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The May 2023 full moon, photographed by graduate student and CIERA member Imran Sultan. This image won runner-up in the 2023 Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition’s astronomy category. “The May full moon is known as the Flower Moon, a name originating from the Algonquin peoples that marks the blooming of flowers during spring. This year’s

The colorful Western Veil Nebula, photographed by graduate student and CIERA member Imran Sultan, is a stunning remnant left behind from the explosion of a massive star 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Located 2,100 light-years away, the nebula resides within the constellation Cygnus (the Swan). Sultan’s photo of the Western Veil Nebula won first place in

Graduate student Imran Sultan’s photo of the recently visible supernova (SN2023ixf) in the pinwheel galaxy M101.  The image was taken overnight, May 20-21, 2023 about 70 miles outside of Chicago.  Imran used an 80mm refractor and a DSLR on a star tracker.

Graduate student Imran Sultan’s photo of the recently visible supernova (SN2023ixf) in the pinwheel galaxy M101.  The image was taken overnight, May 20-21, 2023 about 70 miles outside of Chicago.  Imran used an 80mm refractor and a DSLR on a star tracker.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.

Discovered in March by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible in the night sky during the Stone Age — about 50,000 years ago.