February 2019 - Picture of the Month
M97 and Hickson 50 in the Constellation of Ursa Major
We haven't had a planetary nebula since last summer, so I've chosen an image of a well known object: the Owl nebula (M97).
But David's not known for imaging the Messier list. His specialty is the more obscure objects of the deep-sky. What I like best about this image is that to the left of this showpiece nebula, less than 21 arc-minutes away, is the faintest of the Hickson Compact Galaxy groups.
Something for large and small telescopes, though I think it'd need a lot of aperture to take both in, or a camera or course. It goes to show that it's worth digging a little deeper into your field of view.
James Whinfrey - Website Administrator.