M 20, the “Trifid Nebula” – Sgr
Undoubtedly among the most beautiful diffuse nebulae in the sky, Messier 20 is a remarkable deep sky object, with a breathtaking color combination, ranging from blue to deep red and purple: this is...
Category: nebula
M 57, the “Ring Nebula” – Lyr
The amazing Messier 57 planetary nebula has been imaged several times from the Virtual Telescope robotic facility. Sure, it is one of the most spectacular deep sky objects, easy to see even from live...
M 17, the “Omega Nebula” – Sgr
The region of Scorpius and Sagittarius is one of the richest places in the sky. Plenty of wonderful treasures there, with some of the most remarkable deep sky objects we know. The diffuse nebula...
M 8, the “Lagoon Nebula” – Sgr
The Lagoon Nebula, in Sagittarius, is one of the finest deep sky objects out there. It is an active star forming region and many suns are already born from this giant gas cloud....
M 16, the “Eagle Nebula” – Ser
Among the most studied nebulae in the sky, the region of the Messier 16, in Serpents, is very spectacular. A young family of stars, the open cluster NGC 6611, is born from the large cloud...
NGC 6992 – Cyg
NGC 6992 is part of the famous “Veil Nebula”, the remnant of a supernova exploded about 10.000 years ago. Its distance is estimated in about 1500 light years and it is in the same...
The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) – Ori
One of the most famous dark nebulae, Barnard 33 – the “Horsehead” – takes its glory from its unique shape: an horse head, of course! It was recognized on photographic plates by Williamina Fleming...
M 57 – Lyr
With no doubts, Messier 57 is the most famous planetary nebula in the sky. It is often called the “Ring” nebula, for obvious reasons. It was discovered by A. D. de Pellepoix in...
NGC 2392 – Gem
NGC 2392 is a well-known planetary nebula in Gemini, also because of its funny shape, resembling the face of an “eskimo”, hence its nickname. A dying star, evolving now as a white dwarf, is...
NGC 7009 – Aqr
NGC 7009 is a small planetary nebula with the nickname of “Saturn Nebula” because of its shape. It was discovered by W. Herschel on 1782, while Lord Rosse gave it its nickname in the...
NGC 7662 – And
NGC 7662 is a wonderful planetary nebula, knows as “Blue Snowball” for its intriguing color. It hosts a dying star, almost with the same mass of our Sun. It was discovered by W. Herschel...
M 97 – UMa
Among the stars of Ursa Major, an “Owl” is lurking. This is the wonderful Messier 97 planetary nebula, also nicknamed after the mentioned bird for its typical shape by Lord Rosse. It was discovered...
M 27 – Vul
The wonderful planetary nebula Messier 27, well known as the “Dumb-Bell” nebula, was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. Its distance is estimated in about 1200 light years and represents the final stages in...
NGC 6888 – Cyg
NGC 6888, also know as “Crescent Nebula”. It looks like a cosmic bubble about 25 light-years across, blown by winds from its central, bright, massive star.It was discovered by W. Herschel in 1792. This...
