'Great Globular Cluster in Hercules'
A deep-space photo by astrophotographer Terry Hancock shows the globular star cluster M13 in stunning detail. M13, also known as the “Great Globular Cluster in Hercules,” is located about 22,000 light-years away in the constellation of Hercules.
The Constellation of Orion Mosaic
A three-panel mosaic by astrophotographer Terry Hancock shows (from left to right)the Lambda Orionis Ring (also known as The Angel Fish Nebula), the Orion Nebula, the Horsehead Nebulae, and Barnard's Loop.
IC 1805 & Melotte 15 Inside the Heart Nebula Complex
A close-up view of the Heart Nebula by astrophotographer John Chumack shows a young star cluster named Melotte 15. "Some places in the Universe are simply magical, and they can take your breath away,” Chuck said, "and this is one of those places!"
'Shooting Stars' and Star Trails
In this long-exposure photo of the night sky, a few oddball star trails don't follow the same circular path around Polaris, the North Star. That's because these are not actually stars but "shooting stars," or meteors that fell from space during the Perseid meteor shower, which peaked in mid-August. Astrophotographer Maxim Senin captured this photo from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society dark-sky site in Los Padres National Forest.
The Pillars of Creation
The famous “Pillars of Creation” shine in new light in this image by astrophotographer John Chumack. This nebulous region of active star formation 7,000 light-years from Earth became one of the most iconic objects in deep space after the Hubble Space Telescope captured close-up views of the colorful clouds.
Auroras over Reeve’s DC6 Cargo Aircraft
Green and purple auroras gleam above a cargo plane in Alaska in this image by astrophotographer John Chumack.
SH2-171 and a Rare Jewel
Astrophotographer Terry Hancock combined data he captured from the Grand Mesa Observatory with Hubble Space Telescope data to create this stunning view of Sharpless 171, a star-forming region 3,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Cepheus.
The Anteater Nebula
Two blue reflection nebulas, NGC 6726 and NGC 6727, dominate this deep-space photo by astrophotographer Warren Keller. The nebula in the upper right, NGC 6726, is nicknamed the Anteater Nebula. You can see a wider field of the Anteater and the Corona Australis constellation here.
M61
The barred spiral galaxy Messier 61 swirls amid a sea of stars in the Virgo constellation in this photo by astrophotographer Warren Keller.
'Clouds of Auriga'
Several emission and reflection nebulas shine in this deep-space view of the constellation Auriga by astrophotgrapher Ron Brecher. The Flaming Star Nebula (IC405) dominates the upper right of the image. In the bottom left is IC410, an emission nebula which also contains "The Tadpoles" above and to the left of the central dark structure. The brightest cloud along the left edge of the image is the Spider Nebula (IC417). You can see an annotated view of the image here.
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