Latest Photos from Mikey's Place

Spider Nebula

IC 417, known as the Spider Nebula, is an emission nebula located in the constellation Auriga, roughly 7,100–10,000 light-years from Earth. Spanning about 13 by 10 arcminutes, it is part of the Aur OB2 association on the near side of the Perseus Arm of our galaxy. This active star-forming region contains the young open cluster Stock 8, whose massive stars ionize surrounding hydrogen gas, creating the nebula’s vivid glow. Its intricate, web-like filaments of gas and dust make IC 417 a striking example of stellar birth and evolution in the Milky Way (Wiki +).

IC 417 - Jan 21, 2026
GT102/ASI533mc/TriBand filter
54x300 sec subs

This image was an effort on my part to test the new Antlia Triband RGB Ultra filter for use on my EdgeHD11 in Hyperstar configuration. But alas, I ordered the wrong bracket for my ZWO EAF and so I decided to try it out on my GT102 instead. The filter is basically a light pollution filter, with transmission bands that are much wider than typical NB filters and centered on the Ha, O3, S2 and N2 lines with a band also in the deep blue spectrum. It supposedly can produce some reasonable SHO images with the proper processing techniques. And, according to Starzona (where I purchased the filter) it can handle the f/2 fast optics of the Hyperstar.

Medusa Nebula

The Medusa Nebula (Sh2-274), also known as Abell 21, is a striking planetary nebula located about 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Gemini. Spanning roughly 4 light-years across, its delicate, serpentine filaments of glowing gas inspired its name, recalling the snake-haired Gorgon from Greek mythology. Formed when a dying red giant shed its outer layers, the nebula’s intricate structure is illuminated by the ultraviolet radiation of its hot central star, now transitioning toward a white dwarf. This ethereal remnant offers a glimpse into the final stages of stellar evolution and the beauty of cosmic transformation.

Sh2-274 - Jan 21, 2026
GT102/ASI533mc/TriBand filter
46x300 sec subs

This is my second DSO imaged with my new Altlia Triband RGB Ultra filter. Some of the takeaways on this as well as on IC 417 - the Spider Nebula is the need for more integration time and probably longer exposures (600sec vs 300sec). The dynamic range just isn’t quite there! And, of course, the details are minimal in the interior of the nebula unlike the much better resolution achieved with my EdgeHD11 (Abell 21, Sh2-274: The Medusa Nebula. A Michael/Uwe teamwork - AstroBin ). Lots more experimenting to do.

Blue Snowball

NGC 7662, known as the Blue Snowball Nebula, is a striking planetary nebula about 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. Its vivid blue hue comes from ionized oxygen gas illuminated by the intense ultraviolet radiation of its central white dwarf star. Measuring roughly 0.5 arcminutes across and shining at an apparent magnitude of about 8.6, this nebula represents the final evolutionary stage of a Sun-like star, showcasing intricate shells of gas expanding into space.

NGC 7662 - Sept and Nov 2025
EdgeHD-11/ASI2600mm
LRGBHaO3 - 5 hrs integration time

This was a real challenge to process and keep the core from being blown out. While processing this DSO I uncovered some flaws in some of my existing processing steps which I’ve corrected - and added the newer tools such as MAS to my new processes.

Hopes are High for a new Sun grazing Comet

C/2026 A1 (MAPS)

A new sun grazing comet could become quite bright! Sky watchers are excited about this newcomer heading toward the inner solar system, as it's already appeared large and visible at 18th magnitude even while still twice as far from the sun as Earth is. Although magnitude 18 is much too dim for unaided eyes, that level of brightness is impressive for a comet at such a distance.

This could be the most distant observation ever made of a comet like this—a suspected Kreutz sungrazer, belonging to a group of comets known for passing very close to the sun. The comet—now officially named C/2026 A1 (MAPS)—is traveling toward its closest approach to the sun, or perihelion, which will occur on April 4-5, 2026. Detecting it early indicates it’s probably fairly large, so there’s a chance it will get quite bright—even potentially easy to spot in our skies.

Early measurements estimate that the comet’s nucleus could be as much as 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide.

Can this sun grazing comet survive?

Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS will pass just 487,088 miles (783,892 km) from the sun, with the sun’s diameter at 865,370 miles (1,392,678 km).

At such close range, comets often disintegrate due to intense heat and the sun’s gravity, but if this one survives, it could shine brightly in our skies at dusk after its closest approach in early April.

There’s reason for optimism—comets like C/1965 S1 (Ikeya–Seki) and C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) survived even closer solar encounters and became extremely bright, with Ikeya–Seki reaching magnitude -10 and Lovejoy matching Venus at magnitude -3 or -4.

 

No, it won't look like that!

Has anyone seen the latest (although this Facebook post has been around for a number of years) Facebook post showing the Jan 23, 2026 conjunction of the Moon, Saturn and Neptune? Here are text and image from the post:

Tomorrow — January 23 | Moon Meets Saturn & Neptune
Look up tomorrow evening for a beautiful triple conjunction in the sky! The Moon, Saturn, and distant Neptune will appear close together, creating a peaceful and eye-catching celestial scene.
What to look for: • The Moon and Saturn will be easy to spot with the naked eye
• Neptune will be very faint — binoculars or a telescope needed
• Best viewed just after sunset, low in the western sky
This rare alignment is perfect for sky watchers, photographers, and anyone who loves the night sky. Don’t miss this cosmic smile in the heavens!

Ok. Now that would be cool to see, if only it were true! In reality, there are the obvious reasons this is nonsense.

First and foremost, the actual placement of the objects is just unequivocally incorrect, especially the location of the planets IN FRONT OF THE MOON. 

Here is an illustration of where the objects really are in the sky (with the red reticle marking the location of Neptune). Note the size of the moon!

Second, although the text in the post did say Neptune would be dim and a telescope or binoculars would be needed, it is really dim - at 8th magnitude you'd better have a good set of binoculars and a dark sky. And based on the actual positions of the objects in the sky you can't get the Moon, Saturn and Neptune in the same field of view in binoculars (in fact, no two of these objects can). 

These posts, seemingly from 'notable' sites (note the "Science and Astronomy Lovers" tag line) are getting more and more frequent and most of them are misleading and downright untrue. I've even seen posts claiming to be from NASA or NASA related sites - ridiculous. 

So, beware what you read. 

Sorry, but I just had to post this.

NightSky Observatory is happening soon

It’s been a long time coming—and no shortage of tough deliberation—before finally deciding to invest in a permanent observatory on the Mangieri estate. But the wheels of progress are officially in motion.

My original plan was to build a roll‑off roof (ROR) observatory from SkyShed: essentially a wooden structure whose roof slides away to give the telescope(s) an unobstructed view of the sky. It’s a relatively cost‑effective approach, though not without its challenges, particularly the need for a robust foundation and a long north–south footprint.

Recently, however, SkyShed introduced their new POD‑S series: a fully automated, classic domed observatory.

It’s a more expensive option than the ROR, but it offers significantly greater capability and a slightly smaller overall footprint. After weighing the pros and cons, I opted for the 5‑bay POD‑S. The order went in back in December, with delivery expected sometime between March and April. Once assembled (yes, it’s a DIY build), it will become a state‑of‑the‑art permanent home for my EdgeHD11 and GT102 telescopes. The new observatory will be named NightSky (yes I know, not very original, but it is the name of my videography side-line business).

More updates to come as this project takes shape.