Supernovae in the GARDEN: Photographer captures stunning stellar explosions with telescopes in his back yard
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The earliest recorded supernova was viewed by Chinese astronomers in 185 AD, but today stellar explosions can be captured using telescopes - even those small models set up in amateur astronomers' gardens.
This incredible series of photographs were shot from one man's back yard and show spectacular clouds of gas surrounding stars.
Eric Coles captured supernovae, which are normally invisible to the naked eye, over the course of the past year from his home in Illinois.
Out of this world! This incredible series of supernovae photographs were shot from a back garden and show spectacular clouds of gas surrounding stars. A supernova is the explosion of a star and the largest explosion that takes place in space.They are often seen in other galaxies but are problematic to spot in the Milky Way because dust blocks our view
The 70-year-old used different filters on this five telescopes to draw attention to the shapes and patterns created by different gases that have absorbed energy from nearby stars.
'I shot these images from the comfort of my back garden and because I love to see the pretty figures and shapes in the night's sky,' Mr Coles said.
'The gases, hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur in these nebulae absorb the light energy from the nearby stars and re-emit it at very distinct wavelengths,' he explained.
Starry eyed: Eric Coles captured supernovae, which are normally invisible to the naked eye, over the course of the last year from his home in Illinois, USA. The 70-year-old amateur astronomer used different filters on this five telescopes to draw attention to the shapes and patterns created by different gases that have absorbed energy from nearby stars
'I shot these images from the comfort of my back garden and because I love to see the pretty figures and shapes in the night's sky,' Mr Coles said. 'The gases, hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur in these nebula adsorb the light energy from the nearby stares and re-emit it at very distinct wavelengths,' he explained. Two of his works of art are pictured above
To get his professional-looking images, Mr Coles takes three separate images using his array of telescopes, sometimes on different nights. He uses filters to select different wavelengths and then layers up his images to make the perfect picture (shown above)
'My filters select for each of these wavelengths. So I take three separate images, usually on three separate nights to get the perfect images.'
He then assembles them using a computer program to create his final rainbow-coloured images.
A supernova is the explosion of a star and the largest explosion that takes place in space. They are often seen in other galaxies but are problematic to spot in the Milky Way because cosmic dust blocks our view.
A supernova (pictured) occurs in two different ways when there is a change in the core of a star. The first type happens in binary star systems - two stars that orbit the same point - when one of the stars - a white dwarf - steals matter from its companion. Eventually the white dwarf acquires too much matter and explodes in a supernova
A supernova occurs in two different ways when there is a change in the core of a star.
The first type occurs in binary star systems - two stars that orbit the same point - when one of the stars - a white dwarf - steals matter from its companion. Eventually the white dwarf acquires too much matter and explodes.
Alternatively, an explosion is caused at the end of a star's lifetime. As it runs out of nuclear fuel, some of its mass flows into its core, which becomes so heavy that it can't withstand its own gravitational force. The core collapses, resulting in a supernova.
Supernovae can also be caused at the end of a star's lifetime. As it runs out of nuclear fuel, some of its mass flows into its core, which becomes so heavy that it can't withstand its own gravitational force. The core collapses, resulting in a supernova (pictured)
Scientists study supernovae (pictured) to learn more about the universe. One kind of supernova has shown scientists that we live in an expanding universe that is growing at an ever increasing rate
Scientists study supernovae to learn more about the universe. One kind of supernova has shown scientists that we live in an expanding universe that is growing at an ever increasing rate. Scientists have also determined that supernovae play a key role in distributing elements throughout the universe.
When the star explodes, it shoots elements and debris into space that travel through space to form new stars and planets.
Scientists also have determined that supernovae (pictured) play a key role in distributing elements throughout the universe. When the star explodes, it shoots elements and debris into space and many of them found on Earth are made from the core of stars. These elements travel on to form new stars, planets and everything else in the universe
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