Solar
Prominence. This large prominence stretching high above the arc of the sun's surface is many times the size
of the earth. Prominences are commonly seen by visitors to Foothill Observatory's weekly solar public viewing program.
Taken through Foothill College Observatory's 6" telescope and 0.6 Angstrom Hydrogen Alpha solar filter.
Comet
Hale-Bopp. This comet brightened the sky in the spring of 1997. Essentially a large dirty snowball, its tail
develops as it enters the warm inner regions of the solar system. Taken with a 50mm lens from Fremont Peak State
Park.
Mars. Details
visible in this photo include the orange stretches of sandy areas, the darker areas of exposed rock, a small polar
icecap on the upper right edge, and a cloudy polar hood on the lower left edge. Taken with the 30" telescope
at Fremont Peak Observatory.
Saturn.
This planet's spectacular ring system is made up of small particles of rock, ice, and dust. Just visible toward
the outer edges of the rings in this picture is Cassini's division, separating the outer "A Ring" from
the larger and brighter "B Ring". Photo taken with the 16"telescope at Foothill College Observatory.
M42
- The Great Orion Nebula. Located approximately 1600 light-years away, this great glowing cloud of hydrogen
gas is a stellar nursery. It can be glimpsed with the unaided eye as the middle star in Orion's dagger. Taken through
the 16" telescope at the P.A.S. Oakridge Observatory.
M8
- The Lagoon Nebula. This beautiful example of a diffuse nebula shines from energy flowing from the star cluster
(NGC 6530) embedded within it. Taken through the 16" telescope at the P.A.S. Oakridge Observatory.
M17
- The Omega Nebula. Also known as the Swan Nebula, this stellar nursery in Sagittarius exhibits a wealth of
intricate detail. Taken through the 16" telescope at the P.A.S. Oakridge Observatory.
All photographs copyright Brian Hamilton Day
Selected Astrophotos - Page 1 2 3