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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

A visit to the history of physics and astronomy: Leiden’s Ehrenfest House and the old Observatory. Einstein visited here and interacted with Paul Ehrenfest and Willem de Sitter, discussing ideas about relativity and cosmology. #astronomy #physics

Here lived and worked professor Ehrenfest.

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Reposted by Bernhard Schaefer

Astrobites @astrobites.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

From @qwasistellar.bsky.social: Telescopes. Science Funding Cuts. The Commercialization of the night sky and what we can do to change it. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/08/13/the-dying-of-the-light/

astrobites.org

The Dying of the Light

Telescopes. Science Funding Cuts. The Commercialization of the night sky and what we can do to change it.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Today's partial #solar #eclipse was a wonderful event! Image taken in Essen, Germany at 8:06 pm. Skymax 102, Panasonic S5, ISO 640, 1/1000 sec, 5 images stacked. AutoStakkert, Registax, GIMP. 🔭 #astrophoto

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The #MilkyWay in constellation #Cygnus as seen last night from the Black Forest. Most prominent is the North America nebula, but for example also the faint Veil Nebula can be seen. Panasonic S5 mod on SA GTi, 200 x 30 sec, ISO 640, rather simple lens with f = 60 mm, F5.6, no filters. 🔭 #astrophoto

Wide field image of the starry night sky in constellation cygnus. Besides myriads of stars, red emission nebulae are visible within the milky way's plane.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Today's #sun seen through a 15 cm refractor (f = 130 cm) with Baader sun foil on front lens. Image taken with a mobile phone 🫣 positioned over an 18 mm eyepiece. 🔭 #astrophoto

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Seen at the 'Deutsche Museum' in Bonn, Germany.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Messengers from #space: Invisible particles become visible in this bubble chamber which turns cosmic radiation into tracks you can watch in real time. Thin zigzags are electrons, long straight paths are muons, and thick short trails come from alpha particles losing their energy rapidly. 🔭 #physics

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

In Cancer lies an old, distant galaxy group - NGC 2563 being the brightest cluster galaxy. The 30-60 cluster members seem mostly lenticular plus some spirals. Distance 200m ly. Galaxy #27 (UGC 4332) is obviously distorted. Some faint galaxies behind cluster seem to be ~1,4bn ly away! 🔭 #astrophoto

A variety of small galaxies visible behind numerous foreground stars. Imaged with Panasonic S5, Skymax 102/1300, 176x30 sec, ISO 640. Processed in SIRIL using the Galaxy Annotations script.

Table of all galaxies that can be identified in the original image with the help of the Galaxy Annotations Script in SIRIL. The most distant galaxies in the image (way behind the cluster around NGC 2563) are/were located at a distance of approximately 1.4 billion light-years.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Though it is leaving the current solar cycle's maximum behind, the sun today exhibited quite a number of active regions again. Skymax102, Panasonic S5 (total view), ASI220 (partial views) 🔭 #astrophoto

Total view of the sun. The orange disk shows a number of dark spots and regions

Partial view of the sun, focusing on a large bipolar group of sun spots

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

As part of yesterday's "Astronomy Day" in Germany, we did some necessary 😉 spring cleaning at the Walter-Hohmann Observatory. In the evening there were lectures, inter alia about ARTEMIS II, and observations especially of the moon and Jupiter. Thanks to everbody who actively contributed! #astronomy

Part of our outdoor area after sping cleaning

Thomas Payer giving a lecture about Artemis II and how it compares to the Apollo Program.

Public observing the the observatory's C14

The moon as it was seen last night. Top left is the "Golden Handle" well visible.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula - a wide field image of the beautiful emission region in constellation Orion. Panasonic S5 mod, TS 70/474, dualband Ha/OIII, 93 x 1 min, ISO 640. Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP. 🔭 #astrophoto

Red emission structures, the light locally being blocked by dark dust structures which in one location resemble a horse's head.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

The California Nebula is only 1000 ly away and the closest HII region to us. Because it's so near, the nebula appears quite large in the sky. It is likely illuminated by the nearby star ξ Persei Panasonic S5 mod, TS 70/474, dualband, 93 x 60 s, ISO 640, SIRIL, Starnet, GraXpert, GIMP 🔭 #astrophoto

Red, elongated emission nebula against dark-grey background sky. The nebula's form reminds of the US state California - hence its name.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Always great to see and learn something new, thanks!

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Wizard and Lion Nebula. North of the image's center is Delta Cephei, the prototype of the Cepheid variables. Its actually a quadruple star - here, two stars of the system can be seen. Panasonic S5 mod, RedCat 51/250, dualband filter, ISO 640, 30x1 min. SIRIL, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP. 🔭 #astrophoto

A red gas nebula to the top left, which is called the Wizard Nebula. The red-green structure at the bottom right is the Lion Nebula. Dark dust structures visible, too. Several bright stars. The one in the middle of the image is a variable star called Delta Cephei.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Northern Lights in the middle of Germany, a rare spectacle tonight! 🔭 #astrophoto

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

The "Lower's Nebula". A relatively unknown emission nebula in Orion. The star at its center also illuminates a small, triangular reflection nebula. Panasonic S5 mod, 30 cm Newtonian, dualband filter, ISO 640, 150 x 30 sec. SIRIL, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP. 🔭 #astrophoto

Reddish gas clouds surrounding a central bright star. Close to this star a smal, traingular-shaped refelction nebula is visible.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

Thanks for info, that podcast was new to me! 👍

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Rework: The Eagle Nebula (Messier 16) with the famous Pillars of Creation. Panasonic S5 mod, Skymax 102, GTi, ISO 1000, 10 sec/sub, 75 min total. Siril, Starnet, GraXpert, GIMP The Skymax is not optimal for deep sky imaging (and we had a full moon, by the way), but GraXpert helps. 🙂 🔭 #astrophoto

Reddish nebula in the shape of an eagle coming down on its prey. A star cluster located in its center.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Did some re-colouring to approximate the Hubble palette... #astrophoto

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Unfortunately, neither time nor sky 😏 Great image!!

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Often overlooked is the Clamshell Nebula (SH2-119), a faint emission nebula located east (left) to the famous North America Nebula (NGC 7000). Panasonic S5, Redcat 51/250, dualband filter, ISO 640, 195 x 1 min. SIRIL, GraXpert, Startnet, GIMP 🔭#astrophoto

The bright North America Nebula fills the right side of the image, together with its smaller companion, the Pelican Nebula. The Clamshell Nebula is found in the left part of the image.

Close-up of the Clamshell Nebula, showing inter alia dark dust globules in front of red emission gas structures.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

The Pleiades. Longer exposures bring out the faint dust structures through which this young star cluster is currently moving. Close to the bright stars, the gas and dust clouds strongly reflect the blue star light. S5, Redcat 51/250, ISO 640, 2 h. SIRIL, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP 🔭 #astrophoto

A cluster of bright, blue stars in the center of the image illuminate surrounding gas and dust structures which in effect shine blue in the stars' vicinity. Further out, the dust is visible as grey-brown clouds against the background sky.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Horsehead Nebula and Orion Nebula - this overview of a region in constellation Orion shows how "close" these famous deep sky objects are when looking at our night sky. (Image taken with Redcat 51/250) 🔭 #astrophoto

Red emission region to the top left image with dark dust structures in front of it looking like a horsehead. Bright Orion Nebula to lower right.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

In addition, here is an oversight of the region around IC 1396. A very fine target (especially for longer focal lengths) is the Lion Nebula (Sh2-132) to the east of IC 1396 (left side of image). 🔭 #astrophoto

Red emission nebula structures and dark dust lanes are crossing the image. To the left, a red-blue nebula is visible.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

My favorite 2025 image: IC 1396 in Cepheus with the famous Elephant's Trunk Nebula to the right of its center, a stellar nursery, its very young stars being visible only in infrared. Panasonic S5, Redcat 51/250, dualband filter, 60 min, ISO 640. SIRIL, Graxpert, Starnet, GIMP. 🔭 #astrophoto

Almost round reddish nebula with numerous dark dust cloud structures inside. To the right of the nebula's center, a particular long dust cloud is visible that is being eroded away by the central hot star.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

I've never seen the turkey, now I will always do...! 😬

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Redcat 51/250, Panasonic S5, dualband Ha/OIII, 140x30 sec, ISO 640. SIRIL, Graxpert, Starnet, GIMP

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

The beautiful Milky Way around Sadr, the supergiant in the center of Cygnus. Adjacent to Sadr is the Butterfly Nebula (IC 1318), an emission nebula with intense dark dust lanes in front of it. At the bottom, the small Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), which surrounds a Wolf-Rayet star. 🔭 #astrophoto

A vast reddish nebula structure, littered with myriads of stars. At the bottom, a small crescent-shaped nebula.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

In constellation Cygnus, the North America Nebula (left) and the Pelican Nebula (right) belong to the most prominent emission nebulae. Panasonic S5, TS 70/474, Star Adventurer GTi, ISO 640, no filters, 2 h, 30 sec subs. Siril, Graxpert, Starnet, Gimp. 🔭 #astrophoto

Two red nebulae, the left one being shaped like the North American continent, the right one resembling a pelican.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

A very large group of sunspots is currently rotating into view. Mobile phone photo through Skymax102. 🔭 #astrophoto

Part of the sun's disk. A string of large sunspots stretches from left to right.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

8000 years ago, a supernova exploded and left a so-called supernova remnant - the large Veil Nebula in constellation Cygnus. app.astrobin.com/u/bernhard.s... Panasonic S5, Redcat 51/250, dualband filter, 65x1min, ISO 800. 🔭 #astrophoto

Red and green nebula fragments, giving together a shell-like appearance.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

My favourite region on the #moon, Mare Imbrum, with adjacent craters Sinus Iridum, Plato and Copernicus. In this moon phase, special tectonic features, so-called wrinkles are visible on the floor of Mare Imbrum, inter alia Dorsum Heim and Dorsum Zirkel Skymax102, ASI 220 Mini Mono 🔭 #astrophoto

Sinus Iridum with wrinkles visible close to the terminator, i.e. at the boundary between day and night on moon

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

When imaging the constellation #Orion long enough, the faint "Barnard's Loop" becomes visible, an emission region measuring some 300 light years across. Panasonic S5, 22mm focal length, 1 hour stack (800 x 5 sec, as I had no tracking available), ISO 800, Crete. 🔭 #astrophoto

In addition to the bright stars and known emission nebulae of constellation Orion, a large red circular loop is visible, spanning the whole constellation.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Another example of a gas cloud that is both ionized and at the same time dissolved by intense stellar winds. Here, it is the star Gamma Cassiopeia that shapes the nebula IC 63, also known as the 'Ghost of Cassiopeia'. Newton 300/1350, Panasonic S5 mod, 30 min Ha/OIII, ISO 800. 🔭 #astrophoto

A bright star at the top left and a reddish gas cloud below, the latter obviously being eroded away by the stars stellar wind.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

The result of yesterday's cloudless night: The emission nebula NGC 6820 with star cluster NGC 6823. The hot, young stars of the cluster erode the surrounding gas and dust. Newtonian 300/1350, Panasonic S5 mod, 65x30s RGB + 130x30s Ha/OIII, ISO 800.

In the center of the image is a cluster of bright stars surrounded by reddish gas clouds and dark dust clouds, both being shaped by the intense winds that are emitted by the stars.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

A second dome houses the world's largest heliometer which was used for determining the distances of the stars, also well worth a visit.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

The box contains the pendulum-driven tracking mechanism for the mount.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Karl Schwarzschild performed the first photographic astrometry on the smaller refractor mounted parallel.

$Photographic plate holder at the end of the smaller refractor$

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

If you ever come to Vienna, I recommend a visit to the Kuffner #Observatory on the outskirts of the city. We had a special tour there last night from a dedicated club member. Central is the large refractor (270/3500) from 1887, the third largest in Austria. 🔭

$The large refractor in the observatory's dome$

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

My take of tonight's #lunar eclipse. The totality was hidden by clouds, unfortunately. 🤷‍♂️

The moon, 70% of it still hidden in the earth's shadow

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Our #sun, which currently displays numerous spots and a particular large, complex group of sun spots. It's great that the peak of solar activity seems to persist for a while longer! Panasonic S5 mod, Skymax102/1300, 5% of 260 frames, 1/400 sec each, ISO 100 🔭 #astrophoto

The sun, yellow coloured, with many small dark spots, some of them grouped together

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Trifid Nebula (M20), imaged 2 nights ago before it hid behind the rooftops. The red part is an emission nebula, ie hydrogen ionized by the central star cluster - while the blue part is a reflection nebula Panasonic S5 mod, Skymax102/1300, 30 min, ISO 800, Siril/Starnet/Graxpert/Gimp 🔭 #astrophoto

A red nebula with distinct dust lanes across and a star system in the center. Above a blueish nebula with a single central star.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

I added some H alpha to my recent image of the nebulae Sh2-54, Eagle, Omega, and Messier 24. The HII emission regions stand out a lot clearer. Also, the colors are a bit more realistic now. 🔭 #astrophoto

Overview of the milky way in the region around the aforementioned objects.

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Bernhard Schaefer @bernhardschaefer.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

The Milky Way between the open star clusters M11 (left) and M26 (bottom). Here, no dark clouds obstruct our view into deeper regions of our galaxy. Panasonic S5 mod, Redcat51/250, 80x30sec, ISO 800, dualband filter 🔭 #astrophoto

Section of the Milky Way in the constellation Scutum. The myriad of stars in the background is partially obscured by dark clouds. Various open star clusters are scattered throughout the image, and individual red emission nebulae are visible.

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