High Point Scientific

06/01/2026

Wondering what you can find in the sky this month? Take a look at our June newsletter to learn all about the Splinter Galaxy, Messier 4, Messier 51, and more!

Uranus is too close to the Sun to be seen this month, but the evening sky offers a triple planetary treat towards the west-northwest. Mercury twinkles low in...

05/29/2026

This week, we're thrilled to be featuring @‌656.astro on Instagram 🤩

Head over to their profile and hit that follow button to keep up with all the latest posts!

📷 (1) The California Nebula
📷 (2) The Eagle Nebula
📷 (3) Mineral Moon
📷 (4) The Orion Nebula

Share your images in the comments for a chance to be featured next!⁠⁠ Whether or not you purchased your equipment from us, we appreciate good astronomy when we see it and we want to highlight your hard work 🔭

05/28/2026

Amazing! Thank you @‌anthonymichel13 on Instagram for sharing your stunning shot of NGC 5981, NGC 5982, and NGC 5985!

"🌌 Le triplet NGC 5981 / 5982 / 5985 – Trois galaxies, trois personnalités 🌌
À environ 130 millions d’années-lumière, dans la constellation d’Hercule, cette scène réunit un magnifique trio galactique, chacun avec son caractère bien distinct.

🔹 NGC 5981 (à gauche) apparaît vue par la tranche, dévoilant sa fine bande de poussière et l’élégance d’une spirale discrète.
🔹 NGC 5982 (au centre) impose sa présence avec son halo doux et homogène : une majestueuse galaxie elliptique, vestige probable d’anciennes fusions galactiques.
🔹 NGC 5985 (à droite) révèle toute la splendeur d’une spirale vue de face, avec ses bras délicatement enroulés autour d’un noyau lumineux.

Trois galaxies, trois perspectives, trois histoires d’évolution cosmique figées dans un seul champ. Un rappel fascinant de la diversité architecturale de notre univers.

🌌 The NGC 5981 / 5982 / 5985 Triplet – Three galaxies, three personalities 🌌
About 130 million light-years away in the constellation Hercules, this stunning scene captures a trio of galaxies — each with a completely different character.

🔹 NGC 5981 (left) is seen edge-on, revealing its thin dust lane and the elegance of a quiet spiral.
🔹 NGC 5982 (center) dominates with its smooth glowing halo: a majestic elliptical galaxy, likely shaped by ancient galactic mergers.
🔹 NGC 5985 (right) showcases the beauty of a face-on spiral, with graceful arms wrapped around a bright core.

Three galaxies, three perspectives, three different evolutionary stories frozen in a single frame — a beautiful reminder of the universe’s diversity.

- Celestron EdgeHD 8"
- ZWO ASI533MM Pro"

05/27/2026

Thank you @‌lowell_astrophotography on Instagram for tagging us in your amazing image of the Ghost Nebula!

"The Ghost Nebula designated Sh2-136, VdB 141) is a reflection nebula located in the constellation Cepheus. It lies near the cluster NGC 7023. Looking at the adjacent image, the nebula's name is easilv understood. The Ghost Nebula is referred to as a globule (catalogued CB230) and over 2 light-years across. There are several stars embedded, whose reflected light make the nebula appear a vellowish-brown colour Source: Wikipedia

🔭 Equipment ✨
Target: Ghost of Cassiopeia, IC63 & IC59
Scope: Explore Scientific ES127 FCD-100 with ZWO EAF
Filter: Antlina Tri-Band 2" in Filter Drawer Mount: AM5 with counter weight on William Optics Motar 800 Tri-pier
Camera: ASI2600mc-Pro dew heater on and cooler set to -4*F. Gain 101 Bin 1x1
Guide scope: Askar FRA180 Pro
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI 174mm Hockey Puck Control: ZWO ASIAir Plus and Samsung Tablet Exposures: 185 frames at 300 sec exposures. Total integration time 15 hrs 25 min
Seeing: Good, Bortle 4
Processed in Pixinsight and Lightroom
Social: Instagram: Lowell_Astrophotography"

05/26/2026

Wow! Thank you @‌huy.astro on Instagram for sharing your magnificent shot of the Milky Way!

"Went for a drive through the mountains a few nights ago and had to stop to admire the Milky Way Galactic Core 💫🌌

This image is a stack of 20 frames blended and processed to bring out the detail hidden in the night sky.

Swipe ➡️ to see a single, raw photo.
The power of stacking/editing is remarkable 😮‍💨

Equipment:
📷 : Canon EOS R8 with 14 mm F/1.4 L VCM"

05/22/2026

This week, we're thrilled to be featuring @‌m_and_d_astro on Instagram 🤩

Head over to their profile and hit that follow button to keep up with all the latest posts!

📷 (1) Sadr Region
📷 (2) North American and Pelican Nebulae
📷 (3) Andromeda Galaxy
📷 (4) Messier 81 & Messier 82

Share your images in the comments for a chance to be featured next!⁠⁠ Whether or not you purchased your equipment from us, we appreciate good astronomy when we see it and we want to highlight your hard work 🔭

05/21/2026

Wow! Thank you @‌dc_astrophotography on Instagram for sharing your amazing image of the Iris Nebula!

"NGC 7023 / CALDWELL 4 - IRIS NEBULA
(LRGB)

Set deep within the Cepheus Flare, dark dust clouds juxtapose the bright, shining core of NGC 7023, the Iris Nebula. The striking, blue/white reflection nebula is the result of a massive, young binary star system called HD 200775. Light scatters through the microscopic dust particles with blue light reflecting its wavelength most prominently.

I took this picture over the course of three (mostly sleepless) nights out in the Pinto Basin region of Joshua Tree National Park this past week. It’s always so fun being able to capture these difficult/fainter targets under some dark skies; however, no matter how much integration time I’m able to scrape up, I’m always left wanting more. Can anyone relate?!

Thanks for checking it out friends!

⚪️ 421 x 60s
🔴 112 x 60s
🟢 124 x 60s
🔵 110 x 60s
(12hr 47min)

BORTLE_2

EQUIPMENT:
- TELESCOPE_ASKAR 107 PHQ
- CAMERA_ZWO 2600MM AIR
- MOUNT_ZWO AM5N
- FILTERS_CHROMA
- ZWO EAF & EFW"

05/20/2026

Thank you @‌alex_astro_bavaria on Instagram for tagging us in your magnificent shot of Messier 100!

"Messier 100

Es ist schon etwas länger her, dass ich ein Foto aus dem Garten veröffentlicht habe. Diesmal ist es Messier 100 geworden, aufgenommen im Zeitraum von März 2026 bis April 2026.
Die Galaxie ist eine aktive Balken-Spiralgalaxie mit einer Entfernung von ca. 53 (+/-10) Millionen Lichtjahren von der Erde und wurde 1781 entdeckt.

It has been a while since I published a photo from my backyard. This time it’s Messier 100, taken in the period from March 2026 to April 2026. The galaxy is an active barred spiral galaxy at a distance of about 53 (+/-10) million light-years from Earth and was discovered in 1781.

Nerd stuff:
RGB: each 81x 130sec.
Lum: 506 x 60sec.
Total integration: 17,20 hours

Camera: QHY268M
Filters: Baader LRGB
Mount: EQ6-Pro
Telescope: modified 10“ Newton
Location: Grassau, Germany"

05/19/2026

Thank you @‌astrowithdb on Instagram for sharing your spectacular shot of IC 443!

"IC 443 is a galactic supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Gemini. On the plane of the sky, it is located near the star Eta Geminorum.
Its distance is roughly 5,000 light years from Earth.

🔭 EXPOSURE DETAILS
🔭 Telescope: Redcat 51
📷 Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Air
🏗️ Mount: Sky-Watcher Wave 150i
🎯 Guide Scope and Camera: WO Uniguide 32 + ASI120MM Mini
🌈 Filters: Astronomik MaxFR 6nm SHO
🌌 Bortle Scale: 9

⏱️ INTEGRATION TIME
🔴 Ha - 97 * 300s - 8h 5m
🔵 OIII - 60 * 300s - 5h 0m
Total Integration: 13h 5m

💻 SOFTWARE
💻 Computer: ASIAIR
⚙️ Editing: PixInsight + Photoshop
✨ Processing: Seti Astro Suite
📦 infographics/annotation: Astrogram"

05/18/2026

Stunning! Thank you @‌ancientlight_astro on Instagram for tagging us in your outstanding shot of SH2-86!

"SH2-86 (The Hidden Hammerhead)

This faint emission nebula located about 6,000 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula was almost lost beneath the background glow. Teasing out the subtle details of the surrounding nebula took 18 hours of exposure and careful processing. A friend pointed out that it looks like a hammerhead shark swimming through space.

Gear
Telescope - Quattro 8” 200P
Camera - ASI2600MC AIR
Filter - L-Enhance
Mount - EQ6-R

Total integration
300s x 216 = 18 hours"