Suburban Backyard Astro Sights

It’s been three years since I last overhauled this website. So here we go – a fresh makeover.

We had fine weather here in North Carolina for the Pi Day March eclipse of the moon. Here’s how it looked through my telescope.

The Tadpole Nebula (IC 410) gets its name from two striking tadpole-shaped clouds of dark dust that appear to be swimming towards the center. These “tadpoles” are dense streams of gas and dust, each stretching about 10 lightyears. Within them, new stars may be forming, hidden inside their thick cocoons.

NGC 2467, also known as the “Skull and Crossbones Nebula,” is a region where new stars are being born. Some people think it looks like a grinning skull, while others see the face of a colorful mandrill.

I don’t think it will overly tax your imagination to see why NGC 6357 is nicknamed the Lobster Nebula. Or perhaps you think it resemblances a crab more?

Near the bright star Sadr (grossly over exposed in the image) at the center of the Northern Cross lies the Butterfly Nebula. Its nickname comes from its intricate shape that somewhat resembles a butterfly with its delicate wings outstretched.