Ring Nebula

Processed using "LOG". The first image is a normal combination of the color enhanced images with the red, blue, and green filters.

Lagoon Nebula

Processed using "LINEAR". The first image is a normal combination of the color enhanced images with the red, blue, and green filters.

Eagle Nebula

Processed using "LINEAR". The first image is a normal combination of the color enhanced images with the red, blue, and green filters.

Dumbbell Nebula

Processed using "LOG". The first image is a normal combination of the color enhanced images with the red, blue, and green filters.

Andromeda Galaxy

Processed using "LOG". The first image is a normal combination of the color enhanced images with the red, blue, and green filters.

APOD 4.8

Below is a live feed of what an observer on the International Space Station might see. Two weeks ago, the SpaceX Dragon capsule, an unmanned reusable spacecraft owned by a private American space transportation company, delivered, among other supplies, a High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) system capable of transmitting live views of Earth as the International Space Station orbits the planet. The live feed switches between four cameras all pointed in different directions. The transition into darkness signifies the transition from day into night. This night only lasts 45 minutes because of the International Space Station's short ninety minute orbit.

Astronomer Biography - George O. Abell

     George O. Abell was born in Los Angeles in 1927 to Unitarian minister Theodore C. Abell and Annamarie Ogden. He was first inspired to pursue the field of astronomy at the age of eight when his father took him to the Griffith Planetarium. Lectures by Clarence Cleminshaw and books from his grandfather's vast library all helped captivate his interest in the field of science and mathematics. Abell kept himself busy maintaining multiple part-time jobs while he was still in high school. Once he graduated from high school in 1945 he volunteered in the Army Air Corps. At the end of the war, he became a weather observer and got sent to Japan. After a total of eighteen months of service he was discharged as a sergeant. After returning to California he took and passed all of the Cal Tech entrance exams and was enrolled the following fall. Paying for his education with the GI Bill, he pursued his passions for astronomy his sophomore year when the astronomy department opened its doors.
      Abell began his official astronomical career as a tour guide at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and later proceeded as an observer on the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. Abell is best known for his work in the cataloging of clusters of galaxies during the Palomar Sky Survey. He identified and described many clusters of galaxies and his collection is the foundation and reference point in this field. He created the basis around which observational cosmology revolves. In it he analyzed galaxy cluster formation and evolution, demonstrated that second-order clustering existed, and collated a fmaous list of 86 planetary nebulae in 1966. Some of his studies from observations included the luminosity function: the relationship between luminosity and the number of cluster members in each brightness interval. While working on the Palomar survey plates, Abell discovered several dim and aged gaseous nublae called planetaries. With the collaboration of Peter Goldreich at UCLA, Abell concluded that planetary nebulae must have evolved from red giant stars which had previously evolved from ordinary solar type stars. His conclusion matches the current accepted view. The "Abell Clusters" of galaxies he discovered are the largest known structures in the universe.
     Abell was chairman of the American Astronomical Society Education Committee and he was a visiting lecturer at many small colleges that lacked astronomy departments. Collaborating with Julian Schwinger, Abell played a crucial part in writing and producing a 16-part TV series titled Understanding Space and Time. This program shaped him into a true popularizer of science and education. He used this program to reach out to others who were not able to pursue astronomy at their schools or colleges. He also addressed and exposed pseudo-science and astrology as frauds. Because of his work with this program, he was also featured in Skeptical Inquirer.
     Abell passed away October 7, 1983 just as he was about to be appointed the editor of the Astronomical Journal. Asteroid 3449 Abell and The George Abell Observatory in Milton Keynes, England are named in his honor.

Astronomer Biography Sources

Epps, H. "George O. Abell, Astronomy: Los Angeles." University of California: In Memoriam, 1985.     California Digital Library, n.d. Web. <http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb4d5nb20m&doc.view=content&chunk.id=div00002&toc.depth=1&brand=calisphere&anchor.i=0>.

"George O. Abell - Astronomer, Educator, Sceptic." Space Theology (Astrotheology). N.p., 8 Oct. 2012. Web. <http://spacetheology.blogspot.com/2012/10/george-o-abell-astronomer-educator.html>.

APOD 4.7

The image below features a summer zodiacal constellation: Scorpius. This image was taken with a specialized camera using optical filters and later processed with a digital image processor. The high detail in the photograph was achieved with a series of long exposures taken in several colors but only one exposure in a specific hue of red that signifies hydrogen. Part of the plane of the Milky Way is visible across the left side of the image. The dark dust bands in the center of the image are known as Dark River. The Dark River connects the Pipe Nebula to the colorful region near Antares. The Dark River is located about 500 light years away and spans nearly 10 degrees across the sky in the constellation of Scorpius. 

APOD 4.6

Astrophotographer John Chumack captured an amazing and unusual photograph of an aurora. This photograph was taken near Fairbanks, Alaska during his annual aurora tour. The aurora's shape stands out the most as it looks like a leaping dog complete with ears, a head, and even a curly tail. Using a wide-angle lens coupled with 15 seconds of exposure he captured not only this unique aurora, but also various highlights of the night sky. Jupiter can be seen through the dog's front legs and Mars can be seen between the dog's hind legs.Other notable features include the Big Dipper, Betelgeuse, Arcturus, and Capella.