Flaming Star Nebula and Orion Nebula | 01.20.2025

Flaming Star Nebula and Orion Nebula | 01.20.2025

Tonight’s clear sky and cold air provide the perfect conditions for deep-space photography. Winter’s crisp atmosphere, with lower humidity and less atmospheric turbulence, enhances visibility, allowing for sharper and more detailed images of the stars and distant galaxies.

Flaming Star Nebula

Orion Nebula 

The magenta image is IC 405, better known as the Flaming Star Nebula. It’s about 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Auriga and gets its fiery appearance from the radiation of a nearby “runaway star” called AE Aurigae. This star was flung out of the Orion region millions of years ago and now lights up the surrounding hydrogen gas, creating that striking magenta glow.

The second image, glowing gold and green, is the Orion Nebula—one of the most famous sights in the night sky. Sitting about 1,350 light-years away, it’s a bustling nursery where stars are born, surrounded by swirling clouds of gas and dust. The colors come from ionized gases lit up by young, massive stars, creating a vibrant, otherworldly masterpiece.

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Bennington Battle Monument Sunrise | 01.18.2025

Bennington Battle Monument Sunrise | 01.18.2025
Bennington, Vermont

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Dawn Over Troy, New York | 01.16.2025

Dawn Over Troy, New York | 01.16.2025

Dawn breaks behind the 17-foot bronze statue of the Goddess Columbia crowned A Call to Arms above the Soldier and Sailors Monument in Troy, New York.

Why Columbia?
Columbia is a personification of the United States in American mythology, symbolizing liberty, justice, and progress. Often depicted as a noble female figure in flowing robes with a torch or shield, Columbia served as an allegory for the nation’s ideals during the 18th and 19th centuries. She was a counterpart to Uncle Sam, representing maternal spirit, influencing symbols like the Statue of Liberty.

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M33 Triangulum Galaxy | 01.15.2025

M33 Triangulum Galaxy | 01.15.2025

Note: The Triangulum Galaxy (M33 or Messier 33) is a stunning spiral galaxy located about 3 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum. It is one of the most distant objects visible to the naked eye under ideal dark-sky conditions. Measuring approximately 60,000 light-years in diameter, M33 is smaller than the Milky Way but still a significant galaxy with a mass estimated at 10–40 billion solar masses. With an apparent magnitude of 5.7, the galaxy is faint but can be seen without a telescope in excellent viewing conditions.

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Andromeda | 01.24.2025

Andromeda | 01.24.2025
Note: If Andromeda was brighter in the night sky, it would appear six times larger than our moon.

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M42 Orion Nebula | 01.13.2025

M42 Orion Nebula | 01.13.2025

Believe it or not, we’ve had cloudy skies for almost a month at night. Tonight, the sky finally cleared, so I took the opportunity for some deep space photography. This is what the Orion Nebula (M42) looks like tonight, captured from my backyard at about 6:30.

The Orion Nebula, also known as M42, is a massive cloud of gas and dust in the constellation Orion, where thousands of stars are born. It’s the closest large star-forming region to Earth, located 1,300–1,500 light-years away. Visible to the naked eye, it appears as the middle “star” in Orion’s Belt and as part of the sword hanging below the three belt stars. Best observed in January, it’s a stunning feature of the winter sky, easily spotted under moderately dark skies.

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Starbuck Island from the Troy Waterfront | 01.11.2025

Starbuck Island from the Troy Waterfront | 01.11.2025

Much like watching clouds, observing ice formations can be mesmerizing. Yesterday, these delicate, ethereal shapes floated along the Hudson’s dark waters, each one unique and fleeting. One after another, they drifted past, only to vanish into the ice jam beneath the Congress Street Bridge.

Starbuck Island, located between Green Island and Troy, New York, derives its name from the Starbuck Brothers Foundry established on Center Island in 1821. The foundry was among the early iron manufacturing enterprises in the region, contributing to the area's industrial development during the 19th century. The island's association with the Starbuck family and their foundry led to its naming as Starbuck Island.

Additionally, the name "Starbuck" appears in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick as the first mate of the Pequod. Melville, who spent part of his early life in the Albany area, may have drawn inspiration from local names during his writing.

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Nipper Sunrise | 01.04.2025

Nipper Sunrise | 01.04.2025
Albany, New York 

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Sunset Over the Palace Theater | 01.03.2025

Sunset Over the Palace Theater | 01.03.2025
Albany, New York 

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The First Nipper Sunrise of the Year | 01.02.2025

 

The First Nipper Sunrise of the Year | 01.02.2025
Albany, New York 

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Sun Detail | 12.31.2024

Sun Detail | 12.31.2024

The sunspots you see are dark, cooler regions on the Sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity. They vary significantly in size, typically ranging from about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) to 50,000 kilometers (31,068 miles) in diameter. To put this into perspective, many sunspots are as large as Earth, which has a diameter of approximately 12,742 kilometers (7,918 miles). Some sunspots can grow even larger; for instance, the largest sunspot ever recorded, AR 14886, was nearly the diameter of Jupiter—about 88,846 miles (142,984 kilometers).
Sunspots expand and contract as they move across the Sun’s surface and can last from several days to a few months. Their size and frequency fluctuate in an approximately 11-year cycle known as the solar cycle, with more and larger sunspots appearing during periods of increased solar activity.

It’s important to note that while sunspots appear dark compared to the surrounding solar surface, they are still extremely bright. If isolated from the Sun, a sunspot would shine brighter than the full Moon. © 2025 John Bulmer Photography, John Bulmer Media, and Nor'easter Films
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Happy New Year!

As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025, I want to thank each of you for your support and engagement with my photo and historical projects. Whether this year was challenging or rewarding, we’ve made it through together.

Wishing you all a joyful and inspiring New Year!

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Sunrise in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve | 12.28.2024

Sunrise in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve | 12.28.2024
Albany, New York 

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A Bald Eagle Watches the Sunrise Over the Port of Albany | 12.24.2024

 A Bald Eagle Watches the Sunrise Over the Port of Albany | 12.24.2024
Albany, New York 

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Scratches Across The Night Sky | 12.14.2024

Scratches Across The Night Sky
Peak Geminids, December 14, 2024
Saratoga County, New York

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The Kenmore (North Pearl Rain) | 12.13.2024

The Kenmore (North Pearl Rain) | 12.13.2024
Albany, New York 

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New York State Capitol Holiday Lights | 12.10.2024

New York State Capitol Holiday Lights | 12.10.2024
Albany, New York  

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Fresh Snow on Geyser Creek | 12.08.2024

Fresh Snow on Geyser Creek | 12.08.2024
Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, New York

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Squalls Over the Southern Adirondacks | 12.03.2024

Squalls Over the Southern Adirondacks | 12.03.2024
Lake George, New York 

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Palace Theater in the Rain | 11.26.2024

Palace Theater in the Rain | 11.26.2024
Albany, New York

Note: Long exposure of the Palace Theater’s marquee illuminating the corner of Clinton and North Pearl Streets on an overcast morning. Rain softens the scene, casting halos around the glowing lights.

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State Street Rain | 11.26.2024

 

State Street Rain | 11.26.2024
Albany, New York 

Note: Rain isn’t the absence of color; it’s the paintbrush that draws with existing light.

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Wildfire Sunset | 11.10..2024

Wildfire Sunset | 11.10.2024
Note: A wildfire-tinted sun sets behind the American flag at the state capitol on the smokiest day I have ever photographed.

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Wildfire Skies | 11.10.2024

Wildfire Skies | 11.10.2024 

Various Locations, Captial District

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Maiden Lane | 11.03.2024

Maiden Lane | 11.03.2024
Albany, New York 

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The Woodland Giant | 10.25.2024

The Woodland Giant | 10.25.2024
Grafton Lakes State Park

This is one of my favorite trees on the Rensselaer Plateau. I’ve nicknamed it the Woodland Giant. A towering, double-trunked red maple, it evokes the feeling of standing at the feet of a giant, especially at night under the Plateau's Bortle Class 4 sky. In places like Grafton Lakes State Park, this “Rural/Suburban Transition” sky has moderate darkness with some light pollution along the horizon. The Milky Way remains visible, though softened, and fainter stars and deep-sky objects still shine through, making it a subtly illuminated setting for stargazing.

But the night sky we see now is not the sky of our parents' youth, or even our own. Each year, stars disappear, claimed by unshielded lights and expanding cities. As more residential developments rise in the surrounding counties, the sky could soon be reclassified as Bortle Class 5—a “Suburban Sky” where light pollution dims the Milky Way and mutes fainter stars and deep-sky objects, gradually altering our connection to the night, making it harder for us to witness auroras, comets, the galactic core, and meteor showers.

Standing before the Woodland Giant, I’m reminded of the walking trees of mythology, like the Ents of Middle Earth—ancient guardians of the forest, protectors of the night sky and the wild lands. These mythical trees, wise and rooted yet capable of movement, evoke our deep, age-old ties to the natural world, urging us to protect the skies and forests they once watched over.

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Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Final Image | 10.19.2024

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Final Image | 10.19.2024

Stacked multiple images of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, captured through both a traditional camera and a telescope. By layering these images, I enhanced the detail and dynamic range, revealing the comet’s faint tail and bright core with clarity that a single exposure could not achieve. This technique brings out the intricate structure and beauty of the comet as it fades from view in the western sky.

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Milky Way Over Dickinson Fire Tower | 10.18.2024

Milky Way Over Dickinson Fire Tower | 10.18.2024

The galactic core of the Milky Way rises over the Dickinson Hill Fire Tower in Grafton, New York. I added a red light illuminating the lookout cab for added contrast.

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Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) | 10.17.2024

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
Detail Composite

I wanted to see if I could reveal more of the comet’s structure, so I stacked five images using a blending mode that highlights only the lighter tones. While this introduced some noise, it also revealed more of the comet’s structure and tail.

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Tomhannock Golden Hour | 10.17.2024

Tomhannock Golden Hour | 10.17.2024
Tomhannock Reservoir, Pittstown, New York 

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Ancient Ice in the October Sky | 10.14.2024

Ancient Ice in the October Sky | 10.14.2024

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) last night as it neared its closest approach to Earth. This rare sky visitor, visible throughout October, won’t return for another 80,000 years.

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