The center of our galaxy rises from the ocean late at night off the east coast of Sweden. The center of the Milky Way is the dense core of the galaxy, located about 25,000–28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. At its absolute center is the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (not visible in these photos, still under the sealine), which weighs about 4 million solar masses. The area is hidden behind thick space dust and is characterized by an extreme density of stars.
Today's sun with quite a lot of activity. On the western edge of the sun, prominences are seen, also activity from sunspot 4422 which is just over the edge on the eastern side. On the surface, sunspots 4420. 4421 and 4424 etc. are seen with flares which are seen as white areas, also filaments, seen as dark streaks.
Sunspots are temporary, dark and cooler areas on the sun's surface (the photosphere) caused by strong magnetic fields. They arise because the magnetic fields inhibit the flow of energy from within the sun, making these areas cooler than their surroundings. The spots are linked to the sun's activity and are the starting point for solar storms.
And otherwise, structures in the chromosphere are seen via my Ha solar filter.
Without special equipment, the chromosphere cannot normally be seen due to the overwhelming brightness from the photosphere, but it is clearly seen through bandpass filters set to the H-alpha spectral line.
1.9 billion-year-old bedrock, limestone, and marble. Limestone bedrock refers to bedrock that is dominated by limestone, a sedimentary rock that primarily consists of the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate). This type of bedrock creates unique conditions for both plant life and landscape forms. Limestone is a relatively soft and water-soluble rock. When acidic rainwater penetrates the soil, it dissolves the limestone, creating various types of cavities.
The image at the bottom shows something called Boudinage. It is a geological structure that occurs when a relatively stiff (competent) rock is stretched and broken into smaller pieces within a more easily deformable surrounding. The result often resembles sausages lying in a row, which gave rise to the name (from the French boudin, meaning blood sausage).
In the sky, the colors of dusk can be seen, but the northern lights also emerge along with the Milky Way.
A beautiful view on the east coast with fluorescent water in blue and algae in red. In the sky, the Milky Way is seen in the Cygnus area with the large nebula NGC 7000. Low on the northern horizon, a faint aurora is also visible with nice colors and some pillars.
Fluorescent limestone in red, calcite, in a folding pattern by the sea. Folding patterns in rocks are primarily created through plate tectonics, where the Earth's crust plates collide and compress the bedrock over millions of years. This process, called folding, occurs when rocks are subjected to enormous pressure and temperature conditions, causing them to bend and fold instead of cracking.
In the sky, the planet Jupiter is seen next to the bright stars Castor and Pollux.
2.5 hours captured on image. The Earth's extended axis ends up one degree from the North Star in the sky so with a longer exposure directed towards the North Star it looks as if the stars are spinning around it. The Vikings knew about this star and could navigate by it. During the exposure, some auroras were also formed low in the north.
Standing in dark conditions and making sure to get night vision with the Milky Way over the sea is a beautiful sight. Seeing the dust clouds of our galaxy the Milky Way visually is a fantastic experience. This picture was taken last Saturday night with myself standing on a cliff looking over the Baltic Sea.
Light pollution threatens the night sky and wildlife and all the satellites are also destroying the night sky. what will we see in the future when we look up at the starry sky? Will this view be gone? This week is International Dark Sky Week https://darksky.org/ check out the website and help to protect the night sky.
The constellation Cygnus (The Swan) is extremely rich in nebulosity and gas clouds because it lies directly in the plane of the Milky Way. It is one of the most active regions of star formation and contains several known emission nebulae and supernova remnants.
Here are some of the most prominent nebulae in Cygnus:
The North America Nebula (NGC 7000): A large emission nebula resembling the North American continent, complete with a "Gulf of Mexico". It is located near the star Deneb.
The Pelican Nebula (IC 5070): Located right next to the North America Nebula and separated only by a dark dust cloud.
The Veil Nebula (Cygnus Loop / Veil Nebula): A gigantic supernova remnant formed by a massive star that exploded 10,000–20,000 years ago. It consists of several filaments (veils) that stretch across the sky.
Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888): An emission nebula created by stellar winds from a Wolf-Rayet star, located about 5,000 light-years away.
Butterfly Nebula (IC 1318): Located in the region around the star Sadr, in the center of the constellation.
Cygnus also contains the Cygnus Molecular Nebula Complex (Swan Complex), a huge cloud of gas and dust where new stars are being born. Because of all this nebulosity and dust, the region is a popular target for astrophotography.
A solar prominence is a massive, bright feature extending outward from the Sun's surface into its outer atmosphere (the corona).
Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) is currently (April 2026) a bright object in the sky approaching its absolute maximum. It is currently visible to the naked eye under dark conditions and will reach its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) on April 19, 2026.
The comet has reached a brightness (magnitude 3 to 4) that makes it visible without a telescope in places with little light pollution.
It is best seen in the morning sky just before dawn. It is currently located in the constellation Pegasus.
This is an extremely rare guest from the Oort cloud, having not visited the inner solar system in about 170,000 years.
Because it is a "hyperbolic" comet, scientists are unsure whether it will survive the intense heat of perihelion on April 19 or whether it will break apart.
