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The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) in SHO

A single-night capture of the North America Nebula mapped in the Hubble palette (SHO). The blue region highlights concentrated $\text{OIII}$ emissions along the "Cygnus Wall," contrasting sharply with the warm amber and gold tones of surrounding HA and SII gas cloud structures.

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The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) in SHO

M101 from the Winter Star Party 2026!

My first Winter Star Party delivered a week of clear, cool Florida Keys skies and 10 hours on M101. Captured in HaLRGB at f/3.8, this Pinwheel Galaxy image blends fast optics with careful PixInsight processing.

M101 from the Winter Star Party 2026!

M45, The Pleiades at the Winter Solstice

Captured during the Winter Solstice event at Big Cypress National Park, this image of M45—the Pleiades, was created from 75 two-minute exposures using a fast f/3.6 imaging setup. More than 2,450 attendees shared the night as live-stacked images revealed this iconic star cluster in real time, blending public outreach with a deep-space target that first sparked my astrophotography journey nearly 20 years ago.

M45, The Pleiades at the Winter Solstice

Comet Lemmon

Battling clouds, failed guiding, and a rushed manual focus, I still managed to capture this stunning comet from our Harold Campbell dark site using my Askar FRA600 and ZWO 2600 Duo.

Comet Lemmon

M106 - A Cosmic Whirlpool of Activity

While sky conditions were not as pristine as during my Leo Triplet session, the dual-scope approach again proved invaluable, allowing for a detailed, high-contrast representation of this stunning galaxy.

M106 - A Cosmic Whirlpool of Activity
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Leo Triplet - A Deep Dive into a Cosmic Gathering

Captured under the dark Bortle 3 skies of a private astronomy club in south-central Florida during our annual star party…

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Leo Triplet - A Deep Dive into a Cosmic Gathering
Charles LilloComment

NGC 1788

A hidden stellar nursery on Orion’s outskirts, NGC 1788 glows with the light of young stars. Its dusty filaments and dark shadows sculpt the eerie form of the Cosmic Bat.

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NGC 1788
Charles LilloComment

An Everglades Shark _LDN 1235

Last night, I ventured deep into the Florida Everglades with a few friends to capture an image of the Shark Nebula (LDN 1235). The trip was an adventure in itself, navigating through remote backroads under pitch-black skies.

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An Everglades Shark _LDN 1235

A Deep Dive into the Triangulum Galaxy (M33)

I captured 10.5 hours of data with 5-minute subs. Using an Apertura Carbon Star Fast Newtonian and my ZWO 2600 Duo OSC camera, I focused on pulling out the rich detail hidden within this iconic spiral galaxy.

A Deep Dive into the Triangulum Galaxy (M33)