Messier 2
Observation Details
Location: Decatur, GA (33.7748° N, 84.2963° W)
Date: 2025-10-01
Sky conditions: Seeing – Good, Transparency – Mag 3, Bortle 7
Instrument: Seestar S50, Equatorial mode
Image capture details: 105 minute integration, 30s subs
Software: PixInsight, Photoshop
Messier 30
Observation Details
Location: Decatur, GA (33.7748° N, 84.2963° W)
Date: 2025-10-12
Sky conditions: Seeing – Good, Transparency – Mag 3, Bortle 7
Instrument: Seestar S50, Equatorial mode
Image capture details: 52 minute integration, 30s subs
Software: PixInsight, Photoshop
C43 – Little Sombrero
Observation Details
Location: Decatur, GA (33.7748° N, 84.2963° W)
Date: 2025-10-15
Sky conditions: Seeing – Good, Transparency – Mag 3, Bortle 7
Instrument: Seestar S50, Equatorial mode
Image capture details: 218 minute integration, 30s subs
Software: PixInsight, Photoshop
C22 – Blue Snowball
Observation Details
Location: Decatur, GA (33.7748° N, 84.2963° W)
Date: 2025-10-16
Sky conditions: Seeing – Good, Transparency – Mag 3, Bortle 7
Instrument: Celestron C8, Starizona SCT Reducer (0.63x), ASI533MC Pro
Image capture details: 2 hour integration, 60s subs
Software: ASIDeepStack, PixInsight, Photoshop
C63 – Helix Nebula
Observation Details
Location: Decatur, GA (33.7748° N, 84.2963° W)
Date: 2025-10-18
Sky conditions: Seeing – Good, Transparency – Mag 3, Bortle 7
Instrument: Seestar S50, Equatorial mode
Image capture details: 231 minute integration, 30s subs
Software: PixInsight, Photoshop
Outreach – Cobb County Master Naturalists
Date: October 23, 2025
Time: 8:00PM – 9:30PM
An evening astronomy program for the Cobb County Master Naturalist group. Spoke with guests about general stargazing and astronomy outreach, Hubble Night Sky challenges and other NASA programs, telescopes and gear, astronomy programs, and club promotion.
Project Objectives
To celebrate and focus on the successes of the Hubble Telescope, the Astronomical League and NASA are presenting a NASA Special Observing Award Challenge. For more information on the Hubble Telescope Mission go to the mission website.
The Hubble Telescope has been responsible for bringing the universe to all of us in fantastic clarity. It has brought us images of many distant and incredible objects. In the past 35 years, the Hubble Telescope has marched onward and produced thousands of images. Now, it is time for us to celebrate all those accomplishments and join the party.
Imaging as well as visual observing are allowed for these awards. Go-to telescopes are permitted including remote telescopes when the observer specifically requests the object be imaged for them.
If you are doing an outreach activity and you would like to give participant certificates to your attendees, there is a downloadable certificate available here.
There are two levels to this Challenge. You do NOT need to be a member of the Astronomical League to participate in this challenge and to receive the certificates and pin.
Details for this award:
Silver award (certificates only):
One or more outreach activities must be done during one of the months for which you submit for the silver award; to spread the word about the Hubble Telescope and its mission. An outreach activity is anything that spreads the word to others about the Hubble Telescope, its 35th anniversary, or this challenge. This might be on a website, at a meeting, an outreach event, or on a blog.
The same outreach activity may be used for multiple months at the silver level. We encourage you to do more outreach activities to meet the requirements of the gold award.
The observations must be done during the specific month for each silver certificate.
Each month’s observation targets will be listed below. There is a list for northern observers and also a list for southern observers.
You must observe at least one of the objects from either list each month to earn a silver certificate.
Sketch or image the object(s).
Attempt to identify the part of your sketch or image that corresponds to a part of the Hubble Telescope image. (See links in the References section to access the Hubble image gallery.)
Gold award (certificate and pin):
Over the span of 2025, do four or more outreach activities to spread the word about the Hubble Telescope and its mission. An outreach activity is anything that spreads the word to others about the Hubble Telescope, its 35th anniversary, or this challenge. This might be on a website, at a meeting, an outreach event, or on a blog.
Observe four or more objects for each month from the lists and submit them monthly.
Sketch or image all of the objects you observe.
Attempt to identify the part of your sketch or image that corresponds to a part of the Hubble Telescope image. (See links in the References section to access the Hubble image gallery.)
Note: The gold award requires additional observations each month beyond the requirements for silver. Be sure to capture them.
Monthly Object Lists:
October 2025 – submission deadline 11/30/2025 for a silver certification, or as one step in the gold certification. NASA’s October Challenge page
- Northern List
- M2
- M30
- Caldwell 2: Bow Tie Nebula
- Caldwell 22: Blue Snowball Nebula
- Caldwell 43: Little Sombrero
- Caldwell 63: Helix Nebula
- Southern List
- M2
- M30
- Caldwell 22: Blue Snowball Nebula
- Caldwell 43: Little Sombrero
- Caldwell 63: Helix Nebula
- Caldwell 106: 47 Tucanae
Submission Requirements:
- Outreach Events
- Date and time
- What was the outreach activity
- Group and group size
- Observations
- Date and time
- Details of instruments and filters used
- Sketches or images of objects
Note: These awards will be listed in the on-line database under the Hubble Telescope 35th Anniversary Special Observing Award rather than under the NASA Observing Challenges.
References:
- Hubble Telescope Messier Image Catalog
- Hubble Telescope Caldwell Image Catalog
- Hubble Telescope Main Web Page
- Hubble Telescope Night Sky Challenge Page
- AL Flyer for the Challenge (PDF format, JPEG format)
(Submission Deadline is the end of the month after each silver challenge. Submissions for the gold challenge should be submitted monthly by the same deadlines) Late submissions will not be accepted.