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Greetings,
I hope this message finds you well! Attached below is my image and supporting information for your kind consideration of a NASA APOD.

Suggested Title: Botanical Prison Under the Starry Skies of Botswana

Alternative Title: Milkyway Shining Through a Baobab Prison Tree in Botswana

Image Credit: Amaar Amir @_amaar_amir

Explanation: The Baobab Prison Tree, a remarkable natural monument near Kasane, Botswana, stands as a silent witness to history and resilience. This ancient tree, with its massive trunk and sprawling branches, once served as a place of confinement for local prisoners, its hollow interior providing both shelter and restraint. It has also been used in postal services and as a meeting area for government officials. Known as the "Tree of Life," baobab trees are a vital resource to the nearby Chobe River and its inhabitants. These trees are dispersed in the Chobe area, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes where the largest herds of elephants in the planet reaching 50,000 roam around. As the Milky Way stretches overhead, this baobab serves as a poignant reminder of the intertwining of nature and human stories in this vibrant region, where the beauty of the wilderness meets the echoes of the past.

Details regarding data acquisition: This image was captured at the famous baobab prison tree in Kasane, Botswana near the official police station. This composite image was taken in the same time and place in the following manner, the foreground image was taken from inside the baobab tree with the camera pointing upwards, the background image is a result of a stack of 15 individual 20 sec exposures.

Location: Kasane, Botswana
Date: August 16 , 2024
Sky: Bortle class 4
Camera: Sony A7r3 (unmodified)
Lens: Sony GM 14mm 1.8 GM
Post processing: Astropixel Processor, Lightroom

Kindest regards,
Amaar Amir

Botanical Prison Under the Starry Skies of Botswana by Amaar Amir, on Flickr

Beacon of Nantahala!

https://naikonpixels.com/
Copyright: Prashant Naik
Location: Wayah Bald, Franklin, North Carolina
Date: August-11, 2024. The night before Perseids Meteor Shower.

Fire-towers are such an amazing experience. Wayah Bald in Nantahala National forest sits in the middle of the forest at high altitude to detect wildfires. Under the night sky, with the moon and stars as a backdrop, I see this as the Beacon of Nantahala. As the stars shine above, the forests breathes below. But it is named after the red wolves that once roamed this lands. In Cherokee, 'Wa Ya' means 'wolf.'

Multiple exposure image. The stars and milky way are 20 exposures stacked to reduce noise. Shots of meteors are blended from different images keeping their position in the sky intact.

The Wizard Nebula

Sharpless 142, an emission nebula in Cepheus energized by open cluster NGC 7380. This narrowband image of the central nebula is rendered in the Hubble palette. Imaged late August 2024.

Details:
QSI 660 camera on 250mm RC, Astronomic SHORGB filters.
3.5 hours each H-alpha (mapped to green), [OIII] (mapped to blue), [SII] (mapped to red)
22 minutes each red, green, and blue, stars only.
Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop.
Final image resolution 0.46 arcsec/pixel, 21 arcminute wide field.
_

Cat's Paw Nebula (NGC 6334) in Narrowband SHO + RGB stars.
It was taken in Grazalema, Cádiz (Spain) the following nights 02-08-2024, 04-08-2024, 06-08-2024, 07-08-2024 and 08-08-2024
It was a challenge for me to catch this object from my location as It only rises 15º over the horizon during the transit time… But I'm pretty happy with the result. It is amazing the amount of details that our atmosphere led us catch of the universe, even at only 10-15 altitude degrees from the horizon!

Equipment:
Camera: Skywatcher Esprit120ED pro + ZWO ASI 294MM Pro
Guide sistem: ZWO ASI 120MM mini + Skywatcher Guidescope Evoguide 50ED
Mount: Skywatcher AZEQ6
Asiair Pro
Filters: Antlia LRGB V Pro series 36mm, Antlia H-Alpha 36mm 4.5nm Edge, Antlia SII 36mm 4.5nm Edge, Antlia OIII 36mm 4.5nm Edge

Exif data:
Nebula
HA 13 lights 300s Gain 120
SII 17 lights 300s Gain 120
OIII 18 lights 300s Gain 120
Stars
R 10 lights 60s Gain 120
G 10 lights 60s Gain 120
B 10 lights 60s Gain 120
Stars+Nebula
60 Darks
60 BIAS
60 Flats
60 Darkflats


Copiright: Jesús Carmona Guillén

Field of dreams
https://www.instagram.com/danijel.bosnjak1/
Copyright: Danijel Bosnjak CATEGORY:
tracked, stacked, blended.

STORY:
I still had a few vacations days left, and my family was over at friends down on the Adriatic coast, so i decided to go on a solo photo safari and make the best of it. Krbavsko polje is a historical region located in Mountainous Croatia, in the eastern part of Lika. This is a typical scene for this region, where during the Summer months, farmers collect and process the hay. This cutting is usually timed to occur when the hay is at its peak nutrient level to provide the best quality for feeding animals. This area is sparsely populated compared to rest of the country so i was pretty much alone during the whole night. A beautiful Bortle 3 location, we are lucky to still have access to places like this. It was a gorgeous mid-summer night, with perfect weather, and absolute silence broken up only by sporadic sounds of nearby livestock in the distance. Truly a field of dreams. And i got to have it all to myself. The Cosmos never felt closer.

LOCATION:
Krbavsko polje, Croatia

GEAR:
Nikon D750
Nikon 20mm f/1.8G ED
Nikon 50mm f/1.8G
iOptron CEM26
ZWO AsiAir Plus

EXIF:
Foreground
- focus stack of 3x5s shots, 50mm, f/4, ISO 1600
Milky Way
- stack of 10x60s shots, 20mm, f/4, ISO 640

SOFTWARE:
Lightroom, Photoshop

CREW:
myself

Claw Galaxy (NGC 247, Caldwell 62 )

BEST DETAILS:
https://www.astrobin.com/full/rbkbr3/0/

EQUIPMENT:
Esprit 150mm triplet
Zwo asi 6200mc
Mount CEM120
Frames 197 x 300""

LOCATION: Munhoz - MG - Brazil
DATES: From 09/10/2023 to 11/08/2023

PROCESSING AND CAPTURE:
Adobe Photoshop, ASTAP, SGP, PHD2 and PixInsight

Author: Fernando Oliveira de Menezes
Email: Barretosmed@hotmail.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/menezes_fo?ig ... _source=qr
(Organizing author of the book Amateur Astrophotography in Brazil)
https://clubedeautores.com.br/livro/ast ... -no-brasil

The Iris Nebula

NGC 7023, the aptly named Iris Nebula, a beautiful reflection nebula in Cepheus (although I have detected some faint H-alpha emissions when imaged with a narrowband filter). The illuminating star creating the reflection is magnitude 7.4. Imaged 2024 September 1-3.

Details:
QSI 660 camera on 250mm RC, Astronomic RGB filters.
4 hours each red, green, and blue.
Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop.
Final image resolution 0.46 arcsec/pixel, 21 arcminute wide field.
_

The Gamma Cygni Nebulae

The supergiant star Gamma Cygni lies at the center of the constellation Swan (Cygnus). Known by its proper name Sadr, the bright star is also at the center of this beautiful panorama, which features a complex of stars, dust clouds and bright nebulae along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. The emission nebulae IC 1318 (Butterfly Nebula) and NGC 6888 (Crescent Nebula), the star cluster NGC 6910 and the reflection nebulae NGC 6914 are clearly visible in this wide-field image, which extends about 6° (12 full moons).
The photo is a collage of data taken over the years and from 3 different locations (Montefeltro, Emilia, Spain), for a total of almost 6h of exposure.
RGB: Canon EF 300 mm f/4 with Canon EOS 6D mod. 62x180s f/5 3200 ISO - from Montecopiolo Italy
Ha (1): Nikkor 180 mm f/2.8 with Atik 4000 LE. 12x600s f/4 Ha 7nm - from Casalgrande Italy
Ha (2): Samyang 135mm f/2 with ZWO ASI 2600MM. 25x120s f/2.8 Ha 3nm - remotely from Fregenal De la Sierra Spain.

Sadr Nebulae by Alessandro Carrozzi, su Flickr

Sh2-142 / NGC7380 Wizard Nebula
https://www.astrobin.com/vqn8v2/
Copyright: Paweł Radomski

I allow to use this photo in APOD consideration and in social media associated to APOD

NGC 7380, also referred to as the Wizard Nebula, is an active star-forming complex situated approximately 7,200 light-years away in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way, within the constellation Cepheus. This H II region, spanning roughly 110 light-years, is a prime example of an emission nebula, where intense ultraviolet radiation from newly formed, massive O-type and B-type stars ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to emit light.

Central to the nebula is the open star cluster, also designated as NGC 7380, which is only a few million years old. The most prominent star in the cluster, HD 240794, is an O7V star with a high effective temperature and luminosity, driving strong stellar winds that shape the surrounding nebula. These winds, along with radiation pressure, are responsible for the dynamic structures observed in the nebula, including pillars, ridges, and cavities. The "wizard-like" morphology of NGC 7380 is a result of these complex interactions between the young, massive stars and the interstellar medium (ISM).

Spectroscopic studies reveal that the nebula's emission is dominated by hydrogen-alpha (Hα) lines, with significant contributions from doubly ionized oxygen (O III) and singly ionized sulfur (S II). These emissions are crucial for mapping the physical conditions within the nebula, including electron temperature, density, and chemical abundances. NGC 7380 provides a valuable laboratory for studying the feedback effects of massive stars on their natal environments and the processes governing the lifecycle of the ISM.
Key Astrophysical Parameters:
Distance: ~7,200 light-years
Apparent Size: ~25 arcminutes
Physical Size: ~110 light-years
Spectral Types of Central Stars: O7V, B-type stars
Dominant Emission Lines: Hα, [O III],
Age of Star Cluster: ~4-5 million years

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/539 ... 32dd_o.jpg

Blue horse head nebula IC 4592

Samyang 135 f2
ASI2600mcpro
3.3 hours of integration in 2 minute subframes
Jalisco Mexico Emmanuel Astronomono

Hello,

I would like to share with you this image which was a product of 3 days spent camping at Al Salmy desert in my home country in Kuwait, using a 384mm refractor

Links to the full Image:
Flicker: https://flic.kr/p/2qev4So
Astrobin: https://astrob.in/fxf9s5/0/


Sh2-126 (2-Panel Mosaic)
by Ali Alobaidly, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/539 ... 7785_o.jpg

Description:
Sh2-126, also known as the Ionized Hydrogen Region LBN 428, is a large and faint emission nebula located in the constellation Lacerta. I've seen some call it the Gecko Nebula, though to me it looks more like a swimming dolphin. This region was a challenge to process due to the richness of the stars and the multiple wavelengths that I needed to combine. While my monochrome camera was occupied over at Cepheus, I decided to have a go at this target with my 382mm refractor. Shortly after giving it the command to slew to Lacerta, I quickly realized that my FOV was not satisfactory and started planning a mosaic on the spot. Then there was another issue: after 12 hours of broadband data, I found that my Hydrogen Alpha signal was pretty weak in my One Shot Color dedicated astrophotography camera, so I found myself in the desert the next day, armed with a 3nm Dual-Band filter and another 6 hours of my life to burn away under the stars (No regrets).

Then came the challenge of continuum subtraction and merging the Hydrogen data after stacking and stitching all the frames—and that was where the fun began. Trying to figure out how to make all this data come together in a satisfying way was immensely fulfilling, and it made resisting the heat of the Kuwaiti desert for 3 nights absolutely worthwhile!

This is what I came up with, and I hope to continue this mosaic in the future, but for now, I have to step back to reality and spend some quality time with my family and dedicate some of my attention to my day job. At least until the next new moon!

Mosaic Details:
Panel 1:
RGB: 72*300s
Ha from Dual-Band: 36*300s
Total 9h

Panel 1:
RGB: 72*300s
Ha from Dual-Band: 36*300s
Total 9h

Equipment:
Telescope: William Optics Gran Turismo 81 IV / GT81 IV
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Mount: ZWO AM5
Filters: Optolong L-Ultimate 2" (3nm dual- band Hydrogen Alpha and Oxygen III)
Accessories: William Optics Flat6A III (Flattener and 0.8 reducer)

Acquisition details
Dates:
Aug. 1, 2024
Aug. 8, 2024
Aug. 10, 2024

Frames:
RGB- No filter 144×300″(12h)
Optolong L-Ultimate 2" 3nm Dual-Band filter: 72×300″(6h)
Integration: 18h
Avg. Moon age: 11.94 days
Avg. Moon phase: 17.94%

M45, the daughters of Atlas & Pleione – with Barnard’s Merope Nebula IC 349.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2q9hbYa][img]htt ... .jpg[/img]M45 Pleiades + IC349 with inserts by Martina McGovern, on Flickr[/url]


M45 is known as The Pleiades or The Seven sisters, it is a group of very hot young stars. The name might lead you to think there are only 7 stars but there are over 1,000 stars in the open cluster.
In classical Greek mythology the name Pleiades was used for the seven divine sisters, their father Atlas and mother Pleione are also stars in the cluster.

The stars are passing through gas and dust clouds (nebulae). The hot, Blue coloured stars illuminate the gas and dust which makes it glow blue – Reflection Nebulae.
The star cluster is approx. 445 lightyears from us in the constellation of Taurus.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2q9hbRb][img]htt ... .jpg[/img]M45 Pleiades + IC349 Zoom with inserts by Martina McGovern, on Flickr[/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2q9hbJh][img]htt ... .jpg[/img]M45 Pleiades + IC349 by Martina McGovern, on Flickr[/url]


It’s believed the stars formed within the last 100 million years – that means dinosaurs were around before the Pleiades!

I have known about The Pleiades for so, so many years but it wasn’t until I started imaging it that I realised there is a small Nebula near the star Merope, IC 349 (0.6 light years from it). This was discovered in 1890 by American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard, hence its name Barnard’s Merope Nebula. I challenged myself to capture this small nebula…
I have added Hubble’s (HST) image of this nebula in some of my images to let you see what is really looks like.

Total integration time for this image is just over 8hrs.

Equipment details:
Askar FRA400 (400mm FL), HEQ5 PRO, guided, ZWO ASI2600MC Pro, the Optolong L-Pro filter ….
All controlled with an ASIair Plus.
Imaging details:
Mainly 120sec subs, captured over 2 nights during January this year.
Where captured:

From my garden in the UK, near Cambridge city (in a very small village), Bortle 4 (ish).

Processing software:
Stacked etc and processed in PixInsight.

Thanks for looking and wishing you all Clear skies.

Instagram account is
https://www.instagram.com/orion.girl21/

Hi everyone,

Here is a picture of an aurora and perseids form the 12-13 of august.


Auroras and Perseids from the French alps
by Clément Brustel
Sony a7s
Samyang 24mm 1.4
30s
(+ other perseids from other pictures taken during about 1h)

https://halfa.webcindario.com/EL_LEON_HOSH70-2.jpg
Hola a todos, esta es mi ultima foto, la nebulosa del león, espero que os guste, estos son los datos:


SH2-132

EL LEÓN

18-8-2023 H-alfa

2-8-2024 OIII

9-8-2024 SII
TOMAS:
H alfa: 20 Light de 900 segundos; 30 flats, 20 darks y 40 bias
OIII: 20 Light de 900 segundos; 30 flats, 20 darks y 40 bias
SII: 16 Light de 900 segundos; 30 flats, 216darks y 40bias,
que hacen un total de 14 Horas

PALETA:
HUBBLE
R= SII
G= H-alfa
B= OIII
L= H-alfa
TEMPERATURA: -10 GRADOS
TUBO: FSQ 106 ED
CCD: SBIG ST-8300M
MONTURA: CGEM
CCD guiar: QHY5II
LUGAR: TORREJÓN DE ARDOZ y LAS INVIERNAS (GUADALAJARA)

The Witch´s Broom
Click on above to enlarge.

Full info and higher resolution @ https://www.astrokin.com/western-veil-2024.html

NGC6888 - Crescent Nebula

https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/dmGOMYn ... TZ0INm.png

Messier 73 - Asterism in Aquarius (M73)


BEST DETAILS:
https://www.astrobin.com/full/ichb11/B/


EQUIPMENT:
Esprit 150mm triplet
Zwo asi 6200mc
Mount CEM120
Frames 173 x 100""

LOCATION: Munhoz - MG - Brazil
DATES: From 08/05/2023 to 08/08/2023


PROCESSING AND CAPTURE:
Adobe Photoshop, ASTAP, SGP, PHD2 and PixInsight

Author: Fernando Oliveira de Menezes
Email: Barretosmed@hotmail.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/menezes_fo?ig ... _source=qr
(Organizing author of the book Amateur Astrophotography in Brazil)
https://clubedeautores.com.br/livro/ast ... -no-brasil

Greetings,

Here is my capture of NGC1333, the Embryo Nebula and LDN1455, the space tarentula.
Being lucky to live under Bortle 2 sky, I have a special pleasure to image dark nebulae. Captured with a C11XLT fitted with a Starizona Hyperstar (F1.9), total exposure time for this photo is 18h 9m in 180s. Camera used is a Zwo 2600MC pro and no filters have been used. Processing done with Pixinsight and DXO Photolab. Fulll resolution available here: https://www.astrobin.com/bxyp2l/

THE WIDE FIELD OF NEBULA M78 - A STELLAR NURSERY

Reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. A reflection nebula is created when light from a star is scattered or reflected off a nearby dust cloud. M78 is located approximately 1,600 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.

M78 has the distinction of appearing very comet like, with one side of the nebula flaring away like a comet’s tail. This has fooled many comet hunters into believing they have made a new discovery.

BEST DETAILS
https://www.astrobin.com/full/5h1cx0/D/


EQUIPMENT:
Esprit 150mm triplet
Zwo asi 6200mc
Mount CEM120
Frames 215 x 300"


LOCATION: Munhoz - MG - Brazil
DATES: From 11/08/2023 to 12/21/2023

PROCESSING AND CAPTURE:
Adobe Photoshop, ASTAP, SGP, PHD2 and PixInsight

Author: Fernando Oliveira de Menezes
Email: Barretosmed@hotmail.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/menezes_fo?ig ... _source=qr

(Organizing author of the book Amateur Astrophotography in Brazil)
https://clubedeautores.com.br/livro/ast ... -no-brasil

For this image, I chose an unusual colour palette of magenta and cyan instead of the typical red and blue, bringing a fresh perspective to this iconic supernova remnant. The nebula is processed in HOO with RGB stars, offering a striking contrast against the cosmic backdrop.

Echoes of a Violent Past: The Cygnus Loop

Stretching across the night sky, the Cygnus Loop is a supernova remnant from a star that exploded 10,000 years ago. This vast region spans nearly 3° in the sky, encompassing famous nebulae like the Western Veil (NGC 6960), the Eastern Veil (NGC 6992, NGC 6995, and IC 1340), and Pickering’s Triangle. Each section of the loop reveals the intricate remains of the star’s violent death, now displayed as delicate filaments of ionized gas.
While I see the Alien movie character in the Eastern Veil, what do you see?

Equipment
• Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 II
• Camera: ZWO Astrophotography ASI2600MM Pro
• Mount: Sky-Watcher NEQ6-Pro
• Processed in: HOO with RGB stars
• Total integration time: 18 hours 15 minutes
• Bortle 6 sky

All my socials here: http://linktr.ee/deepskyjourney

The Dolphin Head Nebula (Sh2-308): A Celestial Sentinel in the Depths of Space

Floating serenely in the vastness of the night sky, the Dolphin Head Nebula (Sh2-308) stretches its ethereal fins, its soft, bubble-like form resembling a cosmic dolphin gliding through the interstellar sea. This stunning structure is a Wolf-Rayet nebula, sculpted by the powerful stellar winds from Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris (WR 6), which lies at its heart. The stellar winds from this dying star have blown a vast bubble of glowing gas, forming the magnificent Dolphin Head Nebula.

Below the Dolphin’s head, you can faintly spot PNG 234.9-09.7, a small planetary nebula that adds a subtle yet captivating feature to the image. This planetary nebula, while faint, stands out as a reminder of the remnants left behind by stars in their final stages, contrasting the Wolf-Rayet bubble above it. This was a real challenge to capture in a Bortle 6 sky.



This image reveals both the grandeur of Sh2-308 and the hidden treasures that lie within its vicinity.

Equipment used:

• Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 II
• Camera: ZWO Astrophotography ASI2600MM Pro
• Mount: Sky-Watcher NEQ6-Pro
• Processed in: HOO with Narrowband stars
• Total integration time: 26 hours
• Bortle 6 sky

All my socials here: http://linktr.ee/deepskyjourney

The Omega Effect at Sunset
Have you ever watched the sun melt into a lake or ocean? This is known as the "Omega effect", when the sun develops feet at the bottom like the Greek Symbol Omega.
You are actually seeing an inverted image of the sun due to refraction. This mirage usually occurs when the sun's rays shine through a warm dense layer of air over a large lake or ocean.
Shot at sunset from Port Albert Ontario September 1, 2024. Nikon Z6ii at 560mm.
The Omega Effect by Andrea Girones, on Flickr

The Omega Effect at Sunset - darker version
Have you ever watched the sun melt into a lake or ocean? This is known as the "Omega effect", when the sun develops feet at the bottom like the Greek Symbol Omega.
You are actually seeing an inverted image of the sun due to refraction. This mirage usually occurs when the sun's rays shine through a warm dense layer of air over a large lake or ocean. It was a warm summer evening on this photoshoot.
Shot at sunset over Lake Huron from Port Albert Ontario September 2, 2024. Nikon Z6ii at 560mm.
The Omega Effect by Andrea Girones, on Flickr

The Omega effect in motion
Have you ever watched the sun melt into a lake or ocean? This is known as the "Omega effect", when the sun develops feet at the bottom like the Greek Symbol Omega.
You are actually seeing an inverted image of the sun due to refraction. This mirage usually occurs when the sun's rays shine through a warm dense layer of air over a large lake or ocean.
Shot over Lake Huron from Port Albert Ontario September 1, 2024. Nikon Z6ii at 560mm.

Lake Huron Sunset and the Omega effect by Andrea Girones, on Flickr