🌌 "The Bloom of the Iris Nebula" 🌌

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Basking in blue starlight, the Iris Nebula blooms like a celestial iris in the night sky.

The Iris Nebula (NGC 7023) is a bright reflection nebula in Cepheus, made of gas and dust illuminated by a young, massive star at its heart. Light from that star scatters off tiny dust grains, bathing the nebula in a soft blue glow (much like Earth’s daytime sky). Striking red filaments weave through the cloud, hinting at complex organic molecules hidden within. This stellar nursery spans about 6 light-years and remains a favorite astrophotography target, offering clues about star formation and interstellar chemistry.

Constellation: Cepheus

Distance: ~1,300 ly

Coordinates: RA 21h01m36s, Dec +68°10′10″

Apparent Magnitude: 6.8

Dataset: Lazy Geek

Lights: 20x600" - ZWO ASI 2600 MC

Focal Lenght: 300 mm

Date: 02/02/2025

🌌 "The Grand Spiral of M100" 🌌

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Spinning serenely in the heart of the Virgo Cluster, Messier 100 is one of the most majestic grand design spiral galaxies known to us.

Also cataloged as NGC 4321, this face-on beauty showcases tightly wound spiral arms, glowing with star-forming regions and interlaced with dark dust lanes. At approximately 55 million light-years from Earth, M100 spans over 100,000 light-years — rivaling the Milky Way in size and elegance. Its well-defined structure and active star-forming activity make it a key object of study in understanding galactic evolution.

Galaxy Type: Grand Design Spiral (SAB(s)bc)

Constellation: Coma Berenices

Distance: ~55 million light-years

Apparent Magnitude: 10.1

Coordinates: RA 12h22m54s, Dec +15°49′20″

Lights: 125x300" (LRGB)

Telescope: Planewave CDK24

Camera: QHY 600M

Filters: LRGB Astrodon

Processed: Pixinsight

Date: 31/03/2025

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