Happy Labor Day!

September 1, 2024

I am taking the evening off to spend with my family. I hope you have a blessed, safe, and restful Labor Day!

The Helix Nebula is 655 light-years from Earth and is 2.5 light-years in diameter. It is a “planetary nebula formed by a low mass star shedding its outer layers.

I was able to capture this beautiful image by driving outside of Los Angeles to a dark sky site. Reader and fellow amateur astronomer Ralph Ford invited me to accompany him to a public star party at Frazier Park (Chuchapate Trailhead). The sky was a “4” on the Bortle Dark Sky Scale. I will show examples in future newsletters of how dark skies improve the quality of images.

I will talk to you on Tuesday!