Posted on 10/02/2026 12:13:05 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: What does it take to image hundreds of nebulas? Today’s image contains the entire Sharpless Catalog of H II Regions, totaling 313 objects. Zoom in and explore! You may spot fan favorites like the Eagle (Sh2-49), Heart (Sh2-190), and Orion (Sh2-281) Nebulas. Despite its name, this catalog contains more than the glow of ionized hydrogen that makes up H II regions. There are planetary nebulas (the Medusa Nebula, Sh2-274) and supernova remnants (the Spaghetti Nebula, Sh2-240) as well. Astrophotographer Bing Xin traversed the dark skies of Eastern China and Inner Mongolia to catch them all. Narrowband filters that primarily capture light from ionized hydrogen and oxygen as well as red-green-blue filters were used. Each object took 2 to 6 hours to capture, with the entire catalog taking around 800 hours to complete! Which object is your favorite?
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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔
You have to go to the link and click on the image to zoom in on the image to get enough resolution to see individual nebulas.
Here ... :)
This is CLEARLY a case of, ‘Shapeless Shaming!’
Not EVERY Nebula can be perfect! Even G-d has a Bad Design Day once in a while; the Mosquito is a great example. Socialist Democrats are another. ;)
Each of them light years across and making new stars.
My favorite will always be Sh 2-281- the Orion Nebula. Even in small scopes and binoculars it’s easy to find. Plus it’s a challenge in to see how many stars one can see at the center of the Trapezium cluster embedded at the heart of the nebula.
My favorite will always be Sh 2-281- the Orion Nebula. Even in small scopes and binoculars it’s easy to find. Plus it’s a challenge in to see how many stars one can see at the center of the Trapezium cluster embedded at the heart of the nebula.
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