WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 73- FORTUNATE LINEUP
M46 is a gorgeous open cluster in
the constellation Puppis. In the same
line of sight — but definitely not part
of the cluster — is planetary nebula
NGC 2438. The stars in M46 lie 5,500
light-years away, while the planetary is
some 2,500 light-years closer. (3.6-inch
Astro-Tech AT90EDT refractor at f/6.7,
SBIG ST-8300 CCD camera, LRGB image
with exposures of 120, 40, 40, and 40
minutes, respectively) • Dan Crowson - UNDERWHELMING GLOB
Observers often overlook magnitude
9.5 NGC 6366 in the constellation
Ophiuchus the Serpent-bearer. It cov-
ers only as much sky as one-quarter
of the Full Moon and is so sparse that
it barely looks like a globular cluster
at all. (10-inch Astro Systeme Austria
astrograph at f/6.8, SBIG STL-11000M
CCD camera, LRGB image with expo-
sures of 75, 70, 60, and 50 minutes,
respectively) • Ron Brecher - TRIPLE TREAT
The crescent Moon, complete with
earthshine, passed a duo of planets
in February. Reddish Mars sits to our
satellite’s lower left while Venus shines
much brighter a bit farther away.
(Nikon D800E DSLR, 28-300mm Nikkor
lens set at 98mm and f/5.3, ISO 6400,
0.2-second exposure, taken February
20, 2015, from Newark, California)
- Jacques Guertin
- THE DARK NIGHT
The Bat (NGC 6995) is one of the dens-
est parts of the eastern Veil Nebula
complex in the constellation Cygnus
the Swan. This supernova remnant has
an apparent diameter of 3°, or an area
larger than 33 Full Moons. (14-inch
Officina Stellare RC-360AST Ritchey-
Chrétien reflector, Apogee Alta U16M
CCD camera, Hα/OIII/RGB image with
exposures of 240, 150, 12, 12, and 12
minutes, respectively) • Bob Fera - IN A MIRROR DIMLY
Reflection nebula van den Bergh 106
lies in the constellation Scorpius. It
forms part of the vast nebulous com-
plex in that area and surrounds the
triple star Rho (ρ) Ophiuchi. (8-inch
Officina Stellare RH200 astrograph,
Quantum Scientific Instruments QSI
683wsg CCD camera, LRGB image with
2.5 hours of exposures) • Remus Chua
Send your images to:
Astronomy Reader Gallery, P. O. Box
1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Please
include the date and location of the
image and complete photo data:
telescope, camera, filters, and expo-
sures. Submit images by email to
[email protected].63
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