With the exception of two nearby galaxies Andromeda and Triangulum, most galaxies require very high magnification telescopes to capture due to their relative small size and greater distances.

Nebula are rather large objects commonly found inside our own galaxy. although most are too dim to see with the naked eye, they are bright enough that with longer exposures, a camera can capture these large objects many of which are larger than the size of the moon in the sky.

Planetary Nebulae aren’t really planets or even related to planets. They were named because early astronomers thought they might be planets due to their round shape and small size. Later, with better equipment, scientists learned these are actually glowing clouds of gas expelled from dying stars about one to eight times the mass of our sun. The result of this explosion creates a mostly round shape much like a distant planet, thus the mistaken name given by early astronomers.

Comets are much rarer in their appearance above our Bisbee skies. However, recently we had a couple comets appear in the skies above Bisbee. Some comets are large enough to be captured with a camera and tripod, others require more powerful telescopes with camera attachments.

With a basic telescope, amateur astronomers can easily observe several planets: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are all visible. You can also see Uranus and Neptune, though they may appear as small, dim discs or stars. Mercury is also visible but can be challenging due to its proximity to the sun.

First, please never look directly at our sun unless wearing specialized solar glasses during a solar eclipse. Cameras also require specialized solar filters to capture images of the sun.

One of the largest and brightest objects in the night sky is our own moon. The moon can be photographed with almost any camera and is a great object for beginning astrophotographers.

Bisbee is a great location for photographers with standard cameras, using tripods, to capture the Bisbee skyline while also capturing the millions of stars above the city, including the stunning Milky Way Galaxy.