Pacman and Messier 39

NGC 281 - Pacman Nebula

Messier 39

The two images above are a study in contrasts.  Both set in very dense starfields, the top photo can be found in Cassiopeia and the gassy Pacman-shaped cloud is lit up by the bright central star.  The lower photo (Messier 39) is found in the constellation Cygnus and may be seen with the naked eye from dark locations.  To me, it looks like a beautiful set of jewels set against the majestic backdrop of the milky way.

NGC 281 (Pacman Nebula) - Photo Details

December 14-15, 2015

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

67 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 3 hours 21 minutes

Image Acquisition in CCDOps

Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker

Image Processing in PhotoShop

Messier 39 - Photo Details

December 14-15, 2015

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

27 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 21 minutes

Image Acquisition in CCDOps

Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker

Image Processing in PhotoShop

Galaxies Galore and E.T.

Messier 31 - Andromeda Galaxy

NGC 457 (E.T. Cluster)

NGC 6946 (Fireworks Galaxy)

I normally add some descriptions regarding the above images.  But I thought a nice change of pace would be to post some song lyrics that perfectly fit this time of year as the winter constellations come soaring into view.  These come from the band Beta Radio on their Darden Road album.  You can here the song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1f-ieI1Ols


Both the bears are in their chairs
They're sitting in your upper room
Each night they ascend the stairs
And point to the north with dipping spoons
I hear the seven sisters whisper
they know the place from where they came
Oh the hunter and the bull
Are made full beneath the lion's mane

Oh, all the stars align
for the second time
Oh, I drank the new design
for the second time

The brother twins each other lend
A hand around the upper pole
They drink the wine of the new design
That makes the broken-hearted whole
The dragon came as he did before
Tempting all into his door
He wears stars as his disguise
But a second time he will not rise

Oh, all the stars align
for the second time
Oh, I drank the new design
for the second time

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh    


M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) - Photo Details
November 19, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
48 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 24 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

NGC 457 - Photo Details
November 13, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
10 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 30 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

NGC 6946 (Firework Galaxy) - Photo Details
October 18-19, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
67 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 3 hours 21 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Two Globs Around a Dumbbell (M71, M27 & M56)

Messier 71

Messier 27 - Dumbbell Nebula

Messier 56

After a long, hot and humid summer, I finally had some crystal clear skies last week and made the most of it.  Messier 71 & 56 were new targets while I had imaged Messier 27 (Dumbbell) a couple years ago.  M27 is such a beautiful target, it was fun to revisit.  

M71 & 56 are both globular clusters comprised of tens of thousands of stars, they look completely different mostly due to their relative distance to Earth and proximity to the Milky Way. Messier 71 lies within the Milky Way and is set against a beautiful dense background of stars while M56 is a bit more concentrated and enjoys a bit more isolated area of space.

The dumbbell nebula is stunning to view.  It's amazing that such order, structure and beauty can evolve out of a dying star. 


M71 - Photo Details
October 13, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
29 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 27 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

M27 - Photo Details
October 12, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
37 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 51 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

M56 - Photo Details
October 6, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
30 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 30 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

NGC 4725

This galaxy is somewhat unusual in that it just has a single spiral arm.  Most spiral galaxies, like our own Milky Way, have two arms.  A quick internet search showed that this is a very popular astrophotography target, but didn't turn up much beyond the facts that it spans about 100,000 light years and is approximately 41 million light years from earth.  There are two other galaxies in this image.  NGC 4712 is closes while NGC 4747 looks to me like it's hurling toward the others with just a hint of afterburner.

Photo Details
June 16 & 21, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
38 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 54 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Messier 53

After targeting primarily galaxies recently, I decided to check out a globular cluster last evening.  Messier 53 lies about 63,000 light years from us and, according to astronomers, is approaching at 70 km/sec.  That translates to a whopping 156,492 miles/hour.  Given the current distance and speed, Earth should have a close encounter in about 275 million years with this beautiful cluster.

Photo Details
June 5, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
19 subframes at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 57 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Messier 106

We had a rare clear and cool Friday night with little moon on May 22.  Allison and I made the most of it and headed to our local dark site.  We had a great time, setting up at dusk and heading home at 1:30 in the morning.  While I was busy with the photography equipment, she did a great job running the large telescope herself and was able to see many new Messier objects.  In all, she logged 12 new ones and is well on her way to logging all 110.  Truly a night to remember.

The large galaxy in the image above is Messier 106 which, curiously, Messier may not have ever actually observed.  It was only added to the Messier list in 1948.  Other galaxies are clearly visible in the vicinity and astronomers believe M106 is the the center of a galaxy group of 17 objects.  The nearest and seemingly largest neighbor is NGC 4217 which happens to appear edge-on to our viewpoint.  The contrast and arrangement of these galaxies is simply stunning.

Photo Details
May 22, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
30 subframes at 5 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 2 hour 30 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Messier 65 and Messier 66

This pair of galaxies resides in the constellation Leo that rides high in the southern sky, leading Virgo toward the west.  The galaxy to the left is M65 while M66 is on the right.  They are similar in size, about 90,000 light years across, though M65 is inclined at about 74 degrees to our line of sight making it look much more elongated.  While these do make a stunning pair, there is actually a third I wasn't able to get in a single shot that together comprise the "Leo Triplet".  

Photo Details
May 6-7, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
22 sub-frames at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 6 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Messier 100

Spring is the time for galaxies in the southern part of the sky and though we've had tremendous cloud cover, we finally had a nice stretch of clear weather.  I was able to get out a few nights last week with a new camera (see notes below) and had a lot of fun shooting images at -15C with an entirely different setup.  So, this is essentially "first light" for the new setup.  I think M100 was a beautiful target, graced by a number of additional nearby galaxies.  While appearing somewhat small in this image, consider that it is 107,000 light years across and contains 200,000 million solar masses.  This is comparable to our own Milky Way galaxy.  It's irregular spiral shape has been attributed to gravitational interactions with the nearby galaxies.

Photo Details
May 6-7, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
SBIG STF-8300C Camera
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
38 sub-frames at 3 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 54 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Messier 41

On the same night I visited the Orion Nebula (below), I also took advantage of the clear skies to target Messier 41.  The loose arrangement of stars in the foreground is a naked eye collection that may be one of the oldest documented deep sky objects.  Aristotle made reference in 325 B.C. to a "tail" near one of the stars in the Dog.  Some modern astronomers believe he was referencing this collection as it resides in Canis Major (the Great Dog).  See if you can find it yourself.  First, go outside and find Canis Major.  You will find this trusty hunting dog following Orion as he hunts.  Look to the east and south of Orion to find the brightest star in the sky (Sirius) which is the eye of Canis Major.  Look just a little bit down (mostly south) from Sirius to see if you can see this cluster.

Photo Details
February 19, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
Nikon D3100 Camera - ISO 1600
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
40 sub-frames at 1.5 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Orion Nebula Revisited

Orion Nebula - 2/19/2015

Orion Nebula - 11/27/2013

After some time away from photographing the Orion Nebula, I decided to revisit a few nights ago.  What a difference a couple years of study, improved patience and equipment improvements will make!  The top image is the recent photo, while the lower was taken in November of 2013 for comparison.  Key differences with the new photo include more exposure time, using the full array of assorted frames (light, dark, flat, dark flat and bias), better understanding of post-processing, a more effective coma corrector and sky glow filter.  I also did a better job of framing the Orion Nebula and its neighbor, the Running Man.  This one is going on the wall!

Photo Details
February 19, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
Nikon D3100 Camera - ISO 1600
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
61 sub-frames at 1.5 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 31.5 minutes
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

California Nebula (NGC 1499)

The California Nebula (NGC 1499) now holds the record for the largest deep space object I've photographed.  This sprawling emission nebula is lit up by the by star in the lower center of the picture.  The nebula is so large that only about half of it is captured in this photo, the rest extends up and to the right and down and to the left.  Though appearing quite bright in this photo, at the eyepiece and in raw images there really isn't much to see.  It definitely requires a series of long exposures and some careful post processing to tease out the faint nebula structure.  

Photo Details
February 11, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
Nikon D3100 Camera - ISO 1600
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
Autoguider
45 sub-frames at 3.0 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 15 minutes
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Cave Nebula (Caldwell 9)

Another nebula I photographed over the holidays, but just now had a chance to process, was the Cave Nebula (C9).  This sprawling nebula complex contains emission, reflection and dark nebula.  The stars in this region are relatively young, some less than 100,000 years.    

Photo Details
December 11, 2014
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
Nikon D3100 Camera - ISO 1600
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
Autoguider
58 sub-frames at 3.0 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 54 minutes
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146)

The aptly named cocoon nebula lies in the constellation Cyngus.  It is both an emission nebula (gives off its own light as ionized gas) and reflection nebula (reflects light from other stars).  There is also a dark nebula trailing behind the cocoon, arcing up and to the right. To me the overall effect is simply stunning as the cocoon appears to have burrowed deep within this incredibly dense star field to await its metamorphosis.  

Photo Details
November 19, 2014
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
Nikon D3100 Camera - ISO 1600
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
Autoguider
76 sub-frames at 2.0 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 32 minutes
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Stars and Mythology

I wanted to thank Mrs. Barnes and all her bright students in Language Arts during their static period for having some fun today talking about constellations and mythology!  I hope you all have a chance this weekend to get outside and look up at the stars.  For those interested, the computer program I was using today is free and can be installed on any computer or device (iPhone, kindle, etc.).  Just search for "Stellarium" and have fun discovering the night sky.
Clear skies!

Comet Lovejoy

A near naked eye comet is currently arcing high overhead.  If you are in a dark location and know where to look, you will definitely see comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2).  On January 7, was about halfway between the Sun and Earth.  It orbits the sun about every 8,000 to 11,000 years, so be sure and get a look if you can!  This is my first comet to photograph and it was interesting to track the comet rather than the background stars.  You can see some blurring of the background stars since the comet is much closer and on the move!

Photo Details
January 16, 2015
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
Nikon D3100 Camera - ISO 1600
Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector
Skyglow filter
Autoguider tracking the comet
10 sub-frames at 3.0 minutes/frame
Total Exposure Time = 30 minutes
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop