Author page: Sudath Wijeratne

A brilliant nova blazed into view in late September 2016: V407 Lup (Nova Lupi 2016). Peaking at magnitude 5.6—barely visible to the naked eye—it then faded rapidly as one of the fastest novae ever recorded en.wikipedia.orgde.wikipedia.org. 📍 J2000 Coordinates: • RA 15h 29m 01.82s • Dec –44° 49′ 40.9″ arxiv.orgde.wikipedia.org 🔭 How to Spot It from Australia (Brisbane lat ~27° S): • Best seen April–June in the…

Behold my latest astrophoto of the Helix Nebula, often nicknamed “God’s Eye”—a stunning planetary nebula located about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. This hauntingly beautiful structure is the dying breath of a once-giant star, casting off its outer layers in a final act of cosmic artistry. The Helix was formed when a sun-like…

Behold one of the most awe-inspiring sights in the southern skies: Omega Centauri (NGC 5139), the largest and brightest globular cluster in the Milky Way. My latest astrophotograph captures this dense celestial sphere in extraordinary detail — revealing over 35,000 individual stars in just this frame alone! Located roughly 17,000 light-years away in the constellation…

Presenting my latest image of Centaurus A (NGC 5128), captured from my observatory under urban skies this May. Despite the glow of city lights, careful planning and processing brought this fascinating galaxy to life. 📸 Centaurus A is one of the most peculiar and energetic galaxies near us, sitting just over 12 million light-years away…

Attention, stargazers! An extraordinary event is on the cosmic horizon. T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), affectionately known as the "Blaze Star," is poised for a spectacular outburst, potentially illuminating our night skies any time now. Such eruptions occur approximately every 80 years, with the last in 1946. This means we are on the cusp of…