M106 is a massive but 24 million light year distant intermediate Spiral Galaxy Galaxy in Canes Venatici. Shown here in widefield with NGC 4217 to the bottom left and NGC 4220 to the right of the image, both about 61 million light years distant. M106 contains an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and is notable as a Seyfert Galaxy. AGN are the most luminous sources of electromagnetic radiation in the Universe and are caused by the accretion of material in the central region around a super massive black hole. 

My Galaxy Szn Collection is an upgradeable deep space astrophotography collection. Objects will be upgraded over the years as new higher resolution equipment is obtained.

A physical fine art print will be made for the first collector should they wish it.

Photographer: Ronan Hunt 
Iteration 1 Full Resolution: 2219x2219 pix, 1/1 Edition Jpeg 
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

M106

The Crescent Nebula, also known as NGC 6888, is a stunning emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus, approximately 5,000 light-years away from Earth. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, which is the result of powerful stellar winds from a massive Wolf-Rayet star interacting with the surrounding interstellar medium. This energetic interaction has sculpted the nebula, creating intricate structures and delicate filaments of glowing gas. NGC 6888 spans about 25 light-years in diameter and is a prominent feature in the night sky. The structure is quite interesting with waves of Hydrogen encapsulated by a blue shell of Oxygen. The crescent itself is bathed in vast swathes of complex nebulosity.

If you look carefully, you can spot the Soap Bubble Nebula, also known as PN G75.5+1.7, is a planetary nebula located near the Crescent Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. It is formed by a dying star shedding its outer layers, creating a spherical shell of glowing gas. The nebula's delicate, translucent appearance resembles a soap bubble. It spans approximately 6 light years.

A physical fine art print will be made for the first collector should they wish it. 

Photographer: Ronan Hunt 
Full Resolution: 5263x6579 pix, 1/1 Edition Jpeg 
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

The Crescent

In the cosmic void,  
Seahorse's haunting beauty,  
Shrouded in darkness.

Located 1200 light years away in Cepheus, the Seahorse Nebula is a cloud of dark dust in the shape of a seahorse. Below the Flying Bat nebula appears to fade out of the cosmic void. Above the seahorse you will see the distant Fireworks galaxy shrouded in faint dust.

Photographer: Ronan Hunt  
Full Resolution:  3683x4604 pix, 2 Edition Jpeg  
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

The Seahorse, Flying Bat and Fireworks

This is an image of The Horsehead Nebula in the constellation of Orion and is the first NFT minted by astrophotographer Ronan Hunt. 

The famous horsehead silhouette is formed by dark clouds of dust obscuring the luminous red Hydrogen emission clouds behind. Below the horsehead in the frame sits a bright reflection nebula which reflects blue light from a nearby star. The large star nearby is Alnitak, one of the 3 stars of Orion's belt. The complex of interstellar gas is located about 1,600 light years away.

This image is a testament to what can be achieved following recent advances in camera technology. It was taken using relatively modest backyard equipment and plenty of patience.

The Collector will receive a fine art print of the image. 

The Horsehead Nebula

M101, the captivating Pinwheel Galaxy, is a sprawling face-on spiral galaxy situated 21 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. M101 is distinguished by its grand design spiral structure, characterized by well-defined arms that emanate gracefully from a bright central region.

The Pinwheel Galaxy is known for its high population of H II regions, which are areas of intense star formation. These regions, abundant in ionized hydrogen, contribute to the galaxy's overall luminosity and are responsible for its striking appearance.

This token represents the Genesis token for this deep space object, giving the holder rights to air drops of any future iterations or images of M101. 

A physical fine art print will be made for the first collector should they wish it.

Photographer: Ronan Hunt  
Iteration 1 Full Resolution: 2045x2043 pix, 1/1 Edition Jpeg  
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

M101 - The Great Pinwheel Galaxy

The Wall of Cygnus is a fiery and bright part of NGC 7000 The North America Nebula. 

A hot front of star forming nebulosity which literally hums with the light of Hydrogen, Oxygen and Sulphur which are being energised and warmed by the new starlight within. As the swathes of gas release that energy it glows creating these vast colourful landscapes in the sky above us. 

The image was shot using narrowband filters and a monochrome camera. These filters isolate the emission lines of light associated with the elements noted above allowing for more detailed information to be gathered. In this false colour image, I used the colour mapping made famous by the Hubble Space Telescope which I then tweaked to suit my vision for this image. 

A physical fine art print will be made for the first collector should they wish it.

Photographer: Ronan Hunt 
Full Resolution: 3568x2568 pix, 1/1 Edition Jpeg 
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

The Wall of Fire

NGC 6946, the dazzling Fireworks Galaxy, is an intermediate spiral galaxy situated approximately 22 million light-years away, straddling the border between the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus. This widefield image showcases NGC 6946 in all its glory, accompanied by nearby galactic neighbor NGC 6939, an open cluster to the upper left, both residing within similar distances.

The Fireworks Galaxy earns its name from the remarkable number of supernovae observed within it, totaling ten in the last century. This extraordinary rate of stellar explosions is indicative of the galaxy's intense star-forming activity, leading to the birth and death of massive stars at a rapid pace.

Enveloping NGC 6946 and NGC 6939 is a faint veil of Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN), a vast network of dust and gas illuminated by the combined light of numerous distant galaxies. The presence of IFN adds a subtle, ethereal quality to the scene, accentuating the cosmic interplay between these celestial objects.

My Galaxy Szn Collection is an upgradeable deep space astrophotography collection. Objects will be upgraded over the years as new higher resolution equipment is obtained.

A physical fine art print will be made for the first collector should they wish it.

Photographer: Ronan Hunt  
Iteration 1 Full Resolution: 5280x3608 pix, 1/1 Edition Jpeg  
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

Smoke and Fireworks

Galaxy Szn

The Pacman and Ghost nebulae sit within a rich starfield. The ghost is illuminated by the bright star Navi and Pacman is illuminated by it's own glowing Hydrogen and Oxygen. 

While they may appear here to be similar distances from earth, the Pacman Nebula is over 6500 light years away and the Ghost Nebula is only 550 light years away!

Photographer: Ronan Hunt  
Full Resolution: 5359x3533 pix, 1 Edition Jpeg  
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

Pacman and the Ghost

Humans have dreamed of and studied the stars since the beginning of history. To know the stars and motion of the planets has always been a valued pursuit. Since the dawn of civilisation, we have built to reach for the heavens from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the skyscrapers of Manhattan humans have sought to build towards the heavens. Last century we first visited space and new telescope technology unlocked the ability to see and record the cosmos. 

In the last decade entry level camera equipment has advanced to the point where it allows us to explore the wonders of space in our own backyards. This collection seeks to highlight how an average person can unlock and explore the wonders of space with basic photography equipment. 

The equipment used to take these images is limited to a star adventurer star tracker, a 135mm F2 prime lens and an entry level dslr. The collection will be expanded over time and will include collectors rewards, including raffles and air drops. 


Widefield Dreams

The colours on the surface of the moon in this image are exaggerated to display  the different minerals present on the lunar surface. The blue areas represent areas of increased titanium and the orange areas represent areas with reduced titanium.

The colours are real, you just need to gather lots of data to show them. To bring out the colours, I shot 30 GB of data.  300 frames for each colour channel  red, green and blue. I then selected the sharpest frames for each channel and stacked them together. This is a technique called "lucky imaging" where you use only the best images in your stack which have luckily suffered the least distortion from earths atmosphere. In this case, I discarded 75% of the images I took. I further sharpened and deconvoluted the individual colour channels before combining. Finally the channels  are combined to form the colour image. 

The collector of this image will receive a metal print of the image.

Mineral Moon

Foundation

Nestled within the vast expanse of the cosmos lies a celestial gem, The Dark Rose of space. The Cocoon Nebula, so named for its delicate, ethereal appearance, is a celestial object of breath-taking beauty. Located in the constellation Cygnus, this vast cloud of gas and dust is a site of ongoing star formation, a nursery for new suns. Its wispy tendrils of gas and dust swirl and dance, illuminated by the light of the young stars within.

Scientifically, the Cocoon Nebula is classified as an emission nebula, meaning that it is a cloud of gas that is energized and made to glow by the radiation of nearby stars. It is located approximately 4,000 light-years away from Earth and spans a region of space approximately 20 light-years in diameter. The nebula is thought to be relatively young, with an estimated age of only a few million years. Despite its youth, it is already home to a number of bright, newly formed stars, which can be seen shining brightly within its dusty folds.

Of further interest is the two small background galaxies in the top left of the image? Extremely faint Principle Galaxy Catalogue (PGC) 590 and 593.

This image was created using RGB and Luminance filters. RGB being the traditional colour channels and Luminance being filters that allow the full spectrum of light to pass which allows a monochrome camera to collect maximum detail more quickly. 

A physical fine art print will be made for the first collector should they wish it. 

Photographer: Ronan Hunt 
Full Resolution: 2500x3124 pix, 1/1 Edition Jpeg 
Image Credit: Ronan Hunt

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