NGC 253, commonly known as the Sculptor Galaxy or Silver Dollar Galaxy, stands as one of the most spectacular and scientifically significant galaxies visible from Earth. Located approximately 11.4 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor, this intermediate spiral galaxy was discovered by Caroline Herschel on September 23, 1783, during one of her systematic comet searches using a 4.2-inch Newtonian telescope….
Rim Nebula (NGC 6188)
The Rim Nebula (NGC 6188), discovered by John Herschel on April 15, 1836, is a spectacular emission nebula located about 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Ara, within the Milky Way galaxy. It stands out for its intricate shapes and vivid colors sculpted by intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from young, massive stars, earning it the…
Trifid Nebula (M20)
The Trifid Nebula (Messier 20 or M20), located in the north-west of the Sagittarius constellation within our Milky Way’s Scutum–Centaurus Arm, is a notable H II region around 4,100 light-years from Earth that was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. Its “three-lobe” appearance comes from a blend of emission (reddish-pink), reflection (blue), and dark nebulae, as well as an…
The Lagoon Nebula
The Lagoon nebula (also known as M8 in astronomy notation), is a giant emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered in 1654 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Hodierna. He used a rudimentary Galilean-type telescope with about 20x magnification to identify it. The nebula lies about 4,000–6,000 light-years from Earth, spanning 110 by 50…
“Strawberry Moon”
Astronomy related news mentioned about a “Strawberry Moon” this June when the full moon arrives. However, these news portals fail to mention that this phenomenon can only be observed in the Northern Hemisphere, when the new moon coincides with the ripening of the strawberries in that region of the world. Nevertheless, I stayed awake to…
Eagle Nebulae
Last night, I took my first deep space astrophotograph. I chose the Eagle Nebulae, which was at the zenith. I took 180 shots with 10 sec exposure over just 30 minutes. I was so mesmerized that I didn’t think of zooming in to see the horsehead or pillars of creation, which this nebulae is known…
Oh Deer!
My latest painting for my brother and his wife for their new home. It took me 5 months to finish this painting. The painting includes two design elements important to Unni and Lyuda (my brother and his wife). They wanted some 3D elements and subtle/light shades of sand (burnt sienna). The antlers are made of…
Desiderium
My latest painting made in acrylic with just palette knives. The painting is inspired by few of the best palette artists in the world.
Blue moon
We were lucky in Australia to be able to see the blue moon! (2nd August 2023). I used by star tracker Benro Polaris to shoot this. The star tracker was not used for tracking but just for a stable shot. No filters or editing was done. These photos were shot in RAW and long-exposure unto…
Sun & Sunspots
Got this amazing opportunity to shoot the sun when travelling in Tasmania. The photos are as they were captured with natural lighting and no editing has been made. I was lucky to capture the sunspots! Warning: Never shoot the sun directly without proper equipment. It can damage your eyes and camera equipment. Equipment details can…
girish nair 