See The Heart Nebula, Pleiades, and Andromeda’s Nightscape In This Week’s Top Astrophotos [18-25 Feb]

As we move further into February, the night sky dazzles with some stunning celestial sights captured by astrophotographers worldwide. This week’s top astrophotos collection showcases a mix of stunning nebulae, star clusters, and breathtaking cosmic landscapes.

From the breathtaking Rosette Nebula to the starry expanse of Canyonlands National Park, these images provide a stunning view of the universe’s awe-inspiring beauty. So, let’s dive into the best astrophotos of the week and enjoy these incredible space snapshots!

The Pleiades: A Celestial Jewel In Taurus

This week’s first top astrophotograph captures the stunning Pleiades star cluster (M45) in exquisite detail, taken by Luc Viatour from Hamois, Belgium.

The Pleiades are located around 400 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. It is a young cluster of about 3,000 stars, with its most prominent members being hot blue giants. The surrounding blue nebula is a reflection nebula, where interstellar dust scatters the brilliant starlight, particularly around the star Merope.

The Heart Of The Orion Nebula

The next breathtaking image by Ben Bee zooms into the very core of the Orion Nebula (M42), the closest and most well-studied stellar nursery to Earth.

Captured from a backyard under the night sky, this composition focuses on the nebula’s glowing heart, leaving out the neighbouring Running Man Nebula to emphasize the intricate structures within the cosmic cloud.

The Rosette Nebula In Bloom

Astrophotography often comes with surprises, and this striking image of the Rosette Nebula by Owlz Nest Observatory is proof of that. Initially aiming for the Horsehead Nebula, the photographer redirected their Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50mm telescope toward the Rosette Nebula for an hour using an ASI533 MC Pro camera — only to believe the attempt was unsuccessful. Later, while experimenting with PixInsight processing, the hidden beauty of the nebula unexpectedly emerged from what seemed like a failed exposure!

Andromeda Nights: A Cosmic View Over West Virginia

This fantastic nightscape by Jonathan Eggleston beautifully captures the beauty of space above Sinks Grove, WV. In the foreground, a quiet barn and silo stand under a sea of stars. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and its smaller companion, the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), shine brilliantly above. Near the horizon, Venus adds its dazzling glow to the scene.

M27: The Dumbbell Nebula

Jon Voelm captured this fascinating image from New Philadelphia, Ohio. The astrophoto showcases the mesmerizing Dumbbell Nebula (M27), also known as the “apple core” nebula.

It is located 1,200 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula. M27 is a planetary nebula — the glowing remnants of a dying star shedding its outer layers into space.

Big Spring Canyon Under A Bortle 1 Sky

This stunning landscape astrophoto by Pod Tatrami captures the untouched beauty of Big Spring Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. The region is known for its dramatic sandstone formations — towering spires and mushroom-like rock structures.

The absence of human settlements contributes to an exceptionally dark sky, rated Bortle 1 — the best possible for astrophotography. Against this celestial backdrop, the Milky Way stretches across the horizon.

The Heart Nebula: A Cosmic Valentine In Cassiopeia

Tony Okell photographed the amazing Heart Nebula, or IC 1805, from Ballakillowey, Isle of Man. This region of glowing gas and dust in the constellation Cassiopeia is home to young, energetic stars shaping their surroundings with intense radiation.

Tony combined 98 individual exposures of 120 seconds each, totalling over three hours of integration time! The result is a striking view of the nebula’s intricate filaments and deep red hues.

Thank you to all the photographers who shared their amazing images for this week’s top astrophotos collection! We greatly appreciate your dedication and passion for astrophotography and wish you clear skies for your future captures!