M27 The Dumbbell Nebula

Here is the deep space object (DSO) Messier 27, The Dumbbell Nebula. This type of object is a planetary nebula, formed by a dying star shedding its outer layers of gas into space. This will also be the fate of our own star, The Sun when it dies 😫 leaving a cosmic bacon of sorts visible for thousands of light years.

While these objects are relatively bright, you generally can't see them with the naked eye because of light pollution, and even using a telescope to view them they appear as a faint smudge. So that's where some photographic trickery comes in, if you take enough pictures of that smudge for long enough and stack them all on top of each other that faint detail will slowly come through.

It's a long and arduous process, especially using a phone that's not designed to do this but I'm pleased with the results! Potentially more to come 😄