{"id":8343,"date":"2025-12-24T13:25:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T18:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/?post_type=portfolio_item&#038;p=8343"},"modified":"2026-01-01T12:45:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T17:45:02","slug":"merope","status":"publish","type":"portfolio_item","link":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/project\/merope\/","title":{"rendered":"Merope"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n\/* Fullscreen overlay shell *\/\n.astro-lightbox[hidden]{ display:none; }\n.astro-lightbox{\n  position:fixed; inset:0; z-index:9999;\n  background:#000;\n}\n\n\/* Edge-to-edge cover stack *\/\n.astro-lightbox .stack{\n  position:fixed; left:0; top:0; width:100vw; height:100dvh;\n}\n.astro-lightbox .stack img{\n  position:absolute; inset:0;\n  width:100%; height:100%;\n  object-fit:cover;        \/* fill screen; will crop *\/\n}\n\n\/* Close button (respects iPhone notch) *\/\n.astro-lightbox .lb-close{\n  position:fixed;\n  top: calc(8px + env(safe-area-inset-top));\n  right: calc(8px + env(safe-area-inset-right));\n  z-index:10000;\n  background: rgba(255,255,255,0.12);\n  border: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.25);\n  color:#fff;\n  border-radius:10px;\n  padding: .45rem .75rem;\n  font: inherit;\n  cursor: pointer;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<!-- Controls -->\n<div class=\"astro-fullbleed\">\n  <div class=\"astro-controls\">\n    <label>\n    <input type=\"checkbox\" data-layer=\"ann\">\n    Annotation\n  <\/label>\n\n\n  <button type=\"button\" class=\"astro-reset\">Reset<\/button>\n  <\/div>\n  \n<!-- Stage -->\n  <div class=\"astro-stage\">\n  <!-- SAME pixel dimensions for all files -->\n  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"base\"  src=\"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised.jpg\"        alt=\"Clean\"      loading=\"eager\">\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ann\"   src=\"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised.jpg\"     alt=\"Annotated\"  loading=\"eager\">\n\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script>\ndocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {\n  const stage = document.querySelector('.astro-stage');\n  const controls = document.querySelector('.astro-controls');\n  if (!stage || !controls) return;\n\n  const checkboxes = controls.querySelectorAll('input[data-layer]');\n  const resetBtn  = controls.querySelector('.astro-reset');\n\n  function applyLayer(cb){\n    const layer = stage.querySelector('.' + cb.dataset.layer);\n    if (!layer) return;\n    layer.classList.toggle('hidden', !cb.checked);\n  }\n\n  \/\/ initialize and wire up\n  checkboxes.forEach(cb => applyLayer(cb));\n  checkboxes.forEach(cb => cb.addEventListener('change', () => applyLayer(cb)));\n\n  if (resetBtn) {\n    resetBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {\n      checkboxes.forEach(cb => { cb.checked = false; applyLayer(cb); });\n    });\n  }\n});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Merope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Captured November 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Merope and the Seven Sisters \u2014 A Blue Christmas from Space \u2728<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Captured at Space Haven Observatory in Fair Haven, NJ, this is Merope \u2014 one of the brightest jewels in the Pleiades star cluster (M45), also known as the Seven Sisters.<br>Those ethereal blue clouds aren&#8217;t just lens flare \u2014 they&#8217;re actual dust reflecting the brilliant light of these young, hot stars 440 light-years away. At only 100 million years old, these stellar siblings are practically newborns in cosmic terms, wrapped in the remnants of the nebula that formed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pleiades have been humanity&#8217;s winter companion for millennia, rising in the east as temperatures drop. This year, they&#8217;re my holiday card \u2014 a blue Christmas written in starlight and cosmic dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scope: Planewave CDK12.5 (f\/5.28 with 0.66\u00d7 reducer)<br>Camera: ASI2600MM Pro<br>Filters: L-RGB<br>Integration: 172 frames, 3 hours total exposure<br>Processing: 15 hours (Astro Pixel Processor + Affinity Photo)<br>Imaging dates: Late November 2025<br>Location: Bortle 6-7 skies, New Jersey<br>Clear skies and happy holidays! \ud83c\udf84\ud83d\udc99<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Annotation Reset Merope Captured November 2025. Merope and the Seven Sisters \u2014 A Blue Christmas from Space \u2728 Captured at Space Haven Observatory in Fair Haven, NJ, this is Merope \u2014 one of the brightest jewels in the Pleiades star cluster (M45), also known as the Seven Sisters.Those ethereal blue clouds aren&#8217;t just lens flare &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/project\/merope\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Merope&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8323,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_wpzb_portfolio_video_type":"","_wpzb_portfolio_video_id":0,"_wpzb_portfolio_video_url":"","footnotes":""},"portfolio":[60,59],"class_list":["post-8343","portfolio_item","type-portfolio_item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","portfolio-astrophoto","portfolio-nebula"],"featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-300x198.jpg",300,198,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised.jpg",768,506,false],"large":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-1024x675.jpg",950,626,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-1536x1012.jpg",1536,1012,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-2048x1350.jpg",2048,1350,true],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-1200x800.jpg",1200,800,true],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-870x570.jpg",870,570,true],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-600x900.jpg",600,900,true],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-600x600.jpg",600,600,true],"inspiro-featured-image":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-2000x1318.jpg",2000,1318,true],"inspiro-loop":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-950x320.jpg",950,320,true],"inspiro-loop@2x":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-1900x640.jpg",1900,640,true],"portfolio_item-thumbnail":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-600x400.jpg",600,400,true],"portfolio_item-thumbnail@2x":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-1200x800.jpg",1200,800,true],"portfolio_item-masonry":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-600x395.jpg",600,395,true],"portfolio_item-masonry@2x":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-1200x791.jpg",1200,791,true],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_cinema":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-800x335.jpg",800,335,true],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_portrait":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-600x900.jpg",600,900,true],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_portrait@2x":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-1200x1492.jpg",1200,1492,true],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_square":["https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sisters-2025-12-05-Published-Signed-Denoised-800x800.jpg",800,800,true]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_item\/8343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/portfolio_item"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_item\/8343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8348,"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_item\/8343\/revisions\/8348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"portfolio","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacehaven.space\/spaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio?post=8343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","template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