https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/events-2-1 daily 0.75 2026-03-29 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/events-2-1/event-one-frwwl monthly 0.5 2022-09-14 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies daily 0.75 2024-07-17 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-ejgxa monthly 0.5 2024-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/e04cd755-4b05-4e3a-95ce-ffd33a889240/M51+7Apr2024+10.0min.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - M51 - the Whirlpool Nebula(revisited) - Whirlpool Nebula or M51 Whirlpool Nebula https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-8fmxk-2ke4e monthly 0.5 2023-12-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/e3c66aa4-6c35-42b0-82f4-6384f205fa65/Double+Cluster+in+Perseus+14Dec2023.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Open Clusters - The double cluster in Perseus Whirlpool Nebula https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/92dde9a5-db8f-4242-96d6-a9ea3dc1db41/C150+M35+14Dec2023.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Open Clusters - M35 This cluster is also visibly a double cluster. M35 is the loose aggregate of stars to the lower left of the figure. The denser group of stars to the upper right is not considered to be part of M35 but is assigned the designation NGC2158. In fact, the two clusters are not near each other in space, M35 is about 3000 light years away, while NGC2158 is about 11,000 light years away. This image was taken with a 150mm Newtonian. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/f7c1bb01-ed88-452d-ba3e-e03d25b637d1/NGC2158+16Dec2023.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Open Clusters - NGC 2158 This is a close up of a portion of the sky seen in the photo above taken with the 16” Cassegrain telescope at the observatory. It is sort of an “almost” globular cluster. https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-n6579-y3d2m-en5yd-brzzz monthly 0.5 2023-11-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1699676930388-H61IYOKITT9CWQSJVXOU/ober+NGC+891+18Sept2023+A.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Outer Limits https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1699676963859-3P36VBIDL8CYNBPE9QN5/NGC891+08Nov2023.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Outer Limits https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-n6579-y3d2m-en5yd monthly 0.5 2023-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/6911f9b9-b544-4c40-952b-48a476c9d5c9/Ober+NGC+6207+04Oct2023.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Space Neighbors - M16 The Eagle Nebula This part of the nebula has been much photographed and discussed in recent decades so we though we would see what it looks like through our 16 inch Cassegrain. In the Hubble era it has been rebranded as “the pillars of creation”. https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-n6579-y3d2m monthly 0.5 2023-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/2ee2355d-6076-440b-be24-53b29793777a/Eagle+Nebula+15Aug2023.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Eagle Nebula in Serpens - M16 The Eagle Nebula Whirlpool Nebula https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-n6579 monthly 0.5 2023-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/f3d1f015-c95e-4ec1-bcf1-7ca1f53b04ea/Omega+Nebula+22Jul2023a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Omega Nebula in Sagittarius - M17 The Omega Nebula Whirlpool Nebula https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-8fmxk monthly 0.5 2024-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/a55dd5b5-c493-453f-ae3b-ab2c7000e6b5/M13+12Jul2024+2min.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Globular Clusters of Hercules - M13 Whirlpool Nebula https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/94669cf5-73b7-49ea-840f-53d8e396922e/M92+13Jul2024+72sec.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Globular Clusters of Hercules - M92 This star cluster is only slightly dimmer than M13 and is always rewarding to look at. It is interesting to remember that 200 years ago astronomers were only just starting to realize that these globular clusters were made up of individual stars and were not just fuzzy balls of dust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/b667ddcf-bcd7-4174-bff0-99a4b0806ef8/NGC6229+12Jul2024+3min.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Globular Clusters of Hercules - NGC 6229 This cluster is definitely the dimmest of the three at only an apparent magnitude of 9.8. All three images are at the same scale so the size comparisons are true, but this image was taken with a longer exposure to make it visible. https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-fnc2y-343zy monthly 0.5 2023-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1685756156153-UXWOUD4MDQ3GM5RPGOAR/Moon01a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Moon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1685756176374-F11IRSBK0Q3PSSSO4Y8Y/Moon02a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Moon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1685756264428-WLR4UKCAH2PAJBGQMFIV/Moon04a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Moon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1685756333555-0E9F4UPJFKL5S94SQ61Y/Moon05a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Moon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1685756317844-PBSME7WFEO9X0RLS6SJO/Moon06a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Moon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1685756383296-PCKFKWWBQS8HHFU4SZ48/Moon07a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Moon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/1685756455330-SKZ3ZIP300OMQEP922CK/Moon09a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - The Moon https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22 monthly 0.5 2023-05-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/c0752e8f-2bf0-4f39-91ed-5d52e947f03e/M64Ba.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Tracking and Stacking - part 2 - M64 Whirlpool Nebula https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/44eae874-24e8-46af-9e18-9c035b554700/M5-26may23a.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Tracking and Stacking - part 2 - M5 This globular cluster in Serpens was easy to stack. Lots of stars for the software to detect. This image is a composite of 20 frames with an exposure of 15.22 seconds each for a total of 304 seconds. https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-p2c22-h2a4b monthly 0.5 2023-05-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/2d1415d0-8b45-4974-8ddd-4dbcbb2c4c4a/M3A1.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Tracking and Stacking - The Globular Cluster M3 Whirlpool Nebula https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5 monthly 0.5 2023-05-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/2723dff3-21fb-453f-9635-c182d6a7b9a9/20230512_210010.jpg The Dark Skies of Morgan County - A New Power Supply - Old vs. New Whirlpool Nebula https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/459e9c09-cde6-4592-8d8a-b8136b3f5c19/20230512_220929.jpg The Dark Skies of Morgan County - A New Power Supply - The new power supply in place https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5-apyk5-trda4 monthly 0.5 2023-05-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/5207486a-7e9c-4914-8439-5d6594215234/NGC+3344+A.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - Apparent Magnitude Whirlpool Nebula https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6-a7jc9-9zjh5 monthly 0.5 2024-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/b82f4a20-0c1e-4bc0-b027-f9cd7a656e68/M51.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - M51 – the whirlpool nebula and a globular cluster - Whirlpool Nebula or M51 Whirlpool Nebula https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/80b8a094-d246-4ec6-b5c6-eeb19d241c29/M53.png The Dark Skies of Morgan County - M51 – the whirlpool nebula and a globular cluster - M53 I took this picture last night early in the evening just after dark. One thing I love about having a camera on the telescope is that you can see so much more that with just your eye, even with mere 10 second exposures like this one. Looking through the eyepiece at this object all you see is a faint fussy spot – no details, no stars. This is M53, a globular cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices. https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/darkskies/blog-post-title-one-kp6b6 monthly 0.5 2023-05-03 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/home daily 1.0 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/90fd3c79-d609-4b53-9ec1-4bda59cfe1fb/Blue+Dome+Web+Page+Pic.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/7947af19-eb2c-4b07-ad67-ea624cf9a1e6/2026_March_20260302_111022.original.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/e540ce72-69a3-4013-ae5c-abde5fa00b48/Picture3.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/c65b222f-aee6-4736-8057-f52e1f42b3ce/april+moon.jpg https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/volunteer daily 0.75 2026-02-17 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/membership daily 0.75 2026-02-17 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/donate daily 0.75 2023-12-31 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/contact daily 0.75 2026-02-17 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/mission daily 0.75 2023-05-02 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/team daily 0.75 2026-01-03 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/history daily 0.75 2023-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/3d77d0c1-597b-464a-a2bb-70679f62088d/scope3.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/0c70be85-1cb7-4b72-ad51-f036ff6570fe/ScopeLookingOutfromLHS-medium.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/0faee391-ddc7-4529-ab69-8ec5d043e410/outside+view+of+observatory.jpg https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/telescope-class daily 0.75 2023-05-04 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/gallery-2 daily 0.75 2023-12-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/0d504c86-ed67-44ec-bfe2-8ac3bd669590/ober%2BNGC%2B891%2B18Sept2023%2BA.png Gallery NGC 891 - using the ASI533MC camera on a 127mm refractor with 40 stacked frames of about 21 seconds each for a total exposure of about 14 minutes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/5dc9ca18-60cf-4827-b548-08007cbdd08d/M27+11Jul2023a.png Gallery M27 (the Dumbbell Nebula) - using the ASI533MC camera on the 16" Cassegrain telescope https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/00e2d8da-87d1-4f71-9c32-da95906e3dca/NGC1300+08Dec2023.png Gallery The barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300 in the constellation Eridanus. Image taken with the 16" Cassegrain and the ASI533MC camera, 100 stacked frames, total exposure of 21 minutes. Photo by John Hrubec https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/fb39a4a6-7c7e-4a8f-bfd7-e74a240a8190/M1+12Dec2023.png Gallery M1 - the Crab Nebula in the constellation Taurus. The image is from the 16" Cassegrain telescope using an ASI533MC camera. 103 stacked frames, total exposure 17 minutes. Photo by John Hrubec https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/5fc328f9-6bf6-4ebf-95fa-2e085f767461/NGC+2403+13Dec2023.png Gallery Spiral galaxy NGC2403 in the constellation Camelopardalis. 15 minute exposure using the 16" Cassegrain telescope. Photo by John Hrubec https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/8ef92fee-5705-41ae-86dd-da84de6f320e/C150+M81+15Dec2023.png Gallery The spiral galaxy M81 in the constellation Ursa Major. The image was taken with the ASI533MC camera on a 150mm Newtonian; 99 stacked frames of 10 seconds each for a total exposure of 16.5 minutes. Photo by John Hrubec https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/c9a3dd3c-a50b-4f5c-a1ea-21d3c4c4083a/C150+Flame+Nebula+14Dec2023.png Gallery The Flame Nebula near the bright star Alnitak in the constellation Orion. Image taken with a 150mm Newtonian and a ASI533MC camera. 12 minute exposure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/67f59b4d-c8dc-4c07-b4bb-f47ee1fb953d/C150+M31+14Dec2023.png Gallery M31 - the Andromeda Galaxy. To the left of the galaxy can be seen the small elliptical galaxy M32. The image is through a 150mm Newtonian telescope with a ASI533MC camera - 11 minute exposure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/5f731c7e-19da-4392-afa8-128c1c81d568/C150+M42+14Dec2023.png Gallery M42 - the Great Nebula in Orion. 100 second exposure using a 150mm Newtonian telescope and an ASI533MC camera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/a43a50f3-a39b-472f-975a-a4f39b1bd35d/NGC+2903+05Jan2024.png Gallery The spiral galaxy NGC 2903 in the constellation Leo. 23 minute exposure using the 16" Cassegrain telescope at the Morgan County Observatory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/0792a3fc-6f9e-4bfb-af06-69ac1144fbab/polaris.png Gallery Polaris, the North Star showing its smaller companion star Polaris B. Photo by Kathryn Krenn https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/c3524882-9705-47a7-802e-036d64a60c79/M3+6Apr2024+4.0min.png Gallery M3 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Canes Venatici. This image is a 4 minute exposure through the observatory's 16 inch Cassegrain telescope using an ASI533MC camera. Photo by John Hrubec https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/d8c97f07-16aa-48bb-b5a0-7cdbd8774881/SC200+M66+31May2024+10min.png Gallery The spiral galaxy M66 in the constellation of Leo. Image taken with a 200mm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/7e3e11d2-c82c-410f-a3cd-bf45c902646b/M92+13Jul2024+72sec.png Gallery There are about 150 of these globular star clusters in the vicinity of our Milky Way Galaxy. This one is M92, located in the constellation Hercules. 2 minute exposure using the ASI533MC camera on the 16" Cassegrain telescope. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63067d44b4ffc8455c08b213/d6d4a949-f233-4dae-9cf7-c0fe7a18a732/NGC+2174+Randall+28Feb2026.jpg Gallery The nebula NGC 2174, also known as the Monkey Head Nebula. Exposure over two hours using a Seestar S50 telescope. Photo by Randal Stewart. https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/first-light-rsvp daily 0.75 2026-03-08 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/videos daily 0.75 2025-03-08 https://www.morgancountyobservatory.org/videos/v/we-are-stars monthly 0.5 2025-03-09