Solar Maximum Continues

 

Solar maximum continues to roar.  These were taken in early May and I shot both in H-alpha double-stacked along with a simple white light filter.  The H-alpha provides so much detail, but I also like seeing some good detail in the sunspot activity shown through the white light filter.

Photo Details

May 7, 2023
Lunt Ha 60mm double-stacked solar telescope

Orion 8" Astrograph with white light filter
ZWO ASI178MM 
SharpCap - 8 Bit Mono
Image Stacking in AutoStakkert
Adjustments in ImPPG
Final Adjustments in Photoshop

Hyperactive Sun

 

We are now under 365 days until the next total solar eclipse observable in the U.S.  I hope this activity continues...it should make for a dramatic scene next April.

Photo Details

April 15, 2023
Lunt Ha 60mm double-stacked solar telescope
ZWO ASI178MM 
SharpCap - 8 Bit Mono
Image Stacking in AutoStakkert
Adjustments in ImPPG
Final Adjustments in Photoshop

Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565)

 

Good weather and a nearly moonless sky over the weekend culminated in a late night in my dark sky location.  This is NGC 4565, otherwise known as the Needle Galaxy.  From our perspective on Earth, it looks long and slender (like a needle, right?),  but perspective is everything.  It's actually a great example of a spiral, much like our own Milky Way.  Sitting about 40 to 50 million light years from us, there's actually at least 4 other galaxies in this same view.  Can you spot them all?

Photo Details

April 22, 2023

Orion 8" Astrograph on CGEM II Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Skyglow filter

30 subframes at 5 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 2 hours 30 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Moon and Venus

 

We finally got some relatively clear sky and I had some good luck shooting the Moon and Venus through the Mak-Cas.  This telescope has a focal length of 2700 mm (160 inches) so the views are kind of incredible, especially in steady seeing.  It's interesting to contrast the Moon which has unending detail with Venus which is shrouded in dense cloud cover.  Interestingly, I caught Venus with half the disk illuminated.    This observation, first made by Galileo, is one piece of important evidence that Venus orbits the Sun and not the Earth.

Photo Details

March 30, 2023
Celestron 7" Mak-Cas on CGEMII Mount
ZWO ASI178MM 
SharpCap - 8 Bit Mono (Moon)

SharpCap - 8 Bit Mono through RGB filters (Venus)

Image Stacking in AutoStakkert
Adjustments in imPPG (Moon)

Adjustments in Registax 6 (Venus)

Final Adjustments in Photoshop

The last of C/2022 E3 (ZTF)

 

This was my last attempt at Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) before it leaves us for 50,000 years, if it returns at all.  Latest estimates of its orbit have astronomers thinking it may not return at all.  Good while it lasted!

Photo Details

February 12, 2023

Orion 8" Astrograph on Celestron AVX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Skyglow filter

55 subframes at 1 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 55 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

Sol on Feb 4, 2023

 

Lots of prominence activity as Sol is rapidly approaching solar maximum.  I had difficulty getting the double stack perfectly on band so there was a lot of ghosting when shooting the full disk so it's not included here.  Definitely need to continue working on that skill. 

Photo Details

February 4, 2023
Lunt Ha 60mm double-stacked solar telescope
ZWO ASI178MM 
SharpCap - 8 Bit Mono
Image Stacking in AutoStakkert
Adjustments in ImPPG
Final Adjustments in Photoshop

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) & Capella

 

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) passed near the star Capella on the night of  February 5, 2023.  I tried a couple different postprocessing techniques.  The top photo used Deep Sky Stacker's "Track on Comet and Stars" routine while the bottom photo is tracking on the comet only.  Pushing the saturation in the bottom photo brought out a hint of the green hue that's been discussed in mainstream media.  The green comes from diatomic carbon in the comet being excited by solar ultraviolet radiation.  I'm still waiting for a clear moonless night to get better views, but it's already put on a great show.

Photo Details

February 5, 2023

Astrotech 65Q Refractor on Celestron AVX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Skyglow filter

113 subframes at 1 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 1 hour 53 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in PhotoShop

First Solar of 2023

 

These are my first solar images of 2023 and it's picking up where 2022 left off.  I was able to use a 3x Barlow on some of these that really helped dig out the details.  More to come! 

Photo Details

January 7, 2023
Lunt Ha 60mm double-stacked solar telescope
ZWO ASI178MM 
SharpCap - 8 Bit Mono
Image Stacking in AutoStakkert
Adjustments in ImPPG
Final Adjustments in Photoshop

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)

 

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has been making the rounds in mainstream media.  It's estimated that the nucleus is about 1 km across and has a tail that extends for millions of kilometers.  I wasn't able to see it naked eye last night and through the eyepiece of my telescope it was a fuzzball due to the bright moonlight washing everything out.  I hope to have another chance at it on a moonless night next week.

Photo Details

February 3, 2023

Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount

SBIG STF-8300C Camera

Baader MPC Mark III Multi-Purpose Coma Corrector

Skyglow filter

26 subframes at 1 minutes/frame

Total Exposure Time = 26 minutes
Image Acquisition in CCDOps
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker - Using Comet Settings
Image Processing in PhotoShop