Nota Bene

The beautiful shapes and colours of the Orion Nebula. The magnificent Orion Nebula: The Queen of the Winter Sky. At a distance of only 1,300 light years, consider it nearby on a galactic scale, but distant and huge compared to our tiny solar system.  It is the closest region… Read more: The Great Nebula in Orion

The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a nearby star that exploded in 1054. The process, spanning months, was observed and documented by many. Most notably, ancient Chinese astronomers wrote that it first appeared as a “guest star”. Over several months, it grew in brightness until it was… Read more: The Filaments of the Crab Nebula

NGC 7380 has the colloquial name “The Wizard Nebula” because many see the jagged profile of a wizard, and his hat, in the sharp ridges of gas and dust. For me, the colour and shape reminds me of a red leaf from a maple tree in autumn, curled… Read more: The Wizard Nebula

The Triangulum Galaxy is a prominent member of our local cluster of galaxies. At three million light years distance, it is considered quite close compared to most other galaxies. While it clearly has a pinwheel shape, like our neighboring Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy appears faint and sparse,… Read more: The Triangulum Galaxy

NGC-281 is a beautiful emission nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia. Several decades ago, it acquired a colloquial name: “the Pac-Man Nebula” because it resembled a round face with an open mouth, similar to a colloquial video arcade character. Very soon, absolutely nobody will understand this reference. We… Read more: NGC-281: We need a timeless name for this beautiful Nebula.