APOD 3.2: The Soap Bubble Nebula

Set in the star fields of the constellation Cygnus, this nebula was found only a few years ago and still does not appear in some astronomical catalogs. In fact, amateur astronomer Dave Jurasevich identified it as a nebula on 2008 July 6 in his images of the complex Cygnus region that included the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888). The nebula, appearing on the left of the featured image, is now known as the Soap Bubble Nebula.

APOD 3.1: Venus and Mercury at Sunset

There have been many sighting of Venus and Mercury in close proximity along the western shores. this picture was taken in the ruins of Szarvasko Castle in northwestern Hungary. Venus is the much brighter one, separated from Mercury by the width of about two full moons. 

APOD 2.8: Stars and Dust in Corona Australis

Cosmic dust clouds and young stars inhabit this region tat is less than 500-light-years away toward the Northern boundary of  Corona Australis. the dust clouds in the background are blocking some distant stars from the Milky Way. The blue color is light from the young stars reflecting off of the dust clouds.

James South

 The son of a pharmaceutical chemist, he had studied surgery, become a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and acquired an extensive practice when he was then married in 1816. He then became wealthy enough o retire and become an astronomer.  He established several observatories, in London and Paris, where he observed with some of the finest telescopes available. He served as the first president of the  Royal Astronomical Society in 1831. South, working with John Herschel during the years 1821–1823, re-observed the double stars charted originally by William Herschel, mainly for the purpose of detecting position changes. Their observations helped verify the newly recognized orbital motion of these neighboring stars.Their resulting catalog of 380 double stars, presented to the Royal Society in 1824, earned them the gold medal of the Astronomical Society and the grand prize of the Institute de France. For his second catalog of double stars, two years later, South was awarded the Copley Medal of the Royal Society.