Best Astrophotos Collection: Milky Way, Soul Nebula, Cygnus Constellation [26 April – 3 May]

Welcome to our weekly roundup of the most captivating glimpses into space! In this collection, we share the best astrophotos of celestial wonders, from distant galaxies to our own cosmic backyard, the Milky Way.

Join us in marvelling at the beauty of Soul Nebula and Gum Nebula, Spiral Galaxy Messier 51 and Lagoon Nebula as seen through the lens of talented astrophotographers around the world!

Goblin Valley Milky Way Arch Panorama

The first image of the best astrophotos this week is dedicated to our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Roi Levi, the author, described it as “Goblin Valley Milkyway Arch Panorama & Friends. Featuring Air Glow, M31 Veil Nebula, Elephant Trunk North America, and more.”

Soul Nebula In Cassiopeia

The next one of the best astrophotos is the gentle Soul Nebula.

“IC 1848 the Soul Nebula, in Cassiopeia. It’s a vast star-forming region, about 100 light-years across, illuminated by young stars. Stellar winds sculpt dense pillars where stars form,” the photographer has shared on his page.

Milky Way Over Lion’s Head

One more Milky Way image contains a big story behind it.

“In April 2018 I took a photo of the Milky Way over Lion’s Head that went viral across South Africa. Six years later I attempted the photo again. I wanted full fog around the mountain to reduce the incredibly severe light pollution from the city of Cape Town,” Kyle Goetsch has written.

“I had a one-week window before the moon affected the visibility to get the photo. I attempted it 3 times, waking up at 3:30 am and hiking up Table Mountain to the best vantage point. The first 2 attempts resulted in failure with no fog surrounding the mountain.

But on the third attempt, it all came together with perfect fog, allowing the Milky Way to be clearly seen above Lion’s Head. It was a special moment I’ll never forget!” he added.

Gum Nebula In The Southern Milky Way

A captivating image of the Gum Nebula is the next exhibit of our virtual exhibition.

“I’m still working through images shot in March from Australia. Here’s a framing of the vast 40°-wide Gum Nebula in the southern Milky Way in Vela and Puppis, with the Large Magellanic Cloud also in the frame,” the author has written about his image.

Best Astrophotos: Milky Way Over Rocks

“I want to share a photo taken with about as budget gear as can be. I converted a Canon 60D full-spectrum to a Yongnuo 35mm lens and a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer (the old black one),” Bill Dutton has shared on his page.

Spiral Galaxy Messier 51

The next image from this week’s best astrophotos is The Messier 51 Galaxy.

It presents “a reprocess of a monochrome image of spiral Galaxy Messier 51, with added colour data from an old DSLR image,” as the photographer has written.

Cygnus Constellation From Best Astrophotos

This astrophoto also has an intriguing prehistory: “The Cygnus constellation is taken with my work lens,” the author shared. “In my job as a wedding photographer, I use 2 cameras, one with a 35mm and the other with an 85mm. I remember that at first, I didn’t like this combo, especially because the 85mm is more limiting than a 50mm, but I got so used to it that I also wanted to try it in astrophotography. After a very exhausting night with so much equipment on my back, here it is, Cygnus crossing the sky like lightning.”

Best Astrophotos: NGC 6729 Reflection Nebula

This nebula often presents a special interest for astronomers and astrophotographers. The author of this image has shared why: “NGC 6729 is a reflection nebula located in the constellation Australasian Crown. It is located about 400 light-years from Earth and is associated with the main star in front of the sequence HD 176386. Its most distinctive feature is its elongated shape that appears to wrap around the central stars.
This nebula is of particular interest to astronomers because it clearly shows the presence of interstellar dust, which reflects light from surrounding stars, thereby giving birth to a reflection nebula. Light from younger and warmer stars in the nebula is reflected by these dusts, creating a visual effect. Images downloaded from a live telescope, my processing,” Bruno Trezzi has written.

Pink Lagoon Nebula

A rare and unusual representation of the Lagoon Nebula traditionally presented shades of blue!

“The latest image for processing… I actually took this image last year. I decided to go through a backlog of image data that I’ve captured. It’s just a mere 10-minute exposure, two 5-minute exposures stacked together. I am always impressed with the Samyang 135mm lens. It is a beast, that’s for sure. The target is the Lagoon Nebula. I will definitely try and get a massive amount of hours on it in about a month. Anyway, I wanted to share,” the photographer has written.

RCW 85 Nebula From Best Astrophotos

Last but not least, one of the best astrophotos of this week is the RCW 85 Nebula.

“RCW 85. CDK24, C3-6100 Pro, L600. Total 27+ hours haLRGB. Image processing software : Pixinsight, Photoshop,” the photographer has shared.