Oskar Contreras

NGC 7331 The Deer Lick Group - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. NGC 7331 is a large, Milky Way-like spiral galaxy that dominates this visual group in Pegasus. The smaller, fainter companion galaxies ("the Fleas") are actually much farther background objects.

NGC 7331 The Deer Lick Group - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. The "fleas" (NGC 7335, 7336, 7337, 7340) are not gravitationally bound to the main galaxy! They are actually up to 10 times farther away and only appear close due to a chance alignment.

Good Sunday morning. Continuing with the observations from last night. Decided to go see #NGC7331 #TheDeerLickGroup again. Decided that tonight will spend more time here as there is more that the 5 galaxies that you can see in the center. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

NGC 7662 / C22 The Blue Snowball Nebula - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. NGC 7662 is a planetary nebula in Andromeda. Nicknamed the Blue Snowball for its small, bright, and distinctly blue-green color. A dying star's expelled outer layers.

NGC 7662 / C22 The Blue Snowball Nebula - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Its central star is one of the hottest known, a tiny white dwarf with a surface temperature up to 100,000 k, which makes the gas glow blue-green.

Next observation from tonight, #NGC7662 / #C22 #TheBlueSnowballNebula. There was this accessory that came with the dew shield I bought for the s50. Put some thread through it and look at the effect on the stars. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

The moon as seen by the s50. Moon and light filter is on so explained the pink hue.

Good Saturday evening. Set the s50 outside. Need to figure out what to see tonight. Here as a shot of the #moon. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

IC 405 The Flaming Star Nebula - telescope processed image by the Odyssey Pro.

IC 405 The Flaming Star Nebula - telescope processed image with Moon and Light Filter by the s50.

IC 405 The Flaming Star Nebula - unprocessed image by the Odyssey Pro.

IC 405 The Flaming Star Nebula - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter by the s50.

Last images of this morning. Decided to compare the quality of images of #IC405 #TheFlamingStarNebula between the s50 and Odyssey Pro. The s50 is better for nebulas for sure. #unistellar #odysseypro #space #astronomy #amateur #seestar #S50

Image from s50 - Jupiter at the center with 4 of its moons. Starting from the right to left - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Image from the Odyssey Pro - Jupiter at the center (notice the big red spot at the lower half). At the left of Jupiter you can make out Io.

Sharing some observations of #Jupiter and its moons. Different views by the s50 and the Odyssey Pro. First image you cannot make out details of the planet but you can see the moon. In the second image you can details of Jupiter and only can see one of […]

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IC 443 The Jellyfish Nebula - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. IC 443, the Jellyfish Nebula, is a supernova remnant in the constellation Gemini, about 5,000 light-years away. Its glowing filaments are debris from a star's explosion, and it contains a neutron star.

IC 443 The Jellyfish Nebula - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. The Jellyfish Nebula is a supernova remnant from a massive star explosion that happened between 3,000 and 30,000 years ago, leaving a pulsar at its core.

After finishing the imaging for the previous mosaic, headed to see #IC443 #TheJellyfishNebula. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

Mosaic AE Aurigae & NGC 1893 - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter; edited in Affinity Photo 2. The stars AE Aurigae and the open cluster NGC 1893 are both located in the northern constellation Auriga (The Charioteer). AE Aurigae illuminates the spectacular Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405), while NGC 1893 is embedded in the nearby Tadpole Nebula (IC 410).

Sharing a new version of my #Mosaic #AEAurigae & #NGC1893. At the bottom left of the image NGC 1893 is an open cluster in the constellation Auriga. The #nebula around is is #IC410 #TheTadpoke#Nebula. At the upper right side is #IC405 which known as the […]

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NGC 457 Owl Cluster - telescope processed image. This bright, open star cluster in Cassiopeia is often called the E.T. Cluster. Its two brightest stars, phi Cassiopeiae andHD 7902, form the distinct "eyes" of the celestial owl.

NGC 457 Owl Cluster - unprocessed image. Fun fact: Its star pattern strongly resembles the alien E.T. from the movie, with two bright stars forming its unmistakable, widely spaced eyes.

Woke up early enough to take the Odyssey Pro out as well. Here is a view of #NGC457 #TheOwlCluster. #unistellar #odysseypro #space #astronomy #amateur

SH 2-171 The Teddy Bear Nebula - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light filter. SH 2-171 is an emission nebula and star-forming region in the constellation Cepheus. It's part of the NGC 7822 complex, known for its "Pillars of Creation" and hot, young stars. It gets its nickname from its whimsical shape in some images.

SH 2-171 The Teddy Bear Nebula - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Its heart holds BD+66 1673, an extremely hot star—about 45,000 k and 100,000 times brighter than the Sun—shaping the nebula's gas pillars.

Good Saturday morning. Was able to set the s50 out last night so have some images to share this morning. Starting with #SH2-171 #TheTeddyBearNebula. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

M45 The Pleiades Star Cluster - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Also known as the "Seven Sisters," M45 is the nearest and most famous open star cluster (in Taurus), dominated by young, hot blue stars passing through a dusty nebula.

M45 The Pleiades Star Cluster - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. The nine most famous named stars in M45, also known as the Pleiades or the "Seven Sisters," are: The Seven Sisters (Daughters of Atlas and Pleione) • Alcyone (The brightest star) • Electra • Maia • Merope • Taygeta • Celaeno • Asterope (sometimes referred to as Sterope, often seen as a double star) The Parents • Atlas (The Titan who held up the heavens) • Pleione (Their mother, an Oceanid nymph).

Been busy at work so could not post this operation till tonight. Here is a new observation of #M45 #ThePleiadesStarCluster. The s50 was out there all night and this observation is 586 images at 20 second exposures in total. Captures all the Pleiades plus the […]

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NGC 869 h Persei and NGC 884 x Persei Star Clusters - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. A magnificent pair of young open star clusters (h Persei and x (chi) Persei) in the constellation Perseus. They are visible to the naked eye as a hazy patch and sparkle with hundreds of hot, blue supergiant stars.

NGC 869 h Persei and NGC 884 x Persei Star Clusters - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Though over 7,000 light-years away, the Double Cluster is one of the most distant objects you can spot with the naked eye from a dark location.

Good Thursday morning. Sharing results from last nights planned observations. Starting out with #NGC869 #hPersei (right side of image) and #NGC884 #xPersei (left side of image) #Star #Clusters. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

NGC 5907 The Splinter Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. NGC 5907, the Splinter Galaxy, is a razor-thin, edge-on spiral in Draco. It has a prominent dust lane, warped disc, and faint, ghostly stellar streams.

NGC 5907 The Splinter Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. This "Knife Edge" galaxy has ghostly stellar streams coiling around it—the shredded remains of a dwarf galaxy it cannibalized billions of years ago.

Good Wednesday evening. Starting tonight’s observations with #NGC5907 #TheSplinterGalaxy. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

M81 Bode’s Galaxy and M82 The Cigar Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. M81's close, recurring gravitational tug-of-war with its neighbor, M82, the Cigar Galaxy, is what fuels a massive starburst in M82!

M81 Bode’s Galaxy and M82 The Cigar Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. M82 is the Cigar Galaxy, a starburst galaxy where stars form 10x faster than in the Milky Way, thanks to M81.

Last image from this morning. Focus the telescope on #M81 #BodesGalaxy and #M82 #TheCigarGalaxy. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

M102 The Spindle Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Despite being a lenticular galaxy (which are usually dust-free), M102 is viewed edge-on and is split by a striking, unusual dark dust lane.

M102 The Spindle Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. 🌌 M102 is the probable identity of NGC 5866, a striking lenticular galaxy in Draco. We see it edge-on, revealing a dramatic, unusual dark dust lane dividing it.

Next up, went to go see #M102 #TheSpindleGalaxy. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

M101 The Pinwheel Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Skylight Filter and enhancement by phone. It's a massive "grand design" spiral galaxy, about twice the diameter of the Milky Way (170,000 light-years across), and hosts over a trillion stars!

M101 The Pinwheel Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is a beautiful, large face-on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major. It's known for its prominent, asymmetrical arms and huge star-forming regions.

Good Wednesday morning. Starting with some images from last night. Decided to go look at #M101 #ThePinwheelGalaxy even though it was to low in the horizon at the time. Sure enough is seems the telescope caught part of the fence were I am currently living […]

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M42 The Great Nebula in Orion - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. The region near M42 includes M43 (De Mairan's Nebula), which is physically part of the same cloud complex but separated by a dust lane, and the Trapezium Cluster of hot, young stars embedded within M42. Other objects include the NGC 1981 open cluster and nearby double stars.

M42 The Great Nebula in Orion - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Sh2-279 is a bright reflection nebula and HII region in Orion's Sword, just north of M42. Its dust lanes form a dark silhouette resembling a running man.

This was the last image I was waiting for to complete my mosaic of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. This image by itself is great. Starting from left to right - #NGC1981 Open Cluster, #Sh2-279 #TheRunningManNebula , #M43 #TheGreatNebulainOrion , #M42 […]

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Couldn’t fit the major objects in the previous post.

#NGC2024 #TheFlameNebula
#Alnitak Named Star
#IC434 #TheHorseheadNebula
#σ-Ori Named Star
#NGC1981 Open Cluster
#Sh2-279 #TheRunningManNebula
#M43 #TheGreatNebulainOrion
#M42 #DeMariansNebula
#NGC1980 Open Cluster

Partial Orion Molecular Cloud Complex - extremely processed image using Affinity Photo 2 and phone.

Partial Orion Molecular Cloud Complex - slightly processed image with Affinity Photo 2. Trying to blend in upper right quadrant of image with the rest.

Partial Orion Molecular Cloud Complex - image with names of major objects seen in this image.

I think I am done with my latest project. 4 mosaic images made out of 1,183 images at 20 second exposures, assembled in Affinity Photo 2. All images using the Moon and Sky Light Filter. Sharing extremely processed image, slightly processed image, and the […]

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M31 The Andromeda Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. M31, our closest major galactic neighbor at approximately 2.5 million light-years, is the largest member of the Local Group, orbited by over 30 dwarf satellite galaxies like M32 and M110.

M31 The Andromeda Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. M32, a dwarf elliptical, has a very dense core and a supermassive black hole, suggesting it's the remnant of a larger spiral galaxy. M110, a dwarf spheroidal, is unusual because it has dust and signs of recent star formation.

Good Tuesday morning. Here are some results from last night. The s50 took the following mosaic with 454 individual 20 second exposures. Here is the latest observation of #M31 #TheAndromedaGalaxy. #M110 is visible at the top of the image while #M32 is to the […]

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C-2025 R2 (Swan) Comet - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. C/2025 R2 (SWAN) is a long-period comet discovered in Sept. 2025. It reached perihelion on Sept. 12, 2025, and passed closest to Earth on Oct. 20, 2025 (0.26 AU). It's visible with binoculars.

C-2025 R2 (Swan) Comet - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. The long-period comet was discovered on September 10, 2025, by Vladimir Bezugly using images from the SWAN instrument on the SOHO spacecraft.

Good Friday evening. Weather is nice and clear again, so set the s50 outside again. Started out with a quick viewing of #C-2025R2 #Swan #Comet. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

IC 1396 Elephant Trunk Nebula - telescope processed image with onboard LP Filter and Moon and Sky Light Filter. The Elephant Trunk Nebula (IC 1396A) is a star-forming pillar of gas and dust within the larger IC 1396 emission nebula in Cepheus, about 2,400 light-years away. Its shape is sculpted by radiation from a nearby hot, massive star.

Good Friday afternoon. Just downloaded the images from last night and didn’t look at them till now. Still working on my project - I image left. Here is a mosaic of #IC1396 #TheElephantTrunkNebula that I took last night. Used the s50 and joined / edited the […]

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@philheppenstall yes sir.

NGC 281 The Pac-Man Nebula - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. NGC 281 is a bright emission nebula in Cassiopeia, nicknamed the Pac-Man Nebula for its shape created by a dark dust lane. It's an H II region where new stars are forming.

NGC 281 The Pac-Man Nebula - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Its "mouth," which gives it the Pac-Man nickname, is a thick lane of dark dust blocking the light of the glowing gas behind it.

Good Thursday morning. Weather improved yesterday evening so was able to set up the s50. Set the telescope to see #NGC281 #ThePacmanNebula again. These images are made up of 672 frames at 20 second duration exposures - 3 hours and 43 minutes total. It is a […]

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SH 2-157 Lobster Claw Nebula - telescope processed image with LP Filter and Moon and Sky Light Filter. The SH 2-157 Lobster Claw Nebula is an emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia, shaped by the powerful winds of giant stars, including the Wolf-Rayet star WR 157.

SH 2-157 Lobster Claw Nebula - unprocessed image with LP Filter and Moon and Sky Light Filter. It has a famous neighbor! SH 2-157 is found near the well-known Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Good Tuesday morning. Decided to let the s50 perform some mosaics and longer observations durning this week. This will result in only 2 images a night for the next 4 mornings. Some of these images I hope to use in a large mosaic I wanted to put together. In […]

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NGC 2244 Satellite Cluster - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter phone enhanced. A young open cluster of extremely hot, massive stars at the heart of the Rosette Nebula in Monoceros, whose intense radiation carves its central cavity.

NGC 2244 Satellite Cluster - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Born from the Rosette Nebula, its hot, young stars will completely dissipate their birthplace in approximately 10 million years.

Last image of the morning is an observation of #NGC2244 #SatelliteCluster. Decided to use the phone to push the image enhancement a bit. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

M77 The Squid Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter with phone enhancement. A large barred spiral galaxy in Cetus, M77 is a prototype Seyfert galaxy with an Active Galactic Nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole.

M77 The Squid Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. It's one of the closest and brightest Seyfert galaxies (Type II), with an extremely active core powered by a supermassive black hole.

Here is the observation for #M77 #TheSquidGalaxy from this morning. Used some extra image enhancement by the phone. On the upper right of the image you can see #NGC1055. To the upper left you can barely makenout #NGC1072. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

SH 2-171 The Teddy Bear Nebula - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. An active star-forming region (part of NGC 7822) in Cepheus. It contains beautiful "Pillars of Creation"-like structures carved by one of the hottest known stars.

SH 2-171 The Teddy Bear Nebula - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. One of the hottest known stars, BD+66 1673, lights up and shapes its gas pillars.

Browsing the s50 sky atlas last night and decided to take a look at #SH2-171 #TheTeddyBearNebula. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

IC 342 The Hidden Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter with phone enhancement. A beautiful, face-on spiral galaxy \approx 11 million light years away. It's nicknamed the "Hidden Galaxy" because the dust and stars of the Milky Way's disk heavily obscure our view.

IC 342 The Hidden Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. If IC 342 weren't hidden behind the dust and gas of our own Milky Way, it would be one of the brightest galaxies visible in the night sky and possibly visible to the naked eye.

Did not notice till this morning that I observed #IC342 #TheHiddenGalaxy again. Don’t mind I did. This time though I used my phone to enhance the processed image as much as it could. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

M11 The Wild Duck Cluster - telescope processed image with Moon and Skylight Filter. M11, the Wild Duck Cluster 🦆, is one of the richest and most compact open star clusters in our galaxy, containing approximately 2,900 young stars in the constellation Scutum.

M11 The Wild Duck Cluster - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. It's the most distant open cluster (approximately 6,200 light-years) in the Messier Catalog that's still visible to the naked eye under a dark sky.

Good Monday morning. Here are results from last night’s planned observations. Starting with #M11 #TheWildDuckCluster. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur

IC 4895 Barnard's Galaxy - telescope processed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Barnard's Galaxy (IC 4895/NGC 6822) is a barred irregular dwarf galaxy in the Local Group, similar to the Small Magellanic Cloud, and is approximately 1.6 million light-years away. (Gemini assisted description)

IC 4895 Barnard's Galaxy - unprocessed image with Moon and Sky Light Filter. Edwin Hubble used its Cepheid variables to prove it was a separate galaxy far outside the Milky Way, settling the "Great Debate" on the universe's size. (Gemini assisted description).

Before starting tonight’s planned observations, headed to see #IC4895 #BarnardsGalaxy. #seestar #S50 #space #astronomy #amateur