Mark Hanson Astrophotography

03/29/2026

Longmore 8 Planetary Nebula
“The Hamster Wheel”

Longmore 8, also known as ESO 382-63 and PK 310+24.1, is a delicate celestial ghost haunting the southern reaches of Centaurus. This image here includes the entire outer shell and is the only image of this I could find. The outer structures around this planetary nebula were discovered by the Galactic Planetary Nebula Halo Survey (GPNHS) team in May 2016.
This planetary nebula represents a fleeting, poetic moment in the life cycle of a star similar to our own Sun. As the central star reached the end of its nuclear fuel, it gently shed its outer layers into the cold vacuum of space, creating a shimmering, translucent shell of ionized gas. Unlike the violent cataclysms of supernovae, this expansion is a graceful transition, where the exposed, scorching-hot core—a fledgling white dwarf—floods the surrounding nebula with ultraviolet light, causing it to glow with a soft, ethereal radiance.

Visually, Longmore 8 is a testament to the intricate symmetry found in the cosmos. Often appearing as a faint, circular, or slightly elliptical smudge against the dense star fields of the Milky Way, its subtle structure reveals the complex interplay between stellar winds and magnetic fields. Because it is relatively low in surface brightness, it remains a hidden gem, typically reserved for the long-exposure eyes of large telescopes rather than a casual glance. To study this nebula is to look into the far-distant future of our own solar system, capturing a final, beautiful exhale of a star before it fades into the dark permanence of a stellar remnant.
To the lower left is spiral galaxy NGC 5121 is a reasonably bright galaxy (11.5 magnitude) 1.9' x 1.4' in size.
Imaged in RGBHaO3 on a Planewave CDK 24 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile. Taken Moravian C5.
60 x 300 sec for each R-G-B, 78 x 600 sec for HA and 90 x 600 sec for O3.
Enjoy,
SWOS Group, Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson

https://www.hansonastronomy.com/longmore-8

03/24/2026

NGC 5189 Planetary Nebula

NGC 5189 is among the most intricately structured planetary nebulae visible in our night sky. Its vibrant display of colors—yellow for sulfur, red for hydrogen, and blue oxygen—maps out the last emissions of a star as it sheds its outer layers. These elements enrich the nearby interstellar space, providing material that may form new stars and planets in the future.

Situated about 3,000 light-years away within the constellation Musca, NGC 5189 has earned the name Spiral Planetary Nebula due to its dramatic, complex swirls of luminous gas. Unlike the typical bubble-shaped envelopes seen around dying stars, this nebula presents a chaotic landscape filled with twisted strands and knots spanning distances similar to our solar system.

The nebula’s distinctive shape results from the gravitational interplay between the two central stars: a hot Wolf-Rayet star—the exposed core of a faltering sun—and its companion, a compact white dwarf. With an orbital period of just a few days, their interaction produces shifting axes reminiscent of a spinning lawn sprinkler, ejecting material outward in various directions. This phenomenon, called precession, sculpts the unique, symmetrical lobes that give NGC 5189 its spiral, galaxy-like appearance.

Imaged in RGBHa on a Planewave CDK 24 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile. Taken Moravian C5.
24 x 300 for each R, G, B and 36x600 for each HA, S2 and O3.
Enjoy,
SWOS Group, Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson

https://www.hansonastronomy.com/ngc-5189

02/17/2026

Cederbald 51 “Turned to Stone!”

This interesting patch of red emission/reflection nebula in Orion looks very much like a side portrait of Madusa.
Cederblad 51 is a compact reflection nebula within the Lambda Orionis ring (Sharpless 2-264), about 1,300–1,500 light-years away. Bluish patches are dust clouds reflecting light from nearby hot stars.

The nebula has two main lobes divided by a dark dust lane, set against reddish emission from ionized hydrogen. Surrounding it are delicate dust veils and filaments, part of a molecular complex that hosts ongoing star formation.

Magenta tones show regions where dust and ionized gas overlap, and embedded stars signal a young stellar population. What looks like a single blue nebula is actually one bright knot in a larger star-forming ring around Lambda Orionis.

Imaged in RGBHa on a Planewave CDK 24 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile. Taken Moravian C5.
57x600 - Ha , 60x300 - Each RGB
Enjoy,
SWOS Group, Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson

This interesting patch of red emission/reflection nebula in Orion looks very much like a side portrait of Madusa.Cederblad 51 is a compact reflection nebula within the Lambda Orionis ring (Sharpless 2...

12/28/2025

NGC 1398 “Glittering amongst millions”

This stunning photograph showcases the face on spiral galaxy NGC 1398, located approximately 65 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Fornax. NGC 1398 is classified as a barred spiral galaxy; in this image, its brilliant central bar and graceful spiral arms stand out vividly and eventually those spiral arms fade amid a sea of stars. However, a closer look reveals the surrounding space is filled with subtle glimmers and swirling shapes of countless distant galaxies. Larger than our own Milky Way, NGC 1398 boasts more than 100 billion stars.

The black and white with color insert version shows the extent of the really faint spiral arms.

Imaged in LRGBHa on a Planewave CDK 24 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile. Taken Moravian C5.
200x300L - 16.5Hours, 60x300 - 5Hours Each RGB
31.5 hours total
Enjoy,
SWOS Group, Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson

https://www.hansonastronomy.com/ngc-1398

12/04/2025

“NGC 300 The Grand Nebulae Preserve”

NGC 300, also known as Caldwell 70 or the Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Sculptor, approximately six million light-years from Earth. It is one of the nearest galaxies to the Local Group, lying between it and the Sculptor Group, and is the brightest of five major spiral galaxies in that direction. Its diameter is 94,000 light-years, making it slightly smaller than the Milky Way.

NGC 300 is a galaxy with thousands of hidden nebulae. When deep images of this active face-on spiral galaxy using HA (Hydrogen), S2 (Sulfur II), and O3 (Oxygen III) narrowband filters—and after removing the stars from the Red, Green, Blue broadband light—this remarkable view is revealed.

Imaged in LRGBHa on a Planewave CDK 24 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile. Taken with 2 different cameras SBIG 16803 and Moravian C5.
Ha 22.5h, S2 12.5h, O3 12.5h, RGB 7h each
Total 68 hours.
Enjoy,
SWOS Group, Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson
Thanks to Alex Zaytsev for helping with the description and the wonderful, annotated version.
https://www.hansonastronomy.com/ngc-300-swos

11/05/2025

NGC 55 – 223 Hours
This image of NGC 55 represents one of my favorite galaxies, captured using three different telescopes and four different cameras, over 3 years with a cumulative exposure time of 223 hours. The data was contributed by several collaborators, enabling the creation of my first comprehensive SHOLRGB galaxy image, aside from previous work on the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, which involved 16 panes each and moderately less exposure per pane.
The image was processed using the SHO palette—assigning S to Red, H to Green, and O to Blue—with additional RGB stars and luminance data integrated. The result reveals extensive detail for a galaxy located approximately 6.5 million light years away. For context, the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds are situated between 160,000 and 200,000 light years from Earth. Comparable imaging efforts I have seen include M33, which is roughly 2.7 million light years distant, similar to the Andromeda Galaxy as well as NGC 300.
For more info: https://www.hansonastronomy.com/ngc-55
Enjoy,
Dieterich, Zaytsev and the SWOS Group

10/22/2025

Core of the Large Magellanic Cloud
This remarkable image showcases the core of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) as a highly detailed 16-panel mosaic. The composition beautifully reveals the wide array of gaseous colors and complex structures within the cloud, including twisting, looping, bubbling, and explosive forms. In addition to these vibrant features, the mosaic highlights numerous globular clusters and millions of stars, creating a truly stunning and captivating view of this astronomical region.
The annotated version was produced by Alex Zaytsev and is a must see.
Tons of info here: https://app.astrobin.com/u/Mhanson
and Here: https://www.hansonastronomy.com/lmc-mosaic-16-panes
Image Processing and Data Collection
The image was processed and calibrated by Mark Hanson using advanced methods to ensure exceptional clarity and detail. The data for this mosaic was gathered by Hanson, Mazlin, Parker, and Forman in 2025. Observations were made using a 24-inch Planewave CDK telescope with an f/6.5 configuration, mounted on an L600, and a Moravian C5 camera located at El Sauce, Chile.
The final mosaic consists of 16 panels, captured in Red, Green, Blue (RGB), and Hydrogen-alpha (Ha) bands, with binning at 2x2. In total, 1520 R,G,B,Ha frames were taken, resulting in 94+ hours of cumulative observation time so far, O3 and S2 to follow.
Enjoy this breathtaking view.
Mark, Alex and entire SWO group.
Super large image so links are a must see...

08/21/2025

Jets and Reflection Nebulae

NGC 6726-27, IC 4812 in Corona Australis &
Globular Cluster NGC 6723 in Sagittarius

This beautiful star forming region in the constellation Corona Australis at the edge of Sagittarius has so much to offer, with its outstanding reflection and emission nebulae, Hirbig-Haro objects, a variable nebulae, dark nebulae, many background galaxies as well as a large globular cluster.

You can read all about it here: https://app.astrobin.com/u/Mhanson?i=2ex9d3

It is quite a dynamic and colorful area in the Southern sky. We have also added a labeled version for you to gaze at.

Taken at El Sauce Chile 24” CDK and Moravian C5
Lum-35x600, RGB-36x300, HA-30x900 each pane
Data by SWSO Imaging team: Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson
Image Processing: Mark Hanson
Image Labels: Alex Zaytsev and Mark Hanson
Enjoy,
Alex and Mark

08/12/2025

Gremlin in Lupus 3 (Berens 149)

This interesting area in the Lupus 3 molecular cloud, at the border of the Scorpius and Lupus constellations about 500 light years away, contains Bernes 149, a blue reflection nebula. Infrared observations revealed numerous protostars, young stars, and Herbig-Haro objects; HH78 is seen as a red spot above the image center, in a dark cloud.

The Bernes catalog lists 160 bright nebulae mostly overlapping with other catalogs but includes around 50 unique entries such as Bernes 149 in Lupus 3.
Taken at El Sauce Chile 24”CDK and Moravian C5
Lum-35x600, RGB-36x300 each
Data by SWSO Imaging team
Image Processing: Mark Hanson
Enjoy,
Mark

07/18/2025

RCW 105 (also known as Gum 51) is an emission nebula in the constellation Norma, surrounded by small molecular clouds and likely part of the compact OB association R105.

OB associations are groups of young, bright O and B stars—among the hottest types—with B stars ranging from 17,500 to 44,500°F and O stars above 44,500°F. Positioned on the blue end of the light spectrum, these stars are notable for their brightness and youth.

Taken at El Sauce Chile 24”CDK and Moravian C5
Lum-24x600, RGB-36x300 each, Ha, O3, S2 -36x600 each.
Image Processing: Mark Hanson
Data by SWSO Imaging team
Enjoy,
Mark

06/30/2025

NGC 5248 Spiral Galaxy

I was quite surprised that I had not seen this galaxy before, it’s certainly an eye catcher.

NGC 5248 is a prominent spiral galaxy located within the constellation Boötes. Positioned approximately 50 million light-years from Earth, it is considered relatively close in astronomical terms.

One of the notable features of NGC 5248 is the presence of a large ring of gas and dust surrounding the central bulge. This ring, known as a "pseudo-ring," is believed to have formed due to gravitational interaction between NGC 5248 and another nearby galaxy. The pseudo-ring is an active site of star formation, where many new stars are being created.

NGC 5248 also contains a supermassive black hole at its center, estimated to have a mass of around 300 million times that of our Sun. This black hole is surrounded by a disk of gas and dust, which emits radiation as the material spirals toward the black hole.

Spiral galaxies like NGC 5248 are significant for understanding cosmic formation and evolution. They are believed to originate from the mergers and interactions of smaller galaxies, and their study provides vital information on the mechanisms driving galactic development and the broader processes shaping the universe. Here you can see many significant signs of these mergers.

SWOS group: Mazlin, Parker, Forman, Magill, Hanson
Planewave 24" with Moravian C5 camera taken at Obstech, Chile
LRGB-Ha, 53x300 RGB, 61x600Lum, 40x600 HA
Image Processing: Hanson
Enjoy, Mark
https://www.hansonastronomy.com/ngc-5248-1