IC 5146 - The Cocoon Nebula Astrophotography
The Cocoon Nebula in Cygnus is a reflection and emission nebula perfect for astrophotographers looking for a challenging object to image!
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NEBULA Astrophotography
Nebulae are our favorite types of objects. We have imaged several from the NGC and IC catalogs, as well as the Messier Catalog, which contains a total of 12 nebulae.
We recommend spending a minimum of 4 hours on nebulae. Find the darkest skies possible, however, if shooting emission nebulae with a narrowband filter, you can take photos from your backyard.
Below are articles about how we captured a photo. Click on an image to learn more about the object, the gear we used, and the acquisition details.
How Many Types of Nebulae are there?
There are five types of nebulae: Emission, Reflection, Dark (Absorption), Planetary, and Supernova Remnants.
Almost all of the nebulae captured by amateur astrophotographers are found in the Milky Way galaxy. With great equipment and skills, you can also capture these objects.
1) Emission Nebulae
This type of nebulae appears as clouds of ionized gases that emit their own light.
About 90% are mostly made up of Hydrogen gas and so are easier to capture with a Hydrogen Alpha (Ha) filter.
Perhaps the most popular emission nebula is by far M42 (The Orion Nebula). The image above is our all-time favorite: Thor's Helmet.
2) Reflection Nebulae
Reflection Nebulae are the opposite of emission nebulae. Instead of emitting their own light, these are just clouds that reflect the light from nearby stars.
Reflection nebulae are often blue, as seen in the picture above of Messier 78, not far from the Orion Nebula.
Their gases can also be found mixed with gases from emission nebulae.
3) Dark Nebulae
Dark nebulae, also called absorption nebulae, are clouds of interstellar gas that are so thick that light cannot pass or reflect through them.
These are only visible if in front of clusters of stars or colorful nebulae. An example of a dark nebula is Barnard 33 (The Horsehead Nebula) as well as the Cone Nebula pictured above.
4) Planetary Nebulae
This is actually a type of emission nebulae. The term planetary may be confusing as they have nothing to do with planets.
First used by William Herschel to describe the nebulae he spotted which appeared bright and round like the shape of a planet.
Our sun is believed to become a planetary nebula when it dies.
5) Supernova Remnants
Supernova Remnants appear when a large star goes into supernova. This leaves a shockwave of colorful gas that expands outward at incredible speeds.
The first entry in Charles Messier's catalog is the Supernova Remnant of the Crab Nebula (as seen above). Another great example of such an object is the Cygnus Loop, which contains 3 major parts of the Veil Nebula.
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Nebulae Astrophotography Resources
Discover how we photographed the nebulae below by clicking on a post. We explain what our integration time is, the gear we used, and the acquisition details. If you have questions about how to capture nebulae, fill out our contact form.
Sep 109 min read
IC 434 - The Horsehead (And Flame) Nebula Astrophotography
The Horsehead Nebula Astrophotography with and without a telescope.
Aug 64 min read
IC 348 - Reflection Nebula in Perseus - Astrophotography
IC 348 Astrophotography in Perseus, captured using a fast RASA 8 telescope and color camera. Get tips to photograph this beautiful nebula.
Jul 236 min read
IC 1318 - 40 hours on The Sadr Region and the Butterfly Nebula
The Sadr Region is very large and is full of gases that look great in narrowband.
Mar 206 min read
Sh2-284 - Emission Nebula in Monoceros - Astrophotography
Sh2-284 is a colorful emission nebula in the constellation Monoceros. It looks similar to the Rosette Nebula.
Mar 710 min read
IC 2118 - The Witch Head Nebula with Rigel's glow
The Witch Head Nebula astrophotography with a RASA 8 under Bortle 1 skies. Find tips on how to photograph IC 2118 and learn its history.
Dec 23, 20237 min read
NGC 1333 - The Embryo Nebula in Perseus - Astrophotography
NGC 1333, or the Embryo Nebula, is a reflection nebula in the constellation Perseus. It is surrounded by thick interstellar dust clouds.
Nov 21, 20239 min read
M78 - Reflection Nebula in Orion - Astrophotography
M78 astrophotography in the Orion constellation! Get tips to capture the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky.
Oct 31, 20236 min read
IC 59 and IC 63 - The Ghost of Cassiopeia Nebula Astrophotography
Learn more about IC 59 and IC 63, also known as the Ghost of Cassiopeia. Get Astrophotography tips to capture these nebulae and see our pics
Oct 31, 20239 min read
M42 - The Great Orion Nebula - Astrophotography Tips & Images
Our Astrophotography of the magnificent Orion Nebula (M42) with different telescopes and cameras, both from the desert and the city!
Aug 15, 20235 min read
Messier 20 - The Trifid Nebula | Astrophotography Tips and Images
Messier 20 is a great target for amateur astrophotographers, no matter which instrument you own. A close-up image will show a lot of...
Jul 31, 20234 min read
IC 4592 - The Blue Horsehead Nebula - Astrophotography
IC 4592 is a beautiful reflection nebula in the constellation Scorpius. It is very close to the brighter, larger, and more colorful Rho...
Jul 26, 20234 min read
LDN 1235 - The Shark Nebula - The most difficult object imaged so far
LDN 1235, the Shark Nebula, is a dark/reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus. This was the most difficult deep sky object I ever...
Jul 12, 20237 min read
Rho Ophiuchi - Widefield Photography of our closest Stellar Nursery
The Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex imaged in all types of ways! DSLR + Lens, Telescope mosaic, and more. A beautiful Milky Way broadband target.
Jul 12, 20239 min read
M16 - The Eagle Nebula & The Pillars of Creation
Messier 16 is one of the most iconic deep sky objects in the night sky, we imaged this target with our stock DSLR camera and cooled mono!
Jun 30, 20237 min read
NGC 6188 - Rim Nebula - Fighting Dragons of Ara Astrophotography
The Rim Nebula is one of the most exciting southern targets in the sky! It is large, colorful, and appears beautiful no matter the telescope
May 3, 20238 min read
IC 2944 - Running Chicken Nebula - Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
IC 2944 is a large and colorful deep-sky object located in the southern constellation Centaurus. It is associated with both an open...
Mar 3, 202310 min read
Vela Supernova Remnant Nebula - Astrophotography
The Vela Supernova Remnant is a massive object born from the explosion of a star in the constellation Vela. Here is our processed image...
Feb 23, 202312 min read
NGC 2264 - The Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula | Astrophotography Tips
NGC 2264 is probably the most festive deep-sky object out there! It is a large emission nebula located 2,500 light-years away in Monoceros.
Feb 2, 20236 min read
Sh2-224 - The Rice Hat Nebula | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
If you like difficult and rarely photographed deep-sky objects, then give Sh2-224 a go! In this post, you will find information, images,...
Dec 9, 202210 min read
IC 1805 - The Heart Nebula | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
Photographing the Heart Nebula in Cassiopeia from Bortle 9 with a narrowband filter and beginner astrophotography telescope equipment.
Nov 27, 20227 min read
NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
54 hours on the Pacman Nebula (NGC 281) in Narrowband using a refractor telescope and monochrome camera in narrowband SHO!
Nov 25, 202210 min read
Dark Clouds in Chamaeleon and Thumbprint Nebula - Astrophotography
Astrophotography of the Chamaeleon Cloud Complex using a wide-field refractor telescope and LRGB filters!
Nov 8, 20229 min read
NGC 3576 - The Statue of Liberty Nebula Astrophotography Pictures and Tips
In this post, you will find information, images, and tips to photograph the colorful Statue of Liberty Nebula!
Sep 10, 20229 min read
NGC 7023 - The Iris Nebula | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
The Iris Nebula astrophotograph with a refractor telescope from a Bortle 2 sky. NGC7023 is a reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus.
Jul 20, 20228 min read
The Veil Nebula Complex - Astrophotography (NGC 6960, NGC 6992, NGC 6974)
The Veil Nebula is a gigantic Supernova remnant that constitutes the Cygnus Loop. It is best photographed in Summer.
Jul 11, 20227 min read
NGC 7000 - The North America Nebula in Narrowband
Using a wide telescope to photograph NGC 7000 (The North America Nebula) using our ZWO ASI 1600MM and ASI Air under the dark skies of NV
Feb 18, 20227 min read
IC 2177 - The Seagull Nebula Narrowband Astrophotography with Thor's Helmet
IC 2177 is a large nebula that can be found 3,650 light-years away in Monoceros. It is a great target for both broadband and narrowband...
Jan 20, 202210 min read
NGC 2237 - The Rosette Nebula Astrophotography - All You Need to Know
Astrophotography tips and different example images on the beautiful Rosette Nebula!
Dec 15, 20214 min read
The Soul Nebula in Bi-Color Astrophotography
Westerhout 5 is a large nebula that can be found 7,500 light-years away in Cassiopeia. It is rich in Hydrogen Alpha and is often...
Dec 3, 20215 min read
IC 405 & IC 410 - The Flaming Star & Tadpoles Nebulae
IC 405 (The Flaming Star Nebula) and IC 410 (The Tadpoles Nebula) are two large emission nebulae located in the constellation Auriga. The...
Aug 20, 20215 min read
NGC 7635 - The Bubble Nebula in Narrowband
The Bubble Nebula is a beautiful emission nebula discovered by William Herschel in 1787. It lies about 10,000 light-years away in the...
Jul 13, 20214 min read
NGC 6820 - A Beautiful Emission Nebula imaged from our Backyard
NGC 6820 is a beautiful emission nebula located in the constellation Vulpecula. It surrounds a bright open cluster, designated as NGC...
Mar 18, 20215 min read
Thor's Helmet (NGC 2359) - Emission Nebula in Canis Major - Astrophotography
NGC 2359 is a cloud of interstellar gas that resembles Thor’s Helmet. Although very faint, the colors in the gases really pop when taking...
Feb 24, 20213 min read
LDN 1622 - The Boogeyman Nebula in Orion
LDN 1622 is a dark nebula in Orion. It is known as the Boogie Man Nebula due to both its shape and its dark color. LDN 1622, just like...
Jan 1, 20213 min read
NGC 2174 - The Monkey Head Nebula Astrophotography from the city
NGC 2174 is an emission nebula in Orion. It is known as the Monkey Head Nebula due to its shape although it doesn't look obvious to us....
Oct 28, 20206 min read
SH2-101 - The Tulip Nebula Astrophotography from the backyard
Sh2-101 is an emission nebula in Cygnus. It is known as the Tulip Nebula because of its flower-like shape and bright colors. 🌷 Sh2-101...
Sep 27, 20205 min read
SH2-188 - The Shrimp Nebula from the backyard
Sh2-188 is a planetary nebula in Cassiopeia. It does not have an official name but is often called the "Shrimp Nebula" or even the...
Sep 15, 20206 min read
SH2-155 - The Cave Nebula Astrophotography from the backyard
The Cave Nebula is a diffuse emission nebula in the constellation Cepheus, and is perfect for astrophotography in narrowband or true color.
Aug 18, 20206 min read
NGC 6302 - The Bug Nebula Astrophotography, our first southern sky object!
The Bug Nebula is our very first Southern Sky object captured! And it was NOT an easy one!
Jul 30, 20204 min read
IC 1396 - The Elephant's Trunk Nebula from the backyard
The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is a small part of the much larger IC 1396 emission nebula located in Cepheus. The Elephant's Trunk itself is...
Jul 14, 20205 min read
M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula - DSLR Vs Mono
M27 was the first planetary object discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. We imaged this target several times with different equipment,...
Jun 24, 20206 min read
IC 5070 - 20 hours on the Pelican Nebula from the backyard
Backyard Astrophotography of the Pelican Nebula in Cygnus. 20 hours of integration time with narrowband filters!
Jun 1, 20206 min read
M17 - The Omega nebula taken from our backyard
M17 is a fairly bright diffuse emission nebula, and is also commonly named the Swan nebula. M17 is very similar to the famous Orion...
Mar 14, 20205 min read
IC 443 - The Jellyfish Nebula with a Small Refractor Telescope
The Jellyfish Nebula is a pretty difficult target to image. We got almost 5 hours of data on it from a Bortle 4 zone and this is the result!
Feb 15, 20207 min read
NGC 1499 - The California Nebula taken from our backyard
The California Nebula Astrophotography from a very light polluted backyard and on a full moon night using the ASI071MC + TRIAD Ultra filter.
Nov 25, 20197 min read
NGC 6888 - The Crescent Nebula with a guest!
Our Astrophotography of the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888) where we also challenged ourselves to capture the very faint Soap Bubble Nebula (ju1)
Nov 4, 20195 min read
NGC 7380 and The Wizard Nebula Astrophotography
NGC 7380 is an open cluster located about 8,000 light-years away in Cepheus. It rises high in the sky and can be imaged in Summer and Fall.
May 4, 20195 min read
M97 & M108 - The Owl Nebula and Surfboard Galaxy Astrophotography
M97 and M108 are two deep-sky objects that are close enough to be photographed together with an 8" astrograph. Find out how to capture it.
Feb 11, 20187 min read
Barnard's Loop - Within the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex
Barnard's Loop in Orion: Wide Field DSLR Astrophotography for a total of 7.2 hours of exposure at 50mm f/4 with our unmodified DSLR camera.
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