Amateur astronomer reveals a colorful portrait of Earth’s closest star-forming neighbor (photo)
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Rho Ophiuchi Stellar Nursery, which was performed by amateur astronomer Greg Mier in April 2025. Credit: Greg Meyer
Astronomer Greg Meyer acquired a picturesque view of the Rho Ophiuchi Stellar and Messier 4 football while attending the stars event in Texas last month.
Meyer use a monochrome astronomer in the thermal refrigerator installed on the Radian Raptor 61 mm to capture 177 exposure from three to five minutes from the wide separate cloud. Finally, it took a total of 14 hours and 45 minutes for the image Rho ophiuchi With a series of red, green, blue and gorgeous filters during the Stargazing Star Texas 2025 event, which was made from April 20 to April 27.
The resulting data was processed with experience using Pixinsight Astronomical Prix, along with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to create a rich Between the stars Vista from dirt gas clouds and dusty dark threads.
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“Favorite among the astronomical photographers, I wanted to try it from the dark sky area, and I was at the Texas star’s concert in April 2025,” Mayer said in an email to “Favorite among the astronomical photographers. Space.com Discuss his observation of Rho Ophiuchi. “This object was rising after midnight with milky waySo, so [I] He was able to get some good data with the mobile drilling device for several clear nights. “
The Rho Ophiuchi Sixth system is the closest area of the formation of stars landAnd in this way, it may be subject to the audit of everyone Hubble Space Telescope and James Web telescope for space In recent years.
The shine between the stars taken in the image of Mair colored is the advanced red giant AntarisWhich can be found lighting the right side of the cosmic Vista. Above Antares near the top of the frame, the famous music 4 spherical group, which is estimated to be home to about 100,000 stars, According to Nasa. Another dense city Stars NGC 6144 appointed to the upper left of Antares can be monitored, while it appears that the bright stars of the Rho Ophiuchi B, C and D lights up the surrounding cloud structure at the top left of the image.
Related stories:
– Rho Ophiuchi: a colorful cosmic cloud in pictures
– The night sky, May 2025: What you can see tonight [maps]
– Antars: Red Star at the end of his life
As almost always when dealing with deep sky beings, the different elements that include the Mayer scene are not close to each other as they appear. For example, NASA estimates Rho Ophiuchi is 390 years of Earth from Earth, while antares-which appears to be completely wrapped in the mysterious structure-about 550 Light years far. Messenger 4, at the same time, is more far, sitting about 5,500 light years of our planet.
Editor’s note: If you are interested in sharing your astronomical photography with readers in Space.comPlease send your photos (photos), comments, your name and site to Spacephotos@space.com.