Aurora Caused By Geomagnetic Storm and More Astrophotos Of The Week [9-16 September]

This week’s roundup of astrophotography is nothing short of breathtaking. From the mesmerizing dance of the Aurora Borealis to the colorful swirls of nebulae and the distant glow of galaxies, these images capture the beauty and mystery of our universe. Each photo tells a story of dedication and passion, showcasing the incredible talent of astrophotographers who brave the elements to bring us stunning views of the cosmos. 

Enjoy this round-up of cosmic wonders, complete with their original captions.

Aurora Borealis

The Met Office has forecast a strong geomagnetic storm today and tomorrow (16-17 September) in the UK, which could lead to stunning displays of the Aurora Borealis. This weekend’s heightened solar activity has already offered glimpses of the northern lights in various parts of the world.

“Another spectacular night of aurora! Sylvan Lake, Alberta 00:47 hrs MDT. September 16, 2024”

Northern Skies Aglow

A mesmerizing display of the aurora borealis over the UK.

“Aurora dancing last night above Brechin golf course, not the most vibrant display I’ve seen but still a huge arc covering most of the northern skies. Always great to see.”

Stunning Nebulas

The next two images capture an incredible beauty of Cocoon nebula and nebula NGC 7223 along with several tiny galaxies.

“IC 5146, also known as C 19, is an open cluster linked to a diffuse nebula visible in the constellation of Cygnus.

It is located 3.5 degrees east of M39, in the northern part of the constellation; it is invisible with binoculars, a 150mm telescope is needed to appreciate the object at all. It is a small cluster surrounded by a very compact nebula (cocoon-shaped), connected in turn to a system of dark nebulosities, known by the acronym B 168, which extends for about 2 degrees in the direction of M39, very evident even with small instruments as it obscures a rich star field. The main star of the cluster has magnitude 9.74 (but it probably only appears as an “overlay” for perspective reasons, because its distance would be less than that of the cluster). This set of nebulae would have a distance from the Sun of about 3300 light-years (source Wikipedia).

Shooting data: Skywatcher 150/750, coma corrector, ASi294mc pro camera, Optolong l-extreme filter, guided exposures on EQ3-2 with ASI224mc camera, 300 sec x 87, gain 186, Crop, Asiair Pro, Pixinsight, Photoshop.”

A mesmerizing shot of the nebula NGC 7223, accompanied by a scattering of distant galaxies. “It’s the nebula NGC7223 and several tiny galaxies 2024-09-12”

Andromeda Galaxy 

Immerse yourself in the stunning details of our neighboring galaxy with this captivating astrophoto. Captured over four hours of exposure, the image beautifully highlights the spiral arms and dense core of the Andromeda Galaxy, providing a fascinating glimpse into one of the Milky Way’s closest galactic companions. 

“My best shot of M31. Shot with my 80mm refractor. 4 hours of integration time.”

“Wonders of the Southern Sky”

A breathtaking view of the southern night sky as seen from an airplane over Brazil. The photographer has managed to frame several iconic celestial objects in a single shot.

“While zipping over Brazil, during the final stages of my Swiss International Air Lines flight to São Paulo, we were accompanied by the wonders of the southern hemisphere sky.

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and its smaller cousin, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), are visible near the upper edge of this image. These dwarf galaxies were long thought to be gravitationally bound to the Milky Way Galaxy. Measurements with the Hubble Space Telescope, announced in 2006, however, suggest that they may be moving too fast to be orbiting our home galaxy.

The bright ‘star’ to the right of the SMC is 47 Tucanae, the second brightest globular cluster in Earth’s sky, containing half a million solar masses. This is a chance alignment. At a distance of 15’000 light years, the 47 Tucanae is much closer to us than the dwarf galaxy at almost 200’000 light years. According to a new study, the SMC may actually also be a chance alignment of two star-forming regions superimposed along our line of sight, separated bt almost the same distance as 47 Tucanae from us.

In the lower left of the image, another wonder of the southern sky, the Carina Nebula, is just clearing the horizon. The Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is one of the largest diffuse nebulae in our skies. It is about 4 times the size of the famous Orion Nebula. At a distance of 7500 light years, it is about half as far away from us as 47 Tucanae. The Carina Nebula has a diameter of 200 light years, which is 1/1000th of the distance to the Small Magellanic Cloud, or 200 billion (2×10¹¹) times the distance we flew from Zurich to São Paulo.

EXIF

Canon EOS-R, astro-modified by Richard Galli from EOS 4Astro

Sigma 28mm f/1.4 ART

Mount: Boeing 777-300ER

Sky: Stack of 68x 5s @ ISO6400

Foreground: Stack of 5 exposures from the sky sequence”

A Nebula in the Perseus Arm

Another incredible deep-sky image captures a hidden gem in the Perseus arm of our galaxy – the Sharpless 2-190 nebula.

“Looking for the most hidden corners of the spectacle we see from this small quadrant of our galaxy. Tuesday night I opened the window of the C11 HD towards the Perseus arm and searched in the large Sharpless nebula 2-190…7500 light years above, among these immense sculptures, where stars are forming. C11HD Losmandy G11 ASI 2600 MM Narrowband filters – bicolor in Ha and O3.”

Milky Way Over Tortoles

The night sky continues to delight us with the brilliant glow of the Milky Way, its rich textures and vibrant colors. “Vía Láctea sobre Tórtoles (Ávila) 07-09-24. 23 x 60s de exposición. Sony a6000 + Samyang 12mm f2 (a 2.8). Star Adventurer 2i.”

A big thank you to everyone who shared their remarkable astrophotos this week. Your passion and skill in capturing the beauty of the cosmos are truly inspiring. We’re excited to see more of your extraordinary work and wish you clear skies and endless celestial wonders in your future shoots.