This week's article was written by a new contributor to Cosmic Pursuits, the artist and expert amateur astronomer Joe Bergeron. In this excellent piece, Joe explains the one class of astronomical object that can show serious color in a reasonably big amateur telescope—the planetary nebulae, those gently expanding puffs of gas given off by old stars in the process of giving up the ghost. Even in a modest scope, many of these nebulae are a beautiful and colorful sight. Read the whole thing at the link below...