IC 3568 on July 20, 2004

IC 3568 on July 20, 2004. 2× barlow, minus violet filter. I should have used the 4× powermate. Very bright sky with clouds moving in (could only see Arcturus and Vega!) This is a planetary nebula commonly referred to as the "Baby Eskimo" nebula. Its integrated magnitude is 11.6, while the central star is 13.4. IC 3568 is approximately 6800 ly distant.

M51 on June 1 and 12, 2004

M51 on two nights, June 1 and 12, 2004. Prime focus, IR blocking filter. This is a classic, grand design Sc spiral galaxy. It is interacting gravitationally with the small galaxy (NGC 5195) just to M51's north.

M53 on June 7, 2004

M53 on June 7, 2004. Prime focus, IR blocking filter. This is another large globular cluster. It is very far away, about 60,000 light years, and about 220 light years across—a large cluster.

M3 and NGC 4631 on June 3, 2004

M3 on June 3, 2004. Prime focus, IR blocking filter. This is one of the most-studied of globular clusters, containing the largest number of RR Lyrae stars of any known cluster. It is roughly 10 kpc distant and was formed about 11 Gyr ago.

NGC 4631. Prime focus, IR blocking filter. This is an edge-on spiral that has been distorted due to interaction with the nearby elliptical, NGC 4627.

M13 on May 22, 2004

M13 on May 22, 2004. Prime focus, IR blocking filter. This is a large globular cluster. It is approximately 26,000 light years distant — on the far side of our galaxy and way above the galactic plane.

M82, M64, NGC 4111, IC 3568 on May 12, 2004

M82, M64, NGC 4111, and IC 3568 on May 12, 2004
(Inaugural images from the StellaCam II)