November 2001

The following images were obtained with an SBIG ST-7E CCD and a Meade 10-inch LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on November 12, 2001 UT. Images were acquired and processed using MaxIm DL/CCD V2.12. Deep sky images employed an f/6.3 focal reducer yielding an effective focal length of 64 inches and north is at top, east is to the left in all of these LRGB pictures. All celestial coordinates are for epoch J2000.0.

M57 (NGC 6720) The "Ring" Nebula. RA = 18h 53m 36s; Dec = +33d 01' 44". Maybe the most famous planetary nebulae in the sky. The object lies in the constellation of Lyra (the lyre) and is estimated to be 200 pc (670 ly) from the earth. It has angular diameter of about 80" (about 1 ly if the distance estimate is accurate). The nebula is expanding at a rate of about 21 km/s. Ultraviolet radiation from the 14.7 magnitude central star of the nebula excites hydrogen and oxygen atoms producing the nebula. See the description of M27.

M76 (NGC 1043) The "Little Dumbbell" Nebula. RA = 01h 42m 21s; Dec = +51d 34' 12". Another spectacular planetary nebula (see M57 above and M27). The object lies in the constellation of Perseus.

NGC 206 (within in Andromeda Galaxy). RA = 00h 40m 36s; Dec = +40d 44' 00". In the upper cental portion of the frame is a star cloud within the nearby Andromeda Galaxy (M31; NGC 224) given the designation NGC 206. M31 lies about 600,000 pc (2 Mly) way. Close enough, however, to identify individual luminous stars and star clusters even in this image. Dark dust clouds can also be easily seen. Both NGC 206 and M31 lie in the constellation of Andromeda.