Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Aquarius (Aqr)  ·  Contains:  Helix Nebula  ·  NGC 7293
NGC 7293 (C63) Helix Nebula, PrairieSkiesAstro
NGC 7293 (C63) Helix Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 7293 (C63) Helix Nebula

NGC 7293 (C63) Helix Nebula, PrairieSkiesAstro
NGC 7293 (C63) Helix Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 7293 (C63) Helix Nebula

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

For those of you who have kids, do you remember your first camping trip with them? About a week and a half ago my dad and I had the pleasure of taking my son on our very first camping trip together out at the Farrell Ranch in central Texas. This gorgeous 2,500 acre ranch has a plethora of fun things to do including hiking, fishing, shooting, and of course astrophotography. It’s a Bortle 3 with a perfect panoramic view of the night sky from the cabin which they have halfway up a nice hill overlooking the valley below. I’m happy to report that my son had a great time on his first ever camping trip! He especially enjoyed looking for deer, armadillos (he almost tripped over his first one), and elusive bobcats as we drove to and fro over the course of the weekend. His favorite activity though: throwing rocks haha. That’s right; we had all of the big bass we could catch, an almost unlimited supply of clay targets to launch, and the most space to run and play he’s probably ever seen and all he wanted to do was throw rocks lol!

We were all happy to oblige though, and thankfully he went to sleep fairly early each night, allowing me, my dad, and our hosts to enjoy the pitch black evening and capture the very colorful and eye-catching Helix Nebula. I couldn’t believe the difference between the practice subs I had taken at my home in Houston, TX (Bortle 8) and what I was seeing there… The nebula practically jumped off the computer screen as each sub came in! I can honestly say that this was one of the best and most enjoyable trips I’ve been on. The company, the activities, and the surrounding beauty and wildlife made this a memorable event for everyone involved and I know my son won’t forget such a fun time for years to come. Thanks Farrell Ranch!

Comments