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North Merritt Island Observatory

North Merritt Island Observatory

Images from a private observatory in central Florida.

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North Merritt Island Observatory
North Merritt Island Observatory
Images from a private observatory in central Florida.

Frank’s Astrophotos

NGC 3718
Frank's Astrophotos

A really messed-up galaxy.

ByFrank Kane April 30, 2019December 16, 2020

That twisted-up galaxy at the top is NGC 3718. We don’t actually know if it’s a spiral or a lenticular galaxy, because the galaxy below it, NGC 3729, appears to have warped it beyond recognition when it passed by it. Also look for the cluster of five more distant galaxies just to the right of…

Read More A really messed-up galaxy.Continue

Markarian's Chain of Galaxies
Frank's Astrophotos

Markarian’s Chain

ByFrank Kane April 28, 2019December 16, 2020

This is actually only a portion of a string of galaxies that make up the Virgo supercluster of galaxies, around 50-60 million light-years away.

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Sombrero Galaxy (M104)
Frank's Astrophotos

Sombrero Galaxy

ByFrank Kane April 27, 2019December 16, 2020

M104 is known as the “Sombrero Galaxy” due to its visual appearance – but a deep, long-exposure image reveals its true structure. It’s a lenticular galaxy about 30 million light-years away, about 30% the size of our own Milky Way galaxy.

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The Whale and the Hockey Stick
Frank's Astrophotos

The Whale and the Hockey Stick

ByFrank Kane April 23, 2019December 16, 2020

It’s not the title of a children’s story – it’s a pair of galaxies 30 million light-years away that look like, well, a whale and a hockey stick. Officially their names are NGC 4631 and NGC 4656.

Read More The Whale and the Hockey StickContinue

Needle Galaxy
Frank's Astrophotos

The Needle Galaxy

ByFrank Kane April 22, 2019December 16, 2020

A spiral galaxy almost 40 million light-years away, viewed edge-on. The dust lane in the center of its disk, and central bulge are clearly visible. A couple of its smaller, satellite galaxies can also be seen here.

Read More The Needle GalaxyContinue

Abell 1656 in Coma Berenices
Frank's Astrophotos

Coma Berenices Galaxy Cluster

ByFrank Kane March 31, 2019December 16, 2020

AKA Abell 1656. There are tens of thousands of galaxies in this portion of the sky; almost everything in this image is an entire galaxy filled with hundreds of millions of stars. Whoah. And they’re hundreds of millions of light-years away. Click and zoom in to explore them all.

Read More Coma Berenices Galaxy ClusterContinue

"Leo Triplet" of galaxies
Frank's Astrophotos

The “Leo Trio” of galaxies

ByFrank Kane March 26, 2019December 16, 2020

Three nearby galaxies: M65, M66, and NGC 3628. All three are spiral galaxies, viewed from different angles. You can guess which one is called the “Hamburger Galaxy” đŸ™‚

Read More The “Leo Trio” of galaxiesContinue

Cone Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

Cone Nebula

ByFrank Kane March 15, 2019December 16, 2020

Narrowband image of the cone-shaped absorption nebula in front of the brighter emission nebula in this interesting region of the Christmas Tree Cluster, about 2,700 light-years away.

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Bode's Galaxies (M81 and M82)
Frank's Astrophotos

Bode’s Galaxies (M81 & M82)

ByFrank Kane March 7, 2019December 16, 2020

Johan Bode discovered both Bode’s Galaxy (M81, on the left) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82, on the right.) Look closely and you’ll see many other, more distant galaxies in the background as well.

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Flaming Star Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

Flaming Star Nebula

ByFrank Kane January 22, 2019December 16, 2020

Imaged in narrowband filters from my suburban driveway. This object lives up to its name with the right color mappings!

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2019 Lunar Eclipse
Frank's Astrophotos

Lunar Eclipse Jan 2019

ByFrank Kane January 21, 2019December 16, 2020

A progression of photos taken at 15-minute intervals from 10:30 PM to 12:15 AM on the evening of Jan 20-21, 2019. Click to zoom in – there’s a lot of detail!

Read More Lunar Eclipse Jan 2019Continue

Horsehead Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

Horsehead Nebula

ByFrank Kane January 11, 2019December 16, 2020

The iconic Horsehead Nebula, near Orion’s belt. Shot in narrowband over two evenings.

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Triangulum Galaxy (M33)
Frank's Astrophotos

Triangulum Galaxy

ByFrank Kane January 7, 2019December 16, 2020

Part of our Local Group of galaxies, the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) is about 3 million light years away and the most distant object visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

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Melotte 15 / Heart Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

Melotte 15

ByFrank Kane December 17, 2018December 16, 2020

This young star cluster inside the Heart Nebula is lighting up the clouds of gas from which it formed. 3 hours of narrowband exposure from my suburban driveway.

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The Bubble Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

The Bubble Nebula

ByFrank Kane December 6, 2018December 16, 2020

11 light years away, the “bubble” itself is formed from the solar wind of the large, hot star inside of it. Imaged with narrowband filters.

Read More The Bubble NebulaContinue

Pinwheel Galaxy
Frank's Astrophotos

The Pinwheel Galaxy

ByFrank Kane October 30, 2018December 16, 2020

Hope to revisit this under better conditions in the future; but this came out OK considering a bright moon was out the night it was taken. The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper in the sky, although physically it is tens of millions of light-years more distant.

Read More The Pinwheel GalaxyContinue

The Whirlpool Galaxy
Frank's Astrophotos

The Whirlpool Galaxy

ByFrank Kane October 30, 2018December 16, 2020

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) appears to be sucking the life out of its companion, NGC 5195. While these galaxies are interacting, they’re not actually connected right now – it just looks that way.

Read More The Whirlpool GalaxyContinue

Thor's Helmet nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

Thor’s Helmet

ByFrank Kane October 30, 2018December 16, 2020

An interesting emission nebula 30 light years across. Imaged with narrowband filters.

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The Moon
Frank's Astrophotos

The Moon

ByFrank Kane October 29, 2018December 16, 2020

A full moon captured with a Canon T6i DSLR.

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The Eagle Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

The Eagle Nebula

ByFrank Kane October 29, 2018December 16, 2020

A wider shot of the Eagle Nebula, with the famous “pillars of creation” in its center.

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Helix Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

The Eye of Sauron

ByFrank Kane October 29, 2018December 16, 2020

The Helix Nebula is also known as the Eye of Sauron or the Eye of God.

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Veil Nebula
Frank's Astrophotos

A Spooky Knot in the Veil Nebula

ByFrank Kane October 29, 2018December 16, 2020

Taken just prior to Halloween in 2018, the southeastern knot of the Eastern Veil Nebula takes on a ghostly appearance when imaged in the Hubble palette with narrowband filters.

Read More A Spooky Knot in the Veil NebulaContinue

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Frank’s Gallery

NGC3344
Orion Nebula
Orion Nebula
PacMan Nebula
Pac-Man Nebula
Lagoon Nebula
Horsehead and Flame
Pelican Nebula
M33
Triangulum Galaxy
Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard
Comet Leonard
Thor's Helmet
Thor’s Helmet
Jupiter
Helix Nebula
Helix Nebula
The Moon
Baby Nebula (Soul Nebula) - Portion
Baby Nebula
M20
Trifid Nebula
Coalsack Nebula
M13
Whirpool Galaxy
Hickson 44 Galaxy Group
Hickson 44
M5
Hoag's Object
Hoag’s Object
The Black Eye Galaxy
M66
Sculptor Galaxy (NGC253)
Sculptor Galaxy
Deer Lick Galaxy Group and Stephan's Quintet
Deer Lick Group
M16
M16
M14
M14
Horsehead Nebula
Horsehead Nebula
Dolphin Head Nebula
Rosette Nebula
Rosette Nebula
The Sun
NGC 3718
NGC 3718
Soul Nebula
Soul Nebula
Abell 33
Diamond Ring Nebula
Abell 39
Abell 39
2019 Lunar Eclipse
Lunar Eclipse
M3
Centaurus A
Monkey Head Nebula
Monkey Head Nebula
Dumbbell Nebula
Spider Nebula
Spider Nebula
M100 with SN2019ehk
M100
Markarian's Chain of Galaxies
Markarian’s Chain
Pinwheel Galaxy
Mars
Sunflower Galaxy
Sunflower Galaxy
Needle Galaxy
M88
Cocoon Nebula
The Leo Trio
M81 and M82
Bode’s Galaxies
NGC660 polar ring galaxy
NGC 660
Flaming Star Nebula
Flaming Star Nebula
NGC2841
Northern Trifid
SH2-9
SH2-9
Tulip Nebula
Cygnus Wall
Cygnus Wall
Whale & Hockey Stick
NGC5033
NGC5033,NGC5005
Bubble Nebula
NGC2336
NGC2336
Saturn
Mars and Uranus
M16, starless
Abell 1656 in Coma Berenices
Coma Berenices
M15
M15
M53
M53
M94
Jellyfish Nebula
California Nebula
California Nebula
Ghost of Cassiopeia
M92
C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
Crescent Nebula
Melotte 15
M61 with supernova
M61 / Supernova
Silver Sliver Galaxy
The Hidden Galaxy
Wizard Nebula
Wizard Nebula
Omega Centauri
M17
M106
Bode's Galaxy
Bode’s Galaxy
Whale Galaxy
NGC2903
Antennae Galaxies
Butterfly Galaxies
M74
M74
NGC1333
Medusa Nebula
Medusa Nebula
April ’24 Eclipse
M80
NGC206
NGC206
Cone & Fox Fur
Veil Nebula
Veil Nebula
NGC5264 + friends
Cave Nebula
Cave Nebula
Sombrero Galaxy (M104)
Sombrero Galaxy
Witch’s Broom
vdB93
Iris Nebula
NGC2403
NGC2403
Elephant’s Trunk

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