Nebula

An astrophotographer has shared a detailed image of Sh2-142, the Wizard Nebula, showing how intense stellar winds and radiation from the open cluster NGC 7380 sculpt dense interstellar dust pillars into a cosmic silhouette. The exposure was built from 326 thirty-second subs, processed in Astro Wizard and finished in Lightroom, drawing admiration from space and photography enthusiasts.

An amateur astrophotographer has shared a new image of the Pelican Nebula, also known as IC 5070, captured over the weekend. The emission nebula, located in the constellation Cygnus, is a popular target for backyard astronomers because of its distinctive shape. The photo has drawn engagement from the astronomy and space community, where weekend deep-sky imaging results are regularly exchanged.

American astronomer Henry Draper captured the first photograph of the Orion Nebula on September 30, 1880, a landmark moment in the history of astrophotography. Working with an 11-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope and the then-new dry-plate photographic process, Draper succeeded in imaging the nebula from Earth for the first time. The anniversary is being noted in science and astronomy circles.

A newly highlighted nebula is drawing attention because its shape strikingly resembles a shark, with dark dust lanes forming what looks like fins and a body. The image is being shared and discussed among astronomy enthusiasts, who are pointing out how cosmic structures often take on recognizable, animal-like forms.

A striking Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 3132, known as the Eight Burst Nebula, is circulating among space enthusiasts and astrophotography communities. The planetary nebula, captured with credits to NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team, STScI and AURA, is being praised for its vivid rings of gas and its place in the ongoing wave of popular space imagery.

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 30, 2026 presents the complete Sharpless Catalog, showcasing all 313 nebulae catalogued by astronomer Stewart Sharpless in the 1950s. The image is credited to astrophotographer Bing Xin, with accompanying text by Keighley Rockcliffe of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Space enthusiasts are sharing the composite, which highlights how amateur astrophotographers can now capture hundreds of deep-sky objects in a single project.

Nature photographers and birdwatchers are sharing images of the greenshank (Tringa nebularia), a wading bird known in German as Grünschenkel and in Polish as kwokacz. The posts highlight the species' slender build and long legs, and invite bird lovers across languages to compare sightings as the birdwatching community documents waders in the wild.

Amateur astronomy content showing early-morning views of Saturn, the Moon and the Horsehead Nebula is circulating among space enthusiasts. The material combines astrophotography and lunar mapping, apparently captured with simple equipment such as a smartphone, and is being shared with educational and nature-focused hashtags. Observers are engaging with the images of the ringed planet and the famous dark nebula in Orion.

An amateur astronomer has published a new astrophotograph of NGC 7635, the Bubble Nebula, together with the open cluster M52 in Cassiopeia. The image was taken in HOO bicolor from 240 exposures of 60 seconds each in hydrogen-alpha and oxygen-III, using a SkyWatcher 254/1000 telescope, QHY163M camera and EQ6-R Pro mount with guiding. Astronomy communities are sharing the result as an example of what dedicated home equipment can capture.