M33 - Triangulum Galaxy

Full size image can be seen here : M33 with Canon 400D

M33 in Triangulum
3 x 15 minute exposures (45 minutes)
Skywatcher 200P Newt / Canon 400D
Salisbury (Dark sky site)

M33, also known as the Triangulum galaxy, has a diameter of about 50,000 light years. It is the third largest galaxy in the Local Group, a group of galaxies that also contains the Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy, and it may be a gravitationally bound companion of the Andromeda Galaxy.

M45 - The Pleiades or Seven Sisters

Full size image can be seen here : The Pleiades with Canon 400D

M45 in Taurus
12 x 15 minute exposures (3 hours)
Skywatcher 200P Newt / Canon 400D
Sailsbury (Dark sky site)

M45 is also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Unfortunately in this close up image the full seven are not visible. This is one of the closest star clusters to us, and is clearly visible to the naked eye as a 'cloudy patch' in the night sky. The cluster is dominated by hot blue stars which are lighting up the dust cloud they are passing through.

IC 1805 - Heart Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : Heart Nebula with Canon 400D

IC 1805 in Cassiopeia
21 x 20 minute exposures (7 hours)
WIlliams Optics 72mm Refractor / Canon 400D
Chatham (Light polluted site)

IC 1805, also known as the Heart Nebula, is 7,500 light years away. This is an emission nebula showing glowing gas and darker dust lanes. The nebula is formed by plasma of ionized hydrogen and free electrons. This image was taken with a narrowband Hydrogen Alpha filter.

NGC 281 - Pacman Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : Pacman Nebula with Canon 400D

NGC 281 in Cassiopeia
20 x 20 minute exposures (6 hours and 40 minutes)
Skywatcher 8" Newt / Canon 400D
Chatham (Light polluted site)

This open star cluster with associated nebulosity, also known as the Pacman Nebula, is 10,000 light years away from us, and is in our very own Milky Way. This image was taken through a narrowband Hydrogen Alpha filter.

M101 - Pinwheel Galaxy

Full size image can be seen here : M101 with Canon 400D

M101 in Ursa Major
7 x 10 minute exposures (70 minutes)
Skywatcher 8" Newt / Canon 400D
Romney Marsh (Dark sky site)

M101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is about 27 million light years away. With a diameter of 170,000 light years it is nearly twice the size of the Milky Way. It is thought that M101 underwent a near collision with another galaxy, and the associated gravitational tidal forces caused the asymmetry.

M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy

Full size image can be seen here : M51 with Canon 400D

M51 in Canes Venatici
7 x 10 minute exposures (70 minutes)
Skywatcher 8" Newt Canon 400D
Kielder (Dark sky site)

M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, is in fact two galaxies interacting with each other after a collision in the past. They are almost 25 million light years away from us.

M81 and M82 Galaxies

Full size image can be seen here : M81 and M82 with Canon 400D

M81 and M82 in Ursa Major
80 x 10 minute exposures (13 hours 20 minutes)
Skywatcher 8" Newt / Canon 400D
Chatham (Light polluted site)
Published in Sky at Night Magazine, July 2009

M81 (on the right) is a spiral galaxy that forms a pair with the irregular galaxy M82. The distance between the two galaxies is some 150,000 light years. M81 is the largest galaxy within in a group of 34, and is located 12 million light years away from planet Earth. This makes it one of the closet groups to the Local Group, which contains the Milky Way.

NGC 6888 - Crescent Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : Crescent Nebula with Canon 400D

NGC 6888 in Cygnus
13 x 20 minute exposures (4 hours 20 minutes)
Skywatcher 8" Newt / Canon 400D
Chatham (Light polluted site)

Also known as the Crescent Nebula, this object is 5,000 light years away. It is formed by the fast stellar wind from the Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 colliding with, and energizing, the slower moving wind ejected by the star when it became a red giant, around 400,000 years ago.

IC 5070 - Pelican Nebula

Full size image can be seen here : Pelican Nebula with Canon 400D

IC 5070 in Cygnus
11 x 20 minute exposures (3 hours 40 minutes)
Skywatcher 8" Newt / Canon 400D
Chatham (Light polluted site)

Also known as the Pelican Nebula, this is a large area of star formation and evolving gas clouds, located 1,800 light years away.

M13 Star Cluster

Full size image can be seen here : M13 with Canon 400D

M13 in Hercules
14 x 5 minute exposures (70 minutes)
Skywatcher 8" Newt / Canon 400D
Romney Marsh (Dark sky site)
Published in Sky at Night Magazine, September 2009

This star cluster is 25,000 light years away from earth, and contains several hundred thousand stars, although some say up to 1 million. The age of M13 has been estimated to approximately 13 billion years.