Fotos by Míguel

07/13/2026

Last night's sky was dark, offering excellent visibility, transparency, and stability.

*Astronomical "Seeing" describes the steadiness of Earth's atmosphere and how much it distorts the light from celestial objects.

*Astronomical "Transparency" is effectively how clear the sky is, determined by the presence of moisture, dust, smoke, and pollution that can wash out faint details or dim the brightness of stars.

*Atmospheric "Stability" is the atmosphere's resistance to vertical motion, essentially describing whether an air parcel will rise, sink, or stay at its current altitude.

Located in the southern constellation of Serpens, this Messier object reaches an altitude of 38°. To ensure an unobstructed view from my backyard, I position the telescopes away from the house, providing the necessary clearance for the object's transit across the night sky.

I am continuing the data collection process on Messier 16. (The Eagle Nebula): Located in the tail (Serpens Cauda), it features the famous star-forming region called the Pillars of Creation.

This is a processed single image resulting from 5 minutes of exposure time, utilizing a dual narrowband Hydrogen Alpha and Oxygen III filter.

07/09/2026

One of the deep sky objects on my imaging list for July. Messier 16 "Eagle Nebula." also referred to as the Pillars of Creation.

The Hubble Space Telescope captured the iconic "Pillars of Creation" image within the Eagle Nebula (M16) on April 1, 1995.

Although this is not Hubble’s first image. It is one of The Hubble Space Telescope's most iconic images. The Eagle Nebula, has several emissions wavelengths. The blue/green colors in are represented , H-beta, Helium, and oxygen. Red colors are represented by Hydrogen, Sulphur, and Nitrogen. The pillars are bathed in the scorching ultraviolet light from a cluster of young stars. The winds from these stars are slowly eroding the towers of gas and dust.

Stretching roughly 4 to 5 light-years tall, the Pillars of Creation are a fascinating but relatively small feature of the entire Eagle Nebula, which spans 70 by 55 light-years.

The nebula, discovered in 1745 by the Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux, is located 7,000 light-years from Earth in the Constellation Serpens. With an apparent magnitude of 6, the star cluster in the Eagle Nebula can be spotted through a small telescope and is best viewed during July-August. However, a large telescope and optimal viewing conditions are necessary to resolve the Pillars of Creation within the nebula.

07/02/2026

Have you heard about the mystery of the missing galaxy, Messier object M102?

In a one-night project with clear skies, I collected nearly 16 hours of data. Why does the Messier Catalog skip from M101 to M103, leaving M102's identity uncertain for centuries?

We explore whether it was a duplicate observation, a mistake by Charles Messier, or if M102 could actually be the lenticular galaxy NGC 5866, known as the Spindle Galaxy. The data collected looks promising! Here’s a screenshot from the ASIAIR.

For my final project in June 2026, I faced several challenges.

Unexpected power drops disrupted my workflow, and the mount couldn't stabilize the scope, causing it to nearly fall. Additionally, the dew heater straps shorted out and emitted smoke, creating a hazardous situation. Despite the frustrations, these setbacks offered valuable learning experiences.

I found something interesting: After I looked into the issues, I discovered it wasn’t the ASIAIR by checking the logs. The only thing left to check was the power hub. All the scopes share the same brand of power hubs and run on DC power. The power bricks that supply power to the scopes need a specific voltage: 12V 10A. Since I’ve been working in the backyard, I've been using the ZWO 12V 5A power bricks. Problem isolated and tested using my portable backup battery units that are 12V 10A - for the rest of the imaging session, I had no further issues.

Here's a short video about Messier 102 https://youtu.be/PMXPyOXXG40?is=OKTWKac-ZS4kbt-g

06/16/2026

Ah June, your clouds have been relentless. With the shorter nights of June and Summer approaching, like Jerome looking at the Himalyas. I've been picking up hours here and there. Hoping to get some time on the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543). The clouds are proving to be stubborn, but they finally finally gave in around 11pm.

06/13/2026

My May backyard astrophotography project, Messier 13 (M13) known as the crown jewel in the Constellation of Hercules -

Messier 13: The Great Hercules Cluster – A Jewel of the Night Sky Messier 13, often called the Great Hercules Cluster, is one of the most magnificent and well-known globular clusters visible from E…

06/13/2026

2026 – Missouri – Messier 13 (M13)

Messier 13: The Great Hercules Cluster – A Jewel of the Night Sky Messier 13, often called the Great Hercules Cluster, is one of the most magnificent and well-known globular clusters visible from Earth....

https://fotosgrafiabymiguel.wpcomstaging.com/2026/06/13/2026-missouri-messier-13-m13/

05/31/2026

Messier 13 (M13), commonly known as the Great Hercules Cluster. Located in the Constellation or Hercules, it is broadly recognized as one of the finest globular star cluster in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is a tightly bound, spherical collection of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars orbiting the core of our galaxy.

It is estimated to be around 11.65 billion years old. This means it formed during the early infancy of the universe, long before our Sun.

It sits approximately 22,200 to 25,000 light-years away from Earth.

This cluster is home to an estimated 300, 000 to 500, 000 stars.

Because they are so crowded, stars occasionally crash into each other. This creates rejuvenated, hot blue stars known as "blue stragglers".

If Earth were inside the core of M13, the night sky would be completely ablaze with thousands of stars, making it brighter than daylight with no darkness, say goodbye to your circadian rhythm.

05/31/2026

Messier 13 (M13), commonly known as the Great Hercules Cluster. Located in the Constellation or Hercules, it is broadly recognized as the finest globular star cluster in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is a tightly bound, spherical collection of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars orbiting the core of our galaxy.

It is estimated to be around 11.65 billion years old. This means it formed during the early infancy of the universe, long before our Sun.

It sits approximately 22,200 to 25,000 light-years away from Earth.

Because they are so crowded, stars occasionally crash into each other. This creates rejuvenated, hot blue stars known as "blue stragglers".

If Earth were inside the core of M13, the night sky would be completely ablaze with thousands of stars, making it brighter than daylight with no darkness, say goodbye to your circadian rhythm.

05/31/2026

2026 – Missouri – Messier 101 (M101)

About this Object: Messier 101 Messier 101 (M101), famously known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is one of the most prominent "grand design" spiral galaxies in the night sky. Located approximately 21 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, it is celebrated for its stunning face-on orientation and massive scale. Key Characteristics & Features Immense Scale: M101 is a giant compared to our own galaxy, with a diameter of approximately 170,000 to 252,000 light-years—nearly double the width of the Milky Way....

05/25/2026

Unfortunately, clear skies have been elusive for the entire month of May. However, given the clear weather conditions tonight, combined with decent seeing, transparency, and overall stability, I'm taking a chance to image an object on the Messier catalog.

Messier 13 (M13), commonly known as the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, is a massive spherical collection of several hundred thousand stars located roughly 22,000 to 25,000 light-years away from Earth. Widely regarded as the finest globular cluster in the Northern Hemisphere's night sky, M13 spans about 145 to 160 light-years in diameter and shines with an apparent magnitude of 5.8, making it visible to the naked eye under exceptionally dark skies.

M13 packs between 300,000 and 500,000 ancient stars into a tightly bound gravitational ball.