Super Moon

I had so much fun last night trying out my new solar system imaging camera.  There is a lot to learn, but I couldn't help but set everything up for the Super Moon.  I hope you got a good look, too!

Photo Details

December 30, 2017

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

NexImage10 Camera

Moonglow Filter

Image Acquisition iCap2.3

Top Image
Y800 Codec @ 2048x1536
400 Frames @ 3 frames/sec

Image Stacking in AutoStakkert2
Wavelet Processing in Registax6
Final Image Processing in Photoshop

Bottom Image
Y800 Codec @ 1256x958
750 Frames @ 3 frames/sec

Image Stacking in AutoStakkert2

Wavelet Processing in Registax6
Final Image Processing in Photoshop

NGC 7331 (Deerlick Group) - Revisted

One of the first images I every photographed, back in 2013, was the galaxy NGC 7331.  It's known as the main attraction of the Deerlick Group.  Two things immediately grabbed my attention in this image.  First, is the almost uniform spatial distribution of stars.  Second is the incredible number of galaxies in this one view.  I found over twenty, and with a longer exposure, more would certainly be evident.  The galaxies gathered around NGC 7331, though appearing nearby, are estimated to be 10 times more distant than the main galaxy.  For comparison, check out my first attempt at this image below.  Needless to say, a lot of reading, practice and some better equipment adds up to better images.

Photo Details

December 10, 2017

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

46 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 18 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Pelican Nebula - Wide Field View

In mid-November, I revisited the Pelican Nebula (see original post below) with a new wide-field telescope.  The original was take with a much longer focal length reflector so it was zoomed in closer than the one above.  The new wide field covers a significantly larger area and was able to capture the entire Pelican, along with part of its neighbor (North American Nebula) visible in the upper left portion of this image.  It's hard to get a sense of scale for this image, but the Pelican covers nearly 8 times the sky area as a full moon.  Too bad we can't see it without long-exposure photography!

Photo Details

November 13-14, 2017

AstroTech 65Q on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Skyglow filter

83 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 4 hours 9 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Pelican Nebula - IC 5070

Soaring high in the sky on these increasing cool fall nights is the Pelican Nebula.  It takes some imagination, can you see it?  This is an HII region of ionized intersteller atomic hydrogen left over from "recent" star formation.  The gas clouds are still evolving and in a few million years may look like something else entirely.  Enjoy it while you can!

Photo Details

October 17-18 & 26, 2017

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

66 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 3 hours 6 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Great American Solar Eclipse

 

We had a great family adventure up to Nashville for the total solar eclipse (August 21, 2017).  We took lots of pictures leading up to totality, but decided to just experience the final moments without any electronics.  We all agreed it was the most profound and awe-inspiring natural wonder we've ever seen.  Already making plans for April 8, 2024.  We can't wait!

Messier 109

A couple weeks ago we had a lot of fun getting out the telescopes to share with friends and neighbors.  A beautifully clear (& mostly bug free) night allowed us to check out the moon, many star clusters and before we were done Jupiter rose into view and stole the show.  We can't wait to do it all again!

At the same time we were touring the cosmos, I had the astrograph set up capturing Messier 109 (above).  This is one of the faintest objects in the Messier catalog evidenced by over 4 hours total exposure time and precious little detail to see.  Although, if you consider that the light in this image began its journey to us when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, maybe it's not so dim after all.  M109 is a beautiful barred-galaxy found near the bowl of the Big Dipper.  In fact, the incredibly bright star in the image is one of the main stars (Phecda) in the Big Dipper.

Photo Details

March 29 - 30, 2017

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

82 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 4 hours 6 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

NGC 2403

NGC 2403 is 10 million light years away and is about half the mass of our own Milky Way.  The reddish clusters scattered around the arms are active star-forming regions.  At 10 million light years, the light from this galaxy began its journey long before humans walked the Earth.  It's incredibly humbling to think about entire geological and evolutionary epochs passing on Earth while this light was in transit, undisturbed, to the moment it entered my imaging system.  A true cosmic connection.

Photo Details

January 31, 2017

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

52 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 36 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Messier 36

Messier 36 is the smallest of three star clusters in the constellation Auriga.  Though small, it is one of the prettiest with nice arrangements of stars spiraling out from the center.  Lying about 4,300 light years away, astronomers estimate it's age at 20 to 40 million years which is relatively young on the cosmic time scale.  The main cluster consists of predominantly bluish-white stars, but can you see the many reddish stars adorning the edges?  

Photo Details

January 24, 2017

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

34 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 1 hours 42 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

NGC 147 & 185

My last image of 2016 was a nice galaxy pair consisting of NGC 147 (oblong galaxy on the right) and NGC 185 (spherical galaxy on the left).  There is some debate among astronomers, but there is some evidence to support that these two galaxies form a binary pair meaning their gravities interact and also are considered satellites of the massive Andromeda Galaxy.

Photo Details

December 30, 2016

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

56 subframes at 3 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 48 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop