ScienceDownEast - ScienceDownEast Astrophotography - S30 (Latest images)

NGC 2264 Christmas Tree Nebula (NGC 2264 Christmas Tree Nebula)

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:17:59 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

The NGC 2264 region, located in the constellation Monoceros, is a complex and beautiful area of active star formation that includes the Christmas Tree Cluster, the Cone Nebula, and the Fox Fur Nebula. Situated approximately 2,300–2,600 light-years from Earth, this region lies within one of the Milky Way’s rich stellar nurseries and spans roughly 30 light-years across. The Christmas Tree Cluster is an open cluster of very young, hot blue-white stars whose arrangement resembles the outline of a holiday tree when viewed in wide-field images. Many of these stars are only a few million years old, making this one of the younger visible clusters in our galaxy. Embedded within the same molecular cloud is the Cone Nebula, a dark, conical pillar of cold gas and dust extending about 7 light-years in length. The Cone Nebula is a region of ongoing star formation, where dense pockets of material are collapsing under gravity to form new stars. Intense radiation and stellar winds from nearby massive stars sculpt the surrounding gas, shaping the dramatic dark pillar against the glowing red hydrogen emission background. The surrounding Fox Fur Nebula is an emission and reflection nebula illuminated by the cluster’s young stars. Its intricate mix of glowing hydrogen and scattered blue light creates the appearance of soft, textured fur, adding depth and contrast to this dynamic star-forming complex. [from AI generated output]

Total image time was about 2 hours after culling 167 images to 123.

Moon Phase

Waning Crescent 34%

Exposure

123 x 1 min

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

Light pollution filter (OIII 30nm/Hα 20nm)

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2026-02-05 and 2026-02-10

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

PixInsight Processing

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 2x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

GeneralizeHyperbolicStretch

Pixelmath

HDRMultiScaleTransform

CurveTransformation

Date: February 11, 2026

HorseHead Nebula dn Flame Nebula using Seestar S30 - about 2 hours exposure (NGC 2023 Horsehead Nebula and NGC 2024 Flame Nebulae)

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:04:24 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) and the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) are two iconic deep-sky objects located in the constellation Orion, just east of Orion’s Belt near the bright star Alnitak (Zeta Orionis). Both nebulae lie within the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex and are situated at an approximate distance of 1,300–1,500 light-years from Earth. The Horsehead Nebula is a dark nebula composed of dense, cold molecular gas and dust that obscures the glowing hydrogen emission nebula IC 434 behind it. Its distinctive silhouette, resembling a horse’s head and neck, is created by thick dust lanes blocking visible light. The nebula spans roughly 3.5 light-years in height and is a region of active star formation, though much of this activity is hidden from view by the dense dust. The Flame Nebula, also known as NGC 2024, is an emission nebula illuminated primarily by the intense ultraviolet radiation from the nearby massive star Alnitak. This radiation ionizes surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow, while complex dark dust lanes crisscross the nebula, giving it its flame-like appearance. Embedded within the nebula is a cluster of very young stars, many of which are still shrouded in gas and dust, making them difficult to observe at visible wavelengths. [from AI generated output]

Total image time was about 2 hours after culling some images.

Moon Phase

Waning Crescent 34%

Exposure

269 x 10 sec + 77 x 1 min

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

Light pollution filter (OIII 30nm/Hα 20nm)

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2026-02-05 and 2026-02-10

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

PixInsight Processing

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 2x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

MultiScaleAdaptiveStretch

HDRMultiScaleTransform

CurveTransformation

Date: February 11, 2026

The Moon 2026 01 31 (Moon)

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0400

S30 Image

Note: click on the image to view it at the full resolution of the uploaded image, then click again for actual size.

Moon Phase	Waxing Gibbous 97%
Exposure
Gain	200
Camera	ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662
Optics	ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]
Guiding	NA
Controller	NA
Filter	NA
Location	Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.
Date	2026-01-31
Processing	Processed in the SeeStar app, PixInsight and Affinity Photo

Date: February 06, 2026

HorseHead Nebula dn Flame Nebula using Seestar S30 (NGC 2023 Horsehead Nebula and NGC 2024 Flame Nebulae)

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

Total image time was 40 minutes after culling 1 hr of exposures.

Moon Phase

Waning Gibbous 80%

Exposure

240 x 10 sec

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

Light pollution filter (OIII 30nm/Hα 20nm)

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2026-02-05

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

PixInsight Processing

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 2x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch on both the stars and starless images

HDRMultiScaleTransform on the Starless image

PixelMath to recombine the images

CurveTransformation

Date: February 06, 2026

Moon near full S30 (Moon)

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0400

S30 Image

Note: click on the image to view it at the full resolution of the uploaded image, then click again for actual size.

Moon Phase	Waxing Gibbous
Exposure
Gain	200
Camera	ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662
Optics	ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]
Guiding	NA
Controller	NA
Filter	NA
Location	Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.
Date	2025-12-28
Processing	Processed in PixInsight and Affinity Photo

Date: February 06, 2026

Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) and the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) - S30 (NGC 2023 Horsehead Nebula and NGC 2024 Flame Nebulae)

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:45:03 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) and the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) are two well-known nebulae located in the constellation Orion, embedded within the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The Horsehead Nebula is a dark nebula whose distinctive shape is created by dense interstellar dust silhouetted against the glowing hydrogen emission of the background nebula IC 434. Its iconic profile is sculpted by radiation and stellar winds from nearby massive stars. Just to the east lies the Flame Nebula, an emission nebula illuminated by intense ultraviolet radiation from the nearby star Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion’s Belt. Dark dust lanes cut through the glowing gas, creating a flame-like appearance and revealing regions of active star formation. Together, these nebulae offer a striking contrast between light and dark and are among the most frequently imaged deep-sky objects in the winter sky. [from general astronomy references]

Total image time was 17 minutes.

Moon Phase

Waxing Gibbous

Exposure

17 x 60 sec

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

Light pollution filter (OIII 30nm/Hα 20nm)

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2025-12-28

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 1x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch on both the stars and starless images

HDRMultiScaleTransform on the Starless image

PixelMath to recombine the images

CurveTransformation

Date: January 15, 2026

NGC7000 - North America Nebula (NGC 7000 North America Nebula)

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:18:37 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

The NGC 7000 The North America Nebula is a large emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, named because its outline resembles the continent of North America in wide-field images. It lies along the rich star fields of the Milky Way near the bright star Deneb and forms part of a broader complex of glowing hydrogen gas. The nebula shines primarily from hydrogen-alpha emission, produced when ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot, young stars ionizes the gas and it recombines. NGC 7000 is separated from the neighboring Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) by a dark dust lane often called the “Gulf of Mexico,” where dense interstellar dust obscures the background starlight and nebular glow. Within the nebula are regions of active star formation sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, creating bright ridges, arcs, and cavities embedded in the larger cloud. [general astronomy reference/Wikipedia-style summary]

Total image time was 3.95 hours.

Moon Phase

Waxing Gibbous phase (very nearly full, about 99% illuminated

Exposure

237 x 60 sec

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

Light pollution filter (OIII 30nm/Hα 20nm)

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

Jan 2, 2026

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 1x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch on both the stars and starless images

HDRMultiScaleTransform on the Starless image

PixelMath to recombine the images

CurveTransformation

Date: January 14, 2026

M33 using S30 - 6 hours (M33 Triangulum Galaxy)

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 11:50:25 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

The M33 The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy and is the third-largest member of the Local Group, after the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy. It was originally known as the Triangulum Nebula and is cataloged as Messier 33, M33, and NGC 598. M33 has a D25 isophotal diameter of about 18.7 kiloparsecs (61,000 light-years) and is approximately 850 kpc (2.7 million light-years) from Earth. The galaxy’s name comes from the constellation Triangulum, the small northern constellation in which it is located. The Triangulum Galaxy has a total mass estimated to be on the order of 50 billion solar masses, making it significantly less massive than both the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy. Unlike Andromeda, M33 does not have a prominent central bulge and is considered a relatively pure spiral galaxy. It is notable for its high rate of star formation and for containing some of the largest known H II regions, including NGC 604. M33 is gravitationally bound to the Andromeda Galaxy and is thought to be a satellite member of the Local Group. [from Wikipedia]

Total image time was 5.975 hours.

Moon Phase

Waning Crescent 1.3% - Waxing Crescent 1.1%

Exposure

143 x 60 sec + 431 x 30 sec

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

IR Cut

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2025-12-18 and 2025-12-20

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 1x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch on both the stars and starless images

HDRMultiScaleTransform on the Starless image

PixelMath to recombine the images

CurveTransformation

Date: December 21, 2025

M31 Andromeda Galaxy with SeeStar S30 (M031 Andromeda Galaxy)

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:07:59 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

The M31 The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. It was originally named the Andromeda Nebula and is cataloged as Messier 31, M31, and NGC 224. Andromeda has a D25 isophotal diameter of about 46.56 kiloparsecs (152,000 light-years) and is approximately 765 kpc (2.5 million light-years) from Earth. The galaxy's name stems from the area of Earth's sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which itself is named after the princess who was the wife of Perseus in Greek mythology. The virial mass of the Andromeda Galaxy is of the same order of magnitude as that of the Milky Way, at 1 trillion solar masses (2.0×1042 kilograms). The mass of either galaxy is difficult to estimate with any accuracy, but it was long thought that the Andromeda Galaxy was more massive than the Milky Way by a margin of some 25% to 50%. However, this has been called into question by early-21st-century studies indicating a possibly lower mass for the Andromeda Galaxy and a higher mass for the Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy has a diameter of about 46.56 kpc (152,000 ly), making it the largest member of the Local Group of galaxies in terms of extension. [from Wikipedia]

Total image time was about 2 hours.

Moon Phase

Waning Gibbous 67%

Exposure

228 x 30 sec

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

IR Cut

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2025-12-09

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

PixInsight Processing

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 1x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch on both the stars and starless images

HDRMultiScaleTransform on the Starless image

PixelMath to recombine the images

CurveTransformation

Date: December 10, 2025

M42 - The Orion Nebula and the Running Man using the SeeStar S30 (M42 Orion Nebula)

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:20:09 -0400

Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

The M42 The Orion Nebula and the Running Man Nebula Sh 2-279 are two prominent celestial objects located within the constellation Orion, specifically in the asterism known as Orion’s Sword. The Orion Nebula is a massive, diffuse emission nebula situated south of Orion’s Belt and is one of the brightest and closest regions of massive star formation to Earth, lying approximately 1,344 light-years away. It spans about 24 light-years across and has a mass equivalent to roughly 2,000 times that of the Sun. The nebula is illuminated by the intense ultraviolet radiation from hot young stars, particularly the Trapezium cluster (Theta Orionis), which photoionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow. The Running Man Nebula, also known as NGC 1977 or Sh2-279, is a reflection nebula located about 0.6° north of the Orion Nebula. It is part of the larger HII region Sharpless 279 and is situated within the Orion Giant Molecular Cloud A, sharing a similar distance of approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth. The nebula is illuminated primarily by the star 42 Orionis, a hot B1V-type triple star system with a surface temperature of 25,400 K, which reflects blue light off interstellar dust, giving the nebula its characteristic blue hue. The nebula’s name comes from its resemblance to a human figure running, with dark lanes forming the arms and legs, and a faint round feature above resembling a head. [from AI generated output]

Total image time was 4 hours.

Moon Phase

Waning Gibbous 76%

Exposure

242 x 60 sec

Gain

200

Camera

ZWO SeeStar S30 [1920 x 1080] IMX662

Optics

ZWO SeeStar S30 EQ mode [Focal length 150, Aperture 30 mm, f/5]

Guiding

Controller

Filter

Light pollution filter (OIII 30nm/Hα 20nm)

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2025-12-08

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

PixInsight Processing

WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script [ 2x drizzle ]

BlurXTerminator

GraXpert

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch on both the stars and starless images

HDRMultiScaleTransform on the Starless image

PixelMath to recombine the images

CurveTransformation

Date: December 09, 2025