IC 410: The Cosmic Tadpoles in the Heart of Auriga IC410 FINAL.png

 

Deep within the constellation of Auriga, approximately 12,000 light-years from Earth, a drama of birth and survival has been unfolding for millions of years. The nebula IC 410 is more than just a cloud of gas and dust; it is a celestial nursery where light and matter collide to shape the unknown.

Life Within the Shadows
What makes IC 410 truly unique, earning it the nickname "The Tadpoles," are the two distinct structures of dense gas and dust that appear to swim toward the nebula's center. These "tadpoles," each spanning about 10 light-years, are the resilient survivors of a relentless cosmic onslaught.
Just as tadpoles in Earth's ponds prepare for their transformation, these cosmic structures gestate the future. Within their dark cores, gravity triumphs over pressure, forging new stars that will one day illuminate our galaxy.

The Breath of Stars
The engine behind this spectacle is the open star cluster NGC 1893, nestled at the nebula's core. These young, scorching, and massive stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation and powerful stellar winds that "sculpt" their surroundings.

It is these very winds that have molded the "Tadpoles" into their iconic shapes, stripping away lighter gas and leaving behind dense heads and long tails. These tails point away from the cluster's center, as if the tadpoles are swimming against the tide of stellar radiation.

Theodore

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener

Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod

Asi 533 MM Pro

W.O ZS 80 ED

P1 Mars-C IMX 462

FeatherTouch 3'' focuser

Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

Exposure: 71*300sec Ha, 70*300sec Oiii, 31*300sec Sii

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, 

Kostas 

Avalon linear fast reverse

Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph

Asi 533 MΜ PRO, Asi 533 MC PRO

ZWO ASI290MM Mini + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope

Pegasus Astro Pocket Powerbox Advance Gen2

Pegasus Astro FocusCube Universal 2

Exposure: 96*300sec Ha, 52*300sec Oiii, 52*300sec Sii , 122*90sec RGB

Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Total Integration: 34h 3min

Total Lunar Eclipse - September 7, 2025

 

Yesterday’s total lunar eclipse gave us a breathtaking spectacle, where the Earth covered the sunlightand dressed the Moon in its deep red cloak, offering us a unique moment of connection with the vast and mysterious universe around us.

M27 The Dumbbell Nebula

 

The End of a Star's Life M27 Nebula - A Cosmic Dumbbell

The M27 nebula, also known as the Dumbbell Nebula, represents one of the most spectacular and brightest planetary nebulae in the night sky.

The characteristic dumbbell shape that gives the nebula its name results from its unique structure.
It is located approximately 1,360 light-years from Earth in the constellation Vulpecula

Hidden at the center of the nebula lies a white dwarf star with a temperature of approximately 85,000 K. This extremely hot star is the remnant of a star that exhausted its nuclear fuel and expelled its outer layers, creating the dazzling spectacle we see today.

The nebula glows with a distinctive green-blue color, which is primarily due to doubly ionized oxygen.
This color, combined with the red regions created by ionized hydrogen, gives the nebula its impressive appearance. Scientists estimate that the M27 nebula formed approximately 9,800-10,000 years ago, based on measurements of its expansion velocity.

The M27 nebula remains one of the most accessible and spectacular targets for amateur astronomers, offering a window into the future of our own Sun, which in about five billion years will follow a similar evolution.

Narrowband data: Kostas Tsekas

Avalon linear fast reverse

Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph

Asi 533 MΜ Pro

ZWO ASI290MM Mini + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope

Pegasus Astro Pocket Powerbox Advance Gen2

Pegasus Astro FocusCube Universal 2

Astrodon Ha 5 nm 120*300sec

Astrodon OIII 3nm 123*300sec

Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data: Aras Teo

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener

Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod

Asi 533 MC Pro

W.O ZS 80 ED

P1 Mars-C IMX 462

FeatherTouch 3'' focuser

Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

Exposure: 151*180sec

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total Integration: 27h 48min

The Trifid Nebula

Starless view 

Original view 

The Trifid Nebula (catalogued as Messier 20 or M20 and as NGC 6514) is an H II region in the north-west of Sagittarius in a star-forming region in the Milky Way's Scutum–Centaurus Arm. It was discovered by Charles Messier on June 5, 1764. Its name means 'three-lobe'. The object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula (the relatively dense, reddish-pink portion), a reflection nebula (the mainly NNE blue portion), and a dark nebula (the apparent 'gaps' in the former that cause the trifurcated appearance, also designated Barnard 85). Viewed through a small telescope, the Trifid Nebula is a bright and peculiar object, and is thus a perennial favorite of amateur astronomers.

Luminance data: Kostas Tsekas
Avalon linear fast reverse
Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
Asi 533 MΜ Pro
ZWO ASI290MM Mini + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Pegasus Astro Pocket Powerbox Advance Gen2
Luminance Baader Ir/cut
Exposure: 190*180sec
Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data: Aras Teo
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
Exposure: 103*180sec
Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total Integration:14h 39min

NGC 4565 Needle Galaxy

 NGC 4565, also known as the Needle Galaxy, was discovered by the astronomer Sir William Herschel on April 6, 1785. Herschel, who also discovered the planet Uranus, first identified this prominent edge-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices. Its bright, narrow appearance earned it the nickname "Needle Galaxy." The galaxy lies approximately 30 to 40 million light-years away from Earth and is a well-studied example of an edge-on spiral galaxy.

Luminance data: Kostas Tsekas

Avalon linear fast reverse
Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
Asi 533 MΜ Pro
ZWO ASI290MM Mini + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Pegasus Astro Pocket Powerbox Advance Gen2
Luminance Baader Ir/cut
Exposure: 184*180sec
Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data: Aras Teo
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
Exposure: 106*180sec
Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total Integration:14h 30min

Full Moon in ir 850nm

 

An interesting view of the full moon at 850 nm with the ZWO IR 850 filter.

this filter allows the passage of infrared light at 850 nm, which can be useful for cameras sensitive to the infrared spectrum. This helps isolate specific details and features in planetary and lunar objects that are more visible in infrared light.

By using the IR 850nm filter, interference from visible light is reduced, which can improve the contrast and sharpness of images, especially under conditions of atmospheric turbulence or in the presence of ambient lighting.

If you are using a color camera such, you can use it as a monochrome camera with this filter by setting the white balance parameters (WB_R and WB_B) to 50, so that no white balance is applied and you can fully exploit the sensitivity in the infrared spectrum.

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro Color  with ZWO IR 850
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

NGC 3169 and NGC 3166

NGC 3169 is a spiral galaxy about 75 million light years away in the constellation Sextans. It has the morphological classification SA(s)a pec, which indicates this is a pure, unbarred spiral galaxy with tightly-wound arms and peculiar features.There is an asymmetrical spiral arm and an extended halo around the galaxy.It is a member of the NGC 3166 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Leo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the right edge of the Virgo Supercluster.

NGC 3166 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Sextans. The galaxy lies about 65 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 3166 is approximately 105,000 light years across.It was discovered by William Herschel on December 19, 1783.

Luminance data: Kostas Tsekas

Avalon linear fast reverse

Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
Asi 533 MM Pro
ZWO ASI290MM Mini (mono) + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data: Theodore Arampatzoglou

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro Color
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total Integration:14h 6min

NGC 5033 Galaxy in Canes Venatici

 Στον μικρό αλλά πλούσιο σε όμορφους γαλαξίες αστερισμό των Θηρευτικών Κυνών βρίσκεται ο Γαλαξίας NGC 5033. Οι εκτιμήσεις απόστασης ποικίλλουν από 38 έως 60 εκατομμύρια έτη φωτός από τον Γαλαξία μας. Ο NGC 5033 έχει έναν πολύ φωτεινό πυρήνα και έναν σχετικά αχνό δίσκο.

NGC 5033 is an inclined spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici. Distance estimates vary from between 38 and 60 million light years from the Milky Way. The galaxy has a very bright nucleus and a relatively faint disk. Significant warping is visible in the southern half of the disk. The galaxy's relatively large angular size and relatively high surface brightness make it an object that can be viewed and imaged by amateur astronomers. The galaxy's location relatively near Earth and its active galactic nucleus make it a commonly studied object for professional astronomers.

Luminance data: Kostas Tsekas
Avalon linear fast reverse
Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
CCD Atik One 6.0
ZWO ASI290MM Mini (mono) + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope

Exposure: 120*180sec

Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data: Theodore Arampatzoglou
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro Color
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

Exposure: 94*180sec

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total Integration:10h 42min

Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major

 

The Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major also known as M101
is about twice the diameter of our own galaxy the Milky Way and is thought to contain about 1 trillion stars.

Luminance data:
Avalon linear fast reverse
Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
CCD Atik One 6.0
ZWO ASI290MM Mini + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Luminance Baader
Exposure: 172*180sec

Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data:
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro Color
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
Exposure: 106*180sec

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total Integration:13h 54min

M106 Galaxy and Friends in Canes Venatici

 

In the small but beautiful galaxy-rich constellation of the Canes Venatici is Messier 106 (M106), also known as NGC 4258. It is a spiral galaxy about 22 to 25 million light-years from Earth. Another galaxy, NGC 4217, is also visible in the field, possibly a companion galaxy to Messier 106.

Luminance data:

Avalon linear fast reverse
Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
CCD Atik One 6.0
ZWO ASI290MM Mini + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Luminance Baader

Exposure: 115*180sec
Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data:

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro Color
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

Exposure: 135*180sec
Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total Integration:12h 30min

https://www.astrobin.com/dbcw6j/

M78

 

Luminance data:
Avalon linear fast reverse
Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
CCD Atik One 6.0
ZWO ASI290MM Mini (mono) + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Luminance Baader
Exposure: 180*120sec

Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data:
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro Color
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
Exposure: 180*120sec

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Total integration:12h 

Ghost Nebula

 

A dream target we finally managed to shoot.
Our second try with dual setup and 15h 15min total integration time.
Hope you enjoy it !!!

Luminance data:
Avalon linear fast reverse
Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
CCD Atik One 6.0
ZWO ASI290MM Mini (mono) + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Luminance Baader
Exposure: 203*180sec
Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.

Color data:
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Asi 533 MC Pro Color
W.O ZS 80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
Exposure: 153*120sec
Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

The Snake Nebula

 

Luminance data:
Telescope: Askar 107 PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
Mount: Avalon linear fast reverse
Camera: CCD Atik One 6.0
Guide: ZWO ASI290MM Mini (mono) + WO UniGuide 50mm Scope
Filters: Luminance Baader
Process: Pixinsight - Photoshop CS6
Exposure: 36 X 300 sec total : 3 hours
Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia, Greece.
Date: 21/06/2023

Color data:
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Guiding:
W.O ZS80 ED
P1 Mars-C IMX 462
Imaging:
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
Asi 533 MC Pro Color
Exposure: 36 X 300 sec total : 3 hours
Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece
Date: 21/06/2023

Total : 6 hours

The Jellyfish Nebula IC443

 IC 443 (also known as the Jellyfish Nebula and Sharpless 248 (Sh2-248)) is a galactic supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Gemini.Its distance is roughly 5,000 light years from Earth.

Location: Stinger of Scorpius Observatory, Filiates, Thesprotia - Greece.

Telescope: William optics star 71 f/4.9
Mount: Avalon linear fast reverse
Camera: CCD Atik One 6.0
Guide: ZWO ASI290MM Mini (mono) + Skywatcher ed80
Filters: Astrodon Ha 5 nm , Astrodon OIII 3nm
Exposure: Ha 39*600sec , OIII 39*600 , total : 13 hours
Process: Pixinsight - Photoshop CS6
Dates: 14/02/2023, 15/02/2023, 18/03/2023

The SH2-124 is an emission nebula located in the constellation of Cygnus, a not popular imaging target, very dim in OIII and SII emissions and in a  rich starfield, so it's a challenge to process.   

Instruments and exposure data:

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattenerFeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
W.O ZS80 ED
SBIG ST10XME CFW9
Meade DSI
Filters: Ha 5nm Astrodon_S[II] 8nm Baader_O[III] 3nm Astrodon
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro
Ha:50*10min bin1x1
S[II]:34*15min bin1x1
O[III]:39*15min bin1x1

Total exposure time:26h35min

Whirlpool Galaxy M51 wide field

 A totally new processing with the new tools in Pixinsight like Wbpp and Spcc.

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Instruments and exposure data:
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod
Guiding:
W.O ZS80 ED
Meade DSI
Imaging:
W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
SBIG ST10XME CFW9 Filters: Luminance Red Green Blue (Baader Planetarium)

Lum:132*5min, exposure 660min
Red:38*5min, exposure 190min
Green:35*5min, exposure 170min
Blue:36*5min, exposure 180min
Total exposure 20 hours

Jupiter 55 min rotation

 

Jupiter with GRS

 

Imaging Telescope: Meade LX90 UHTC 8" OTA

Imaging Camera: Player One Mars-C

Mounts: Meade LX90

Filters: Baader UV/IR cut 1.25"

Accessories: Tele Vue 2.5x 1.25" Powermate (PMT-2513)

Software: Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert! · Grischa Hahn WinJUPOS · Lucien AstroSurface

Via Lactea Observatory, Paramithia, Epirus, Greece

Sculptor Galaxy

 

The Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253, is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. The Sculptor Galaxy is a starburst galaxy, which means that it is currently undergoing a period of intense star formation.A weighted average of the most reliable distance estimates gives a distance of 11.4 ± 0.7 Mly

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Instruments and exposure data

Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro Belt Drive Mod

Guiding:

W.O ZS80 ED

Meade DSI

Imaging:

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener

FeatherTouch 3'' focuser

Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

SBIG ST10XME CFW9 Filters: LRGB (Baader Planetarium)

Lum:180*4min  Red:62*2min Green:60*2 Blue:80*2 

Total exposure:18h 44min

NGC 1333

 

Πρώτο φως από το NGC1333.
Λόγω των άσχημων καιρικών συνθηκών που επικρατούν τους τελευταίους μήνες κατάφερα να συλλέξω μόνο 7 ώρες αν και η αρχική μου πρόθεση ήταν για τουλάχιστον 12 με 14 ώρες.Ελπίζω του χρόνου να καταφέρω να το ολοκληρώσω.
Το NGC1333 είναι ένα νεφέλωμα αντανάκλασης ,βρίσκεται στον αστερισμό του Περσέα και απέχει περίπου 960 έτη φωτός.
Οι φωτεινές περιοχές του νεφελώματος αποτελούνται από πίδακες καυτής σκόνης και λαμπρών αερίων που φωτίζονται από πρόσφατα σχηματισμένα άστρα.
Στην πραγματικότητα το NGC1333 περιέχει εκατοντάδες άστρα ηλικίας μικρότερης του 1 εκατομμυρίου ετών, που τα περισσότερα είναι κρυμμένα από τα οπτικά μας τηλεσκόπια λόγω της υπέρπυκνης σκόνης.
Αυτό το χαοτικό περιβάλλον ίσως είναι παρόμοιο με αυτό που δημιουργήθηκε ο δικός μας ήλιος πριν από 4,5 δισεκατομμύρια χρόνια!!!

Location: Via Lactea Observatory, Kristallopigi Paramithia, Greece

Instruments and exposure data:

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener

FeatherTouch 3'' focuser

Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser

W.O ZS80 ED

SBIG ST10XME CFW9

Meade DSIFilters: Ha 5nm Astrodon__O[III] 3nm Astrodon

Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro

LUM:140*3min bin1x1

Total exposure time:7h