Welcome to Images From The Cosmos
As most of us are aware, our tiny planet is immersed in a vast Universe. Before all the light and air pollution, our ancestors could regularly view the night sky and the Milky Way as photographed below. These views stirred feelings of awe and wonder. Today such views unfortunately are the exception rather than the rule. Many people have no idea how incredibly beautiful the night sky is, and have lost touch with the wonder provoked by such maginificent sights. Nevertheless, though technology has contributed to obscuring the sky, it has also helped us discover a Universe beyond the wildest imaginings of human beings who lived but a few decades ago. We are now developing a new sense of awe as discovery after discovery emanate from astronomical research around the world.
Only in the last 400 years (in the cosmic scheme of things less than a millisecond) since Galileo turned his primitive telescope toward the heavens have we begun to have any appreciation for the unfathomable size, beauty, and majesty of this Cosmos and our place in it. Thanks in large part to the NASA space programs, the technology now exists for amateur astronomers to reach out with modest telescopes and cameras from their backyards and record many of the marvelous sights in color that a decade or so ago could be achieved only by professionals. With the new space telescopes, planetary probes, and huge earth-bound instruments that will shortly become operational, our knowledge of the Cosmos is increasing exponentially. One can just imagine what our view of the Universe will be like in another 400 years! As never before amateur astronomers are taking part in this grand adventure of discovery.
This website is designed and set up to share some amazing sights, to provide information both about astronomy and astrophotography, and to provoke reflection about our place in this stranger than fiction Universe. There is a description about the telescopes and cameras I use, a gallery of some of my favorite photos, a bit about myself and how to contact me, and resources for more information about astronomy and astrophotography. I hope you'll enjoy this site as much as I have in putting it together. And I hope it may add a new dimension to your life through viewing and reflecting on these Images from the Cosmos.
--Robert C. Richard, Ph.D.; Member, Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit
IMAGE OF THE MONTH
One of the more interesting objects in the sky this month is the planetary nebula NGC 6543, better known as the Cat's Eye Nebula because of its intriguing resemblance to this animal's eye when viewed up close. Located in the direction of the constellation Draco, this object has been made famous through an often-viewed photograph taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The term "planetary nebula" is misnomer. It derives from the emerging days of modern telescopic astronomy (in the beginning and mid 19th century) when astronomers believed such objects resembled planets, especially the then recently discovered pale green planet Uranus. That such a conclusion makes sense is demonstrated by the first photo showing NGC 6543 as it would appear in a small, lower power telescope. However, bringing the object closer reveals a central star that illuminates the gas clouds surrounding it. These details are brought out here through digital processing. Planetary nebulae are the result of dying stars exploding and throwing off complex spheres and layers of gas. NGC 6543 is notable for the complexity of the gaseous envelopes surrounding it. At a distance of around 3,000 l.y., it is relatively close and bright though quite small, and its detail can only be viewed through a moderate sized telescope. For views of other well-known planetary nebulae, see my photos under "Beyond the Solar System."
This website is designed and set up to share some amazing sights, to provide information both about astronomy and astrophotography, and to provoke reflection about our place in this stranger than fiction Universe. There is a description about the telescopes and cameras I use, a gallery of some of my favorite photos, a bit about myself and how to contact me, and resources for more information about astronomy and astrophotography. I hope you'll enjoy this site as much as I have in putting it together. And I hope it may add a new dimension to your life through viewing and reflecting on these Images from the Cosmos.
--Robert C. Richard, Ph.D.; Member, Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit
IMAGE OF THE MONTH
One of the more interesting objects in the sky this month is the planetary nebula NGC 6543, better known as the Cat's Eye Nebula because of its intriguing resemblance to this animal's eye when viewed up close. Located in the direction of the constellation Draco, this object has been made famous through an often-viewed photograph taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The term "planetary nebula" is misnomer. It derives from the emerging days of modern telescopic astronomy (in the beginning and mid 19th century) when astronomers believed such objects resembled planets, especially the then recently discovered pale green planet Uranus. That such a conclusion makes sense is demonstrated by the first photo showing NGC 6543 as it would appear in a small, lower power telescope. However, bringing the object closer reveals a central star that illuminates the gas clouds surrounding it. These details are brought out here through digital processing. Planetary nebulae are the result of dying stars exploding and throwing off complex spheres and layers of gas. NGC 6543 is notable for the complexity of the gaseous envelopes surrounding it. At a distance of around 3,000 l.y., it is relatively close and bright though quite small, and its detail can only be viewed through a moderate sized telescope. For views of other well-known planetary nebulae, see my photos under "Beyond the Solar System."
Photo made with a Canon Rebel XSi DSLR camera through an 11-inch Celestron NexStar GPS telescope at F/6.3 and consists of 6 exposures at 30 seconds, ISO 100, through a Baader UHC-S filter and aligned, stacked, and processed using the software outlined in the next section.
New Feature
As photographs are added to the site they will be noted here along with their location page. New photographs added
As of 6/11/10:
Photo of M95, M96, M105, and nearby galaxies using Fastar*...in Astrophotos/Beyond the Solar System/Galaxies
As of 7/6/10:
A reprocessed photo of M51 showing more detail of the faint halo at the outer edges of the galaxy and companion...in Astrophotos/Beyond the Solar System/Galaxies
As of 8/5/10:
A new photo of the globular cluster M13...in Astrophotos/Beyond the Solar System/Star Clusters
*For a description of the Celestron Fastar system using Starizona's HyperStar lens with a DSLR, see Telescopes, Cameras,
and Techniques.
As of 6/11/10:
Photo of M95, M96, M105, and nearby galaxies using Fastar*...in Astrophotos/Beyond the Solar System/Galaxies
As of 7/6/10:
A reprocessed photo of M51 showing more detail of the faint halo at the outer edges of the galaxy and companion...in Astrophotos/Beyond the Solar System/Galaxies
As of 8/5/10:
A new photo of the globular cluster M13...in Astrophotos/Beyond the Solar System/Star Clusters
*For a description of the Celestron Fastar system using Starizona's HyperStar lens with a DSLR, see Telescopes, Cameras,
and Techniques.