Welcome to our world of photography of the day and night skies from the Birch Mesa Observatory in Payson at the base of the Mogollon Rim, and the Clear Creek Canyon Observatory on top of the Colorado Plateau in Northern Arizona. From Wide Angle Lenses, to state-of-the-art computer controlled large homebuilt astrographs, our goal is to record the endless beauty of the night sky on CCD,CMOS, and DSLR digital detectors to share with you and others. Here you can find the best and hardest earned images that we have captured of the night sky.

Updated: 2/28/26

Asteroid 70850 Schur Latest 2025 Images Down Below this Category breakout table!
 Galaxies
Comets Archive
  Az Aurora
  Dark Nebula
Southern Hemisphere Astroimages
Open Clusters
 Emission
 Reflection
 Planetaries 
 Globulars
Enhanced Hydrogen Galaxies Showcase
Daytime Time Solar Imaging
 Digital Aurora Cam
    10" f/3.9 GSO Astrograph
DSLR Imaging
Clear Creek Canyon Observatory (Happy Jack, Az)
 Birch Mesa Observatory (Payson, Az)    
Amateur Telescope Making Projects - ATM
Downloadable .STL files
 Note: Adjust your monitors brightness so each step in the grey scale below is clearly seen, other wise images may not appear correctly rendered.
Latest 2026 Images:
Rosette Nebula Region Context field 2/27/26
Comet Wierzchose Last view in the Evening sky 2/21/26
Deep Rosette Nebula from Happy Jack 2/18/26
Comet Neat passes M45 in Taurus 2/9/26
Abell 21 Planetary Nebula in Gemini 2/14/26
NGC1931-IC417 in Auriga 2/8/26
Deep Double Cluster 1/29/26
Comet 24p Schaumasse in Bootes 1/27/26
Payson Aurora! Jan 19 - 20 1/22/26
Bubble Nebula Region 1/22/26
NGC1333 in Perseus Massive Dust in Space 1/18/26
Comet Neat - a "comet within a comet" 1/14/26
S Monoceros/Cone Nebulas 1/8/26
2025 Images:
M38-IC417 Region with Context 12/31/25
Comet Atlas K1 passes M31 12/27/25
IC2087 & B99 In Taurus 12/25/25
CTB1 SNR in Cassiopiea 12/17/25
M37 and its Planetary Nebula in Auriga 12/12/25
Comet Atlas K1 10" + MiniCat 12/9/25
Sharpless 2-140 in Cepheus 12/4/25
M68 in Hydra Globular Cluster 12/4/25
Comet 3I Atlas Interstellar Comet 11/29/25 Time to say Goodbye!
Gamma Cassiopiea IC59-60 Suprise Planetary seen! 11/31/25
Comet 240P Neat Nuclear Fragmentation 11/24/25
Comet 3I Atlas Interstellar Comet 11/26/25
Comet Atlas K1 11/26/25
Comet Swan R2 11/24/25
NGC457 - Sharpless 2-188 in Cass 11/21/25
Comet Swan R2 develops anti tail 11/14/25
Comet Atlas T1 in Hercules - New comet! 11/14/25
Cygnus Superbubble Complex 11/11/25
Payson Aurora through clouds 11/11/25
Comet Swan R2 Develops an anti tail 11/10/25
Comet Lemmon A6 Last 3 part Mosaic 11/8/25
Sharpless 2-199 in Cassiopia 11/05/25
Comet Atlas K1 more transparency and a deeper shot 11/1/25
NGC281 Field full of Hydrogen! 11/1/25
Comet Atlas K1 A unique coloration 10/29/25
Comet Lemmon A6 Big 3 part Mosaic 10/25/25
Comet Lemmon A6 Best RASA shot Yet! 10/24/25
Comet Lemmon A6 Evening 10/23/25
Comet Swan R2 Closest Approach to Earth 10/19/25
Comet Swan R2 passes the Eagle and Swan Nebulas 10/17/25
Comet Lemmon A6 Last Morning Sky shot 10/17/25
Comet Lemmon A6 Passes Cor Caroli 10/16/25
Deep Veil Nebula in Cygnus 10/7/25
Comet Swan R2 Closing in on Earth 10/7/25 (full moon)
Comet Swan R2 low in Evening Sky 10/2/25
NGC457 & Sh2-188 in Cassiopeia 10/2/25
Comet Lemmon A6 in the Morning sky 9/30/25
WR134 in Cygnus The Cygnus Blue Eye 9/14/25
Comet Lemmon A6 in the Morning sky 9/23/25
M31 deep field with Samyang 135 9/18/25
NGC7380 - Wizzard Nebula in Cepheus 9/10/25
S129, B150,NGC6946 with Samyang 9/6/25
Comet Lemmon A6 in Gemini 9/1/25
NGC6822 - Barnards Galaxy in Sagittarius with extensive IFN 8/26/25
Comet Atlas K1 in Hercules 8/30/25
M11 in Context 10" and MiniCat 51 8/30/25
Lobster claw and Bubble Nebula 8/21/25
LDN914 - Pipefish Nebula in Cygnus 8/11/25
Cocoon Nebula and Barnard 168 8/6/25
Comet Atlas K1 passes M27 7/29/25
Comet Atlas K1 in Vulpecula 7/28/25
NGC6723 Region in Corona Australis 7/29/25
Antares to Sigma RASA 11 Happy Jack Scorpii 7/23/25
NGC6726 area in Corona Australis 7/16/25
Stinger of Scorpius with Samyang 135 7/8/25
Comet 2025 3I/Atlas Interstellar Comet passes M23 7/4/25
NGC6380 - Pismis 26 in Scorpius 7/1/25
Comet C/2021 G2 Atlas in Libra 6/27/25
Sigma to Pi Scorpii 6/27/25
Sh2-24 in Ophiuchus 6/18/25
Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos + Draco Dwarf Galaxy 6/15/25
IC4592 - the Blue Horse Head Nebula in Scorpius Region 6/11/25
Abell 36 in Virgo 6/3/25
M4-NGC6144 globular clusters pair in Scorpius 5/29/25
LBN7 - Flying Bat (Cosmic Bat) Nebula in Ophiuchus 5/25/25
Leo II Dwarf Galaxy in Leo 5/15/25
Markarian Chain with Abell Galaxy Cluster 5/12/25
Jones Emberson 1 (PK164+31.1) in Lynx 5/1/25
NGC1999 in Orion 4/26/25
Comet Lemmon H5 in Ursa Major 4/19/25
Rosette + Monoceros Loop 4/16/25
LDN1622 in Orion 4/11/25
Comet Swan 25F in Pegasus 4/7/25
Sh264 the Lambda Orionis Bubble 4/2/25
Sh232 and friends 3/25/25
Orions Belt - Zeta to Epsilon Orionis 3/22/25
Comet 29P flares up again! 3/21/25
NGC1333 in Perseus 3/15/25
The Helix from Happy Jack 3/1/25
IC410 2/17/25
Barnard 150, NGC6946, NGC6939 in Cepheus 2/15/25
M46-M47 collimation final test image 2/7/25
NGC1499 - Ultra Deep California Nebula 2/5/25
LBN437- Gecko Nebula in Lacerta 1/29/25
First shot with RASA11 Zeta Orionis 1/22/25
Comet Atlas G3 Daylight shots show it rounding the Sun 1/20/25
M38 region 1/19/25
Comet Atlas G3 at 3days past perihelion 1/16/25
Comet Atlas G3 at 2days past perihelion 1/15/25
Comet Atlas G3 at 1 day past perihelion 1/14/25
Comet Atlas G3 at Perihelion 1/13/25
Comet Atlas G3 in broad daylight near the Sun 1/12/25
Comet Atlas G3 very low in Morning! 1/11/25
M45 with RASA 1/7/25
Sharpless 2-72 in Aquilla 1/2/25
Payson Aurora 1/2/25
2024 Images:
Avanti-Hunter 1 12/26/24
First Test Shot with new ASI6200MM 12/22/24
Sh2-101 the Tulip Nebula in Cygnus 12/18/24
Sh2-129 in Cepheus 12/15/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS "Last Shot 2" ? 12/6/24
Sh2-88 in Cygnus 12/5/24
My youngest moon yet! 12/1/24
IC1396 - Wide field Cepheus Nebulosites 11/30/24
IC1319- The Butterfly Nebula in Cygnus 11/21/24
M24-M17 with Samyang 135mm 11/16/24
DWB111 - Propeller Nebula in Cygnus 11/06/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS "Last Shot" ? 10/31/24
NGC253 Rectified 11/1/24
Sh2-119 in Cygnus 10/24/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 4 panel panorama 10/20/24
IC1318-gamma Cyg with Samyang 135 f/2 10/17/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 10/13/24 with 35mm lens
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 10/14/24 with 135 Samyang
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 10/13/24 with RASA 8
Payson Aurora again Kp was 8 10/10/24
Sh2-54 in Serpens 10/11/24
Payson Aurora 10/7/24
M6 & Sh2-12 10/6/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in the DAYTIME along with Venus and Moon. 10/4/24
Ultra Thin 1.1% moon Test for sky conditions 10/3/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 10/2/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 10/1/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 9/27/24
Stephensen 1 the Delta Lyra Cluster 9/30/24
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Morning Rising Sequence 9/23/24
The Scutum Star Cloud From Happy Jack 9/20/24
The Handle of the Pipe Nebula in Ophiuchus 9/10/24
Solar post flare loops! 9/1/24
Comet Olbers and M64 8/25/24
Antares to Rho dust 8/22/24
IC4628 The Shrimp Nebula in Scorpius 8/15/24
B72 - Snake with Eggs in Ophiuchus 8/11/24
IC4592 The Blue Horse Head in Scorpius 8/1/24
From Antares to Rho Ophiuchi First Samyang official image 7/25/24
M107 & Sh2-27 in Ophiuchus 7/16/24
Sharpless 2-36 Molecular Cloud in Ophiuchus 7/12/24
Comet 13P / Olbers In the western Sky 7/2/24
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Final shot before Peri helion. 7/4/24
Sharpless 2-1 In Scorpius 6/24/24
Mu Cephi with Surprise IRAS Planetary Nebula! 6/20/24
IC2118 in Eridanus RASA from Happy Jack 6/11/24
Abell 21 in Gemini with RASA 8 from Happy Jack 6/7/24
IC443/444 RASA 5/29/24
Comet TA 5/27/24 NEW CAMERA!
M35 and NGC2158 5/22/24
Comet Panstarrs S3 over DWB111 in Cygnus 5/14/24
Massive Arizona Aurora 5/10/24
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 5/10/24
IC447 region in Monoceros 5/8/24
Sharpless 2-308 The Dolphin Head nebula 4/24/24
Comet Panstarrs S3 over IC1318a in Cygnus 4/29/24
Leo I Dwarf Galaxy 4/18/24
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 4/13/24
Comet Pons/Brooks 4/13/24
Comet Pons/Brooks 4/9/24
Comet Panstarrs S3 passes C399 3/30/24
Comet Pons/Brooks 4/2/24
Comet Pons/Brooks 3/29/24
NGC2451-77 Double cluster in Puppis 3/28/24
Abell 31 Planetary neb in Cancer 3/20/24
Sharpless 224 in Auriga 3/15/24
Comet Pons/Brooks 3/1/24
Canopus from Payson 2/28/24
Double Cluster with new RASA 8 - Mount Guiding Test - 2/12/24
Comet Pons/Brooks 2/12/24
Comet 62P in Virgo 2/11/24
Comet Kushida 2/4/24 six part montage
Comet Pons/Brooks 2/4/24
M78 in an Ocean of Hydrogen 1/24/24
IC348, B3, B4 1/18/24
NGC281 super deep 1/10/24