌙 Captured April 24, 2026 at 8:33PM — 60.2% illumination, from my backyard. 🔭 WO Pleiades 111 (528mm) 📷 QHY MiniCam8 50% best of 1000 frames
Another crack at Jupiter 🔭 Definitely an improvement over my last attempt. Seeing conditions were average. I’m happy with the result for an 8" SCT. Shot from my backyard. 🔭 8" SCT+2x Barlow (4000mm focal length ) 📷 ASI 678MC 10% best of 5000 frames #Astrophotography #Space #Jupiter #Astronomy
First Jupiter shot in a while 🔭 Collimation isn’t quite dialed in yet, but I’m really happy to be back imaging. Shot from my backyard. 🔭 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain+2x (4000mm focal length ) 📷 ASI 678MC 50% best of 4000 frames
Detail -1 Our natural satellite, the Moon 🌙 Captured Feb 21, 2026 at 19:46 — 22.6% illumination, from my backyard. 🔭 WO Pleiades 111 (528mm) 📷 ASI 2660MC 50% best of 2000 frames
Our natural satellite, the Moon 🌙 Captured Feb 21, 2026 at 19:46 — 22.6% illumination, from my backyard. 🔭 WO Pleiades 111 (528mm) 📷 ASI 2660MC 50% best of 2000 frames
The Cone Nebula — A few intimate close-ups (1), inviting you to wander through its delicate cosmic details.
The Cone Nebula is an H II region in the constellation of Monoceros. It was discovered by William Herschel on December 26, 1785, at which time he designated it H V.27. The nebula is located about 830 parsecs or 2,700 light-years from Earth. The Cone Nebula forms part of the nebulosity surrounding the Christmas Tree Cluster. The designation of NGC 2264 in the New General Catalogue refers to both objects and not the nebula alone. Description The diffuse Cone Nebula, so named because of its apparent shape, lies in the southern part of NGC 2264, the northern part being the magnitude-3.9 Christmas Tree Cluster. It is in the northern part of Monoceros, just north of the midpoint of a line from Procyon to Betelgeuse. The cone's shape comes from a dark absorption nebula consisting of cold molecular hydrogen and dust in front of a faint emission nebula containing hydrogen ionized by S Monocerotis, the brightest star of NGC 2264. The faint nebula is approximately seven light-years long (with an apparent length of 10 arcminutes), and is 2,700 light-years from Earth.
Here we have the starless version of The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is an H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy. The open cluster NGC 2244 (Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the stars of the cluster having been formed from the nebula's matter. The nebula has a shape reminiscent of a human skull, and is sometimes referred to as the "Skull Nebula". It is not to be confused with NGC 246, which is also nicknamed the "Skull Nebula"
NGC 2238 or The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is an H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy. The open cluster NGC 2244 (Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the stars of the cluster having been formed from the nebula's matter. The nebula has a shape reminiscent of a human skull, and is sometimes referred to as the "Skull Nebula". It is not to be confused with NGC 246, which is also nicknamed the "Skull Nebula".
Starless version of the Rosette Nebula
The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is an H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy. The open cluster NGC 2244 (Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the stars of the cluster having been formed from the nebula's matter.The cluster and nebula lie at a distance of 5,000 light-years from Earth[7] and measure roughly 130 light years in diameter. The radiation from the young stars excites the atoms in the nebula, causing them to emit radiation themselves producing the emission nebula we see. The mass of the nebula is estimated to be around 10,000 solar masses.
Bottom object in the image: IC 405 (also known as the Flaming Star Nebula, SH 2-229, or Caldwell 31) is an emission and reflection nebula[1] in the constellation Auriga north of the celestial equator, surrounding the bluish, irregular variable star AE Aurigae. It shines at magnitude +6.0. Its celestial coordinates are RA 05h 16.2m dec +34° 28′.[2] It is located near the emission nebula IC 410, the open clusters M38 and M36, and the K-class star Iota Aurigae. The nebula measures approximately 37.0' x 19.0', and lies about 1,500 light-years away from Earth.[2] It is believed that the proper motion of the central star can be traced back to the Orion's Belt area.[2] The nebula is about 5 light-years across.
C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) was discovered as an asteroidal object with an apparent magnitude of about 21.5 by the Mount Lemmon Survey in images obtained on 3 January 2025 when it was 4.5 AU from the Sun. Consequently, precovery images by PanSTARRS dating from 12 November 2024 were found.[2] The object was found to have a very condensed coma, 2.2 arcseconds across. A short tail, two arcseconds long was found in images from 21 February 2025.[7] When first discovered the comet was expected to only brighten to apparent magnitude 10, but is now expected to brighten to apparent magnitude of about 3.5, which would make it about 400 times brighter than original expectations.[8] After being hidden in the Sun's glare during June and July as it came to solar conjunction on 2 July 2025,[9] the comet was spotted again in the morning sky, significantly brighter than predicted. On 12 August the comet had a coma about one arcminute across and an apparent magnitude of 13.9. By August 19, when the comet was 1.7 AU from the Sun, its total magnitude (nucleus+coma) was estimated to be 11, but the comet did not show an obvious tail.[10] A short spiky tail was visible in images from 25 August.[11] The future brightness of the comet is unknown, but the comet is not expected to have been in an outburst when it exited solar conjunction.
C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is a non-periodic comet discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey in images obtained on 3 January 2025. It has an inbound orbital period of about 1,350 years and will pass perihelion on 8 November 2025 when it will be 0.53 AU (79 million km; 49 million mi) from the Sun. This perihelion passage will reduce the orbital period to about 1,150 years. It makes its closest approach to Earth on 21 October 2025 and may be visible to the naked eye 42 degrees from the Sun after sunset. As of 24 October 2025, the comet is about apparent magnitude 4.2,[3] and the nucleus and coma are visible in binoculars about 12 degrees above Arcturus and near the magnitude 2.5 star Izar. (The handle of the Big Dipper points towards Arcturus.) Both Arcturus and the comet may be visible in the same field of view using low power binoculars such as 7x35s.
The Pleiades also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an asterism of an open star cluster containing young B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of about 444 light-years, it is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and the nearest Messier object to Earth, being the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky. It contains the reflection nebulae NGC 1432, an HII region, and NGC 1435, known as the Merope Nebula. Around 2330 BC the Pleiades marked the vernal point. Due to the brightness of its stars, the Pleiades is viewable from most areas on Earth, even in locations with significant light pollution. The cluster is dominated by hot blue luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. Reflection nebulae around the brightest stars were once thought to be leftover material from their formation, but are now considered likely to be an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium through which the stars are currently passing. This dust cloud is estimated to be moving at a speed of approximately 18 km/s relative to the stars in the cluster. Computer simulations have shown that the Pleiades were probably formed from a compact configuration that once resembled the Orion Nebula. Astronomers estimate that the cluster will survive for approximately another 250 million years, after which the clustering will be lost due to gravitational interactions with the galactic neighbourhood. Together with the open star cluster of the Hyades, the Pleiades form the Golden Gate of the Ecliptic. The Pleiades have been said to "resemble a tiny dipper," and should not be confused with the "Little Dipper," or Ursa Minor.
Starless version of C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), a non-periodic comet discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey in images obtained on 3 January 2025. It has an inbound orbital period of about 1,350 years and will pass perihelion on 8 November 2025 when it will be 0.53 AU (79 million km; 49 million mi) from the Sun. This perihelion passage will reduce the orbital period to about 1,150 years. It makes its closest approach to Earth on 21 October 2025 and may be visible to the naked eye 42 degrees from the Sun after sunset. As of 12 October 2025, the comet is about apparent magnitude 5.6,[6] and is visible in binoculars about 15 degrees (approximately one and a half fists) below the cup of the Big Dipper. It is currently about 2 degrees southwest of the star Psi Ursae Majoris.
C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is a non-periodic comet discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey in images obtained on 3 January 2025. It has an inbound orbital period of about 1,350 years and will pass perihelion on 8 November 2025 when it will be 0.53 AU (79 million km; 49 million mi) from the Sun. This perihelion passage will reduce the orbital period to about 1,150 years. It makes its closest approach to Earth on 21 October 2025 and may be visible to the naked eye 42 degrees from the Sun after sunset. As of 12 October 2025, the comet is about apparent magnitude 5.6,[6] and is visible in binoculars about 15 degrees (approximately one and a half fists) below the cup of the Big Dipper. It is currently about 2 degrees southwest of the star Psi Ursae Majoris.
Starless version of NGC 7822 is a star-forming emission nebula and the "Cosmic Question Mark" nebula located in the constellation Cepheus, approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth. It's a vibrant region containing the Sharpless 171 emission region and the young Berkeley 59 star cluster, illuminated by hot, young stars that ionize the surrounding gas and dust, forming intricate structures.
NGC 7822 is a star-forming emission nebula and the "Cosmic Question Mark" nebula located in the constellation Cepheus, approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth. It's a vibrant region containing the Sharpless 171 emission region and the young Berkeley 59 star cluster, illuminated by hot, young stars that ionize the surrounding gas and dust, forming intricate structures. Key Features Location: Constellation Cepheus. Distance: About 3,000 light-years from Earth. Composition: A complex of emission regions, including Sharpless 171, and a young open star cluster known as Berkeley 59. Star Formation: It is a stellar nursery where massive, hot stars are actively forming. Illumination: Intense radiation from these hot stars ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow. Structures: Stellar winds from these stars create "pillar-like" structures and intricate dust lanes within the nebula.
The Moon this evening at 57% illumination (Waxing Gibbous 8.01 days old). 🔭 🧪 🎨 Shot taken on 2025-09-31 from my backyard. Moon Distance: 395,789.39 km Telescope: SCT 8 in Camera: ZWO 2600 MC OSC 10% best of 5000 exposures stacked Phase: Waxing Gibbous Illumination: 57% Moon Age: 8.01 days Moon Angle: 0.50 Moon Distance: 395,789.39 km Sun Angle: 0.53 #Astrophotography #Space #Moon #MoonHour #Planetary #Astronomy
Starless version of The Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It is the closest major spiral galaxy to our Milky Way, located about 2.5 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint, fuzzy spot and contains roughly a trillion stars. Astronomers study Andromeda to better understand the evolution of spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way, and it is a crucial target for research into dark matter.
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the closest major spiral galaxy to our Milky Way, located about 2.5 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda.
Starless version of IC 1396, a large emission nebulae, a region of ionized gas, located in the constellation Cepheus about 2,400 light years away from Earth.
IC 1396 is a large emission nebulae, a region of ionized gas, located in the constellation Cepheus about 2,400 light years away from Earth.[1] IC 1396 is illuminated and ionized by a very bright, massive multiple star HD 206267 at its center, except for dense globules that can protect themselves from the star's harsh ultraviolet rays. This hierarchical triple star system has two members that form a spectroscopic binary that orbit each other with a period of 3.7 days, while a third member lies further away—it is unclear whether this third member is gravitationally bound to the pair. The system is emitting a stellar wind that reaches an exceptional velocity of 3,225 km/s, among the highest measured for stars of this type.[2] Jutting from the rim of the nebula is IC 1396A, commonly called the Elephant's Trunk Nebula, a dark, dense globule with a bright, sinuous rim being illuminated by HD 206267.[3]
Starless version of IC 1396, a large emission nebulae, a region of ionized gas, located in the constellation Cepheus about 2,400 light years away from Earth.
Fully autonomous Telescope system with a William Optics Red Cat 61
Starless version of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000 or Caldwell 20) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, close to Deneb (the tail of the swan and its brightest star) in the night sky. It is named because its shape resembles North America.
The North America Nebula (NGC 7000 or Caldwell 20) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, close to Deneb (the tail of the swan and its brightest star) in the night sky. It is named because its shape resembles North America.
Starless version of the Soul Nebula
Westerhout 5 (Sharpless 2-199, LBN 667, Soul Nebula) is an emission nebula located in Cassiopeia. Several small open clusters are embedded in the nebula: CR 34, 632, and 634[citation needed] (in the head) and IC 1848 (in the body). The object is more commonly called by the cluster designation IC 1848. Small emission nebula IC 1871 is present just left of the top of the head, and small emission nebulae 670 and 669 are just below the lower back area. The galaxies Maffei 1 and Maffei 2 are both nearby the nebula, although light extinction from the Milky Way makes them very hard to see. Once thought to be part of the Local Group, they are now known to belong to their own group- the IC 342/Maffei Group. This complex is the eastern neighbour of IC1805 (Heart Nebula) and the two are often mentioned together as the "Heart and Soul".
🧵(2/2) Of course, here are a starless versions of the Wizard to enjoy the sheer beauty of the object.
🧵(1/2) IC 63, also known as the Ghost of Cassiopeia, is a reflection and emission nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia, about 550 light-years away. It's shaped by the radiation from the nearby bright star Gamma Cassiopeiae, a blue-white subgiant. The nebula's ethereal glow is due to the interaction of this radiation with the gas and dust clouds. Shot taken on 2025-08-15 from my backyard 🔭 William Optics Pleiades 111 📷 ZWO ASI 2600 Total exposure: 42 x 300s (3h30) #Astrophotography #Space #DeepSpace #Astronomy
NGC 7380 is a young open cluster of stars in the northern circumpolar constellation of Cepheus, discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1787. The surrounding emission nebulosity is known colloquially as the Wizard Nebula, which spans an angle of 25′. German-born astronomer William Herschel included his sister's discovery in his catalog, and labelled it H VIII.77. The nebula is known as S 142 in the 1959 Sharpless catalog (Sh2-142).It is extremely difficult to observe visually, usually requiring very dark skies and an O-III filter. The NGC 7380 complex is located at a distance of approximately 8.5 kilolight-years from the Sun, in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way. The cluster spans ~20 light-years (6 pc) with an elongated shape and an extended tail.[2] Age estimates range from 4[2] to 11.9 million years. At the center of the cluster lies DH Cephei, a close, double-lined spectroscopic binary system consisting of two massive O-type stars. This pair are the primary ionizing source for the surrounding H II region, and are driving out the surrounding gas and dust while triggering star formation in the neighboring region. Of the variable stars that have been identified in the cluster, 14 have been identified as pre-main sequence stars while 17 are main sequence stars that are primarily B-type variables. Shot taken on 2025-08-01 from my backyard 🔭: William Optics Pleiades 111 📷: ZWO ASI 2600 Total exposure: 26 x 300 sec (2h10) #Astrophotography #Space #DeepSpace #Astronomy
The Bortle dark-sky scale (usually referred to as simply the Bortle scale) is a nine-level numeric scale that measures the night sky's brightness of a particular location. It characterizes the observability of celestial objects, taking into account the interference caused by light pollution. Amateur astronomer John E. Bortle created the scale and published it in the February 2001 edition of Sky & Telescope magazine to help skywatchers evaluate and compare the darkness of night-sky observing sites.
The Iris Nebula (also known as NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4) is a bright reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus. The designation NGC 7023 refers to the open cluster within the larger reflection nebula designated LBN 487. The nebula, which shines at magnitude +6.8, is illuminated by a magnitude +7.4 star designated HD 200775.[1] It is located near the Mira-type variable star T Cephei, and near the bright magnitude +3.23 variable star Beta Cephei (Alfirk). It lies 1,300 light-years away and is six light-years across.
The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103) is a large supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Cygnus Shot taken on 2025-07-18 from my backyard 🔭: William Optics Pleiades 111 📷: ZWO ASI 2600 Total exposure: 4 x 8 x 180 sec (1h05) #Astrophotography #Space #DeepSpace #Astronomy
starless versions of the Tulip to enjoy the sheer beauty of the object. #Astrophotography #Space #DeepSpace #Astronomy
🧵(1/2) The Tulip Nebula (Sh 2-101) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, about 6000 light-years away from Earth. Shot taken on 2025-06-22 from my backyard. 🔭: William Optics Pleiades 111 📷: ZWO ASI 2600 Total exposure: 13x300 sec (1h05) #Astrophotography #Space #DeepSpace #Astronomy
As always, here's a starless version to see the intricacy of this celestial object. Looks more like a brain floating in space.
🧵(1/2) The Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888). Reprocessed with better detail. Shot taken on 2025-06-22 from my backyard. 🔭: William Optics Pleiades 111 📷: ZWO ASI 2600 + Filter L-Extreme Total exposure: 1200 sec #Astrophotography #Space #DeepSpace #Astronomy