Update on Odie

Now that Odysseus is on the moon, what's in store for the little lander? Check here for the plans, details on the instruments aboard the spacecraft and other info about Odie's mission and the next steps as we plan for humans to return to the moon.

We're Back!

Odysseus Spacecraft Lands on the Moon

America is back on the moon.

Odysseus Spacecraft Completes First U.S. Moon Landing Since 1972
© Provided by The Wall Street Journal

A spacecraft by Houston-based Intuitive Machines landed on the lunar surface Thursday evening shortly after 6:20 PM EST, the first time a U.S. vehicle has touched down there in more than 50 years. The vehicle is carrying six major payloads to be deployed on the moon's south pole region where we expect to find water ice.

Earlier this evening NASA lost contact with the vehicle and it was touch and go for awhile. But all signs are that Odie, as it is affectionally called, is safe on the lunar surface. 

This is a developing story with updates to follow.

 

Latest Images from Reisterstown

Latest Images from Reisterstown, MD

I was checking out my latest images that I have been working on and realized that I haven't posted here in months! Sometimes you just get so busy that things drop off your list and this was one of them. I had a fairly large number of image runs that I only recently had the time to process. So, time to post my new image captures in the order I processed them, not by date.

The Heart Nebula (IC 1805)

Heart Nebula - Nov 19-20, 2023
William Optics ZS-61; ZWO ASI1600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 6h40m

The Heart Nebula, also known as IC 1805 or Sharpless 2-190, is an emission nebula located in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. It is situated in the constellation Cassiopeia, approximately 7,500 light years away from Earth, and is part of a complex of nebulae that includes the Soul Nebula (IC 1848). The Heart Nebula gets its name due to its resemblance to a human heart shape. The nebula is approximately 150 arcminutes in size, which is equivalent to 3 times the diameter of the full moon. Emission nebulae are clouds of ionized gas, primarily hydrogen, that emit light of various colors, and in the case of the Heart Nebula, the vibrant red color is produced by ionized hydrogen gas that is interacting with ultraviolet light from nearby hot, young stars (the open cluster, Melotte 15). The nebula is a region of active star formation, and the intense radiation from these young stars causes the surrounding gas to glow. This image was taken in the SHO, or Hubble palette, where the hydrogen gas appears red and the ionized oxygen and sulfur gases, are responsible for the rich blue and orange.

The Heart of the Heart

Core of the Heart Nebula - Nov and Dec, 2022
Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 17h20m

This image shows the beautiful detail rather deep within the Heart Nebula centered on the open cluster, Melotte 15 -- hence the 'Heart of the Heart'.  Taken in the SHO, or Hubble palette, where the hydrogen gas appears red and the ionized oxygen and sulfur gases, are responsible for the rich blue and orange. RGB stars were added in after the starless NB image was processed.

Silver Sliver Galaxy, NGC 891 

Silver Sliver Galaxy - Nov 11 and 12, 2023
Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm
Integration Time: 10h

The only galaxy in the group, NGC 891 (also known as Caldwell 23, the Silver Sliver Galaxy, and the Outer Limits Galaxy) is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 group of galaxies in the Local Supercluster. It has an H II nucleus. (wiki)

I remember this galaxy from my days in grade school back in the '60s when I was a avid watcher of the the original Outer Limits series. This was one of the DSO's featured during the ending credits along with the wonderfully eerie music (Dominic Carmen Frontiere).

Sh2-261 Lower's Nebula

Lower's Nebula (Sh2-261) - Nov 11 and 12, 2023
William Optics GT-102; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 16h

Lower's Nebula, also known as Sharpless 261 (Sh2-261), is a hydrogen emission region located in the constellation Orion. It's located on the edge of the Milky Way, between the Orion and Perseus arms, and is about 3,300 light years away.

A Horse in the Stormy Grey Waters

Horsehead Nebula and Surrounding Region - Jan 11, 2024
William Optics ZS-61; ZWO ASI1600mm; Ha only
Integration Time: 5h5m

It wouldn't be a winter season without capturing either the Horsehead or Orion Nebula (or both).  This year I did the Horsehead. I have the HaRGB (full color) version completed as well but I really liked the Ha only version as I was processing the image - it has such a dark, almost ominous, appearance. The actual 'horse' in this wide field image can be seen in the center of the image.

The California Nebula (NGC 1499)

California Nebula - Nov 24, 2023, Jan 2,4, 2024
William Optics ZS61; ZWO ASI1600mm; Ha, Sii and RGB Stars
Integration Time: 9h

The California Nebula (NGC 1499/Sh2-220) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus, and its name comes from the fact that it resembles the US State of California. Although it is about 2.5° long, it is not easy to see as it is very dim. However, in Hα light it stands out quite well. It lies at a distance of about 1,000 light years from Earth.

This image was created combining Hα and Sii along with RGB stars. I found no appreciable signal in the Oiii band, which could have been the result of poor sky conditions, and so I decided not to spend the time to capture that wavelength.

Sh2-101 Tulip Nebula

Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101) - 8/10,11,31 and 9/1,2 2023
Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 14h45m

The Tulip Nebula, also known as Sh2-101, is a large emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. It's named for its distinctive shape, which resembles a tulip when viewed from certain angles. The nebula is approximately 70 light-years across and lies about 6,000 light-years away from Earth.

The Tulip Nebula is primarily composed of ionized hydrogen gas, which emits light in the characteristic red color associated with hydrogen-alpha emission. It's a region of active star formation, with hot, young stars embedded within it. These stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation that ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow.

The Tulip Nebula is also characterized by dark dust lanes, which are regions of dense interstellar dust that block the light from background stars. These dust lanes often trace the intricate structure of the nebula and are indicative of areas where new stars may be forming.

Taken through Ha, Oiii and Sii filters, and then overlaid with RGB stars. I mixed both 300 and 600 second exposures to help bring out some of the faint Oiii signal, but some additional blue light stretching was still necessary to get the result I was looking for. The NB mix is the traditional SHO palette.