SAS Astronomy Pictures of the Month [September, 2025]
Colorful DSOs in Cygnus, Lyra and Hercules!
This is NGC7026, a planetary nebula in Cygnus, also known as the “Cheeseburger Nebula” – an intricate 11th mag bipolar planetary nebula about 6000 light years away. It’s actually one of the most intricate and beautifully colored planetaries around! I was able to acquire a very nice, sharp image of the lobed structure of this nebula. If you click on the image, you’ll go to a version that allows you to see an overlay of the Hubble image. This image was taken over several nights for an 11h exposure, stacking 215 3min unguided exposures. It was taken using my 12″ Classic Meade w focal reducer and my ASI2600mc camera.
NGC7026 – Cheeseburger Nebula by Terry Riopka
Globular cluster M56 in Lyra using a C6 f/10 with Optolong L-Pro filter All images processed in PixInsight and PhotoShop
M56 in Lyra by David Murray
The Ring Nebula (M57, NGC 6720) in Lyra is a classic elliptical planetary nebula, located about 2,300 light-years away. It consists of a bright, ionized elliptical shell (apparent size ~70″ × 60″) expanding at ~20 km/s, surrounded by a faint, extended halo of older ejected material. Its central star is a hot white dwarf progenitor producing strong [O III] and He II emission that dominate the nebula’s spectrum.
This image was taken using a Quad Band filter and ASI533 on a C6 f/10 46 x 2 min.
The Ring Nebula (M57) by David Murray
Webb’s Wreath, a tiny asterism in Hercules is a visual observing challenge. This was taken with a C6 f/10 using a ASI533C with L-Pro filter 73 x 1 min
Webb’s Wreath by David Murray