Sh2-171 nebula HSO palette

Sh2-171 aka NGC7822 emission nebula

NGC7822 star-forming complex in the constellation Cepheus is located about 3,000 light-years away from us. It contains Berkeley 59 star open cluster…


M45 Pleiades

M45 Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

About 450 light-years away in the constellation of Taurus there is a famous Pleiades cluster, that landed in the Messier catalog under the M45 symbol…


M44 open cluster annotated

M44 Beehive Cluster

There were several clear nights at the end of February this year. I was not able to take a trip to dark locations, unfortunately, so I have just set…


Plaiedes - annotated image

Pleiades spectra

During last observing session I pointed telescope with attached spectroscope to well known Pleiades open cluster. It is also called "Seven Sisters"…


NGC2158 remote and old open cluster

NGC2158 is the symbol that may ring some bells for most of astronomy amateurs, but probably not many of them can immediately say what it is. If you…


IC4954 and Roslund 4

There are many places in the space where new stars are born. Reflection nebulae IC4954 (near center) and 4955 (lower left) is one of them. These…


NGC7086 open cluster

NGC7086 open cluster in Cygnus

Despite the fact, that NGC7086 is an open cluster in frequently visited and popular part in the sky, it is not often imaged. NGC7086 lies about…


Forsaken clusters

NGC2394 and NGC2355 - these two open clusters are not very impressive. But they have their own stories. First one is not proved to be cluster at…


Winter open clusters

NGC1662 and NGC2420 are two open clusters of stars. Both are present on the winter sky, and both are not very popular targets - neither visual, nor…


Messier 103

Messier 103

Messier 103 open cluster has been discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1781. Pierre was Charles Messier's friend and collaborator, and Charles had no…


ACF 10" and CCDT67 telecompressor

It has already been some time from first light of Meade ACF telescope and I was looking forward a clear night. And it happened, a few days after…