Font Hill 14th November 2020

Milky Way High in Eastern Sky 

Early Morning

Timelapse Sunset to Sunrise

Evening Redshift in the clouds to the West

 

Carina and Crux 60 Second Exposure  Canon 1100D.

The Secret Society of Astronomers

Morning Twilight

Moon 3rd September 2020

2 Panel Mosaic each 20 Frames, 40 Frames Total Stacked

Processed in Nebulosity and Photoshop

 Canon 550D and 150mm SkyWatcher Matsukov

Globular Cluster NGC 109 / 47 Tucanae

Globular Cluster NGC 109 47 Tucanae

120 Light Years across and 13050 Light Years distant

10 x 2 Minute frames stacked and processed in Nebulosity and Photoshop

150mm Skywatcher Matsukov and Modified Canon 550D

Tracking Skywatcher EQ6 Mount 

Autoguiding 50mm Guidescope and Meade DSI C

Software Carte Du Ciel, PHD2 and Astro Photography Tool

Stacking Post Processing Nebulosity and Photoshop

Messier 7 The Ptolemy Cluster

 

Modified Canon 30D and Vixen ED80

Tracking Skywatcher EQ6 Mount

AutoGuiding 50mm Guidescope and Meade DSI C II

21 x 2 Minute Frames

Preprocessing, Stacking and Stretching in Nebulosity  

Further enchancements PhotoShop with Astropanel

 

M24 - Sagittarius Star Cloud

2 Panel Mosaic Modified Canon30D Skywatcher ED80

Processed Nebulosity and Photoshop with Astro Panel

Cats Paw Nebula NGC6334 13th July 2020

Prawn Nebula IC4628 Reprocessesed in Startools

 IC4628 Bright Nebula in Sagittarius 6000 Light Years Distant (Centre),  

NGC 6242 Open Star Cluster (Bottom Right),  

NGC 6268 Open Star Cluster (Top Right), 

TR(Trumpler) 24  and the wider CR(Collinder) 316 Open Star Cluster(s) encompass  the foreground area of the Prawn Nebula and adjacent star field to left bottom of the image.

All around 3500 to 3700 Light Years Distant. 

30 x 120sec Images (60 Minutes Integration Time)

Hardware

Modified Canon 30D and Vixen ED80 Refractor

50mm (FL 140mm) Guidescope and Meade DSI C II Guide Camera

Skywatcher EQ6 German Eqautorial Mount

Software

Captured InAPT(AstroPhotographyTool)

Auto-Guiding PHD2

Telescope Control EQMOD with Planetarium CDC (Cart Du Ciel)

Image Preporcessing, Stacking in Nebulosity, Stretching and Noise Reduction in Startools

IC4628 Prawn Nebula, Open Star Clusters NGC 6242, 6268 and TR 14 taken evening 26th to morning 27th June 2020

IC4628 Bright Nebula in Sagittarius 6000 Light Years Distant (Centre),  

NGC 6242 Open Star Cluster (Bottom Right),  

NGC 6268 Open Star Cluster (Top Right), 

TR(Trumpler) 24  and the wider CR(Collinder) 316 Open Star Cluster(s) encompass  the foreground area of the Prawn Nebula and adjacent star field to left bottom of the image.

All around 3500 to 3700 Light Years Distant. 

30 x 120sec Images (60 Minutes Integration Time)

Hardware

Modified Canon 30D and Vixen ED80 Refractor

50mm (FL 140mm) Guidescope and Meade DSI C II Guide Camera

Skywatcher EQ6 German Eqautorial Mount

Software

Captured InAPT(AstroPhotographyTool)

Auto-Guiding PHD2

Telescope Control EQMOD with Planetarium CDC (Cart Du Ciel)

Image Preporcessing, Stacking, Stretching and Noise Reduction in Nebulosity

Further enhancment Photoshop CC with Astro Panel

Below is image processed in Startools after preprocessing and stacking in Nebulosity

Ngc's 3579 3603 3590 3572 Nebulosity and star field in Carina

 

28 x 120 Sec Exposures (56 Minutes Integration Time)

Hardware

Modified Canon 30D and Skywatcher ED80

Skywatcher German Equatorial Mount

Autoguiding 50mm Finder Scope and Meade DSI 2 C

Software

CDC(Carte Du Ciel), Eqmod, PHD2(Push Here Dummy) and APT (Astrophotography Tool)

Image Processing Software

Nebulosity(Stark Labs) and PhotoShop CC (Adobe)

Image before tweeks in Photoshop

Red Nebulosity and Star Field in Ara (NGC's 6188 6193 6200 6204 )

Modified Canon 350D and Vixen ED80

5 x 5 Minute Exposures/Frames

SkyWatcher EQ6 German Equatorial Mount

Capture in APT, Guiding PHD2, Planetarium CDC

Frames Stacked and Processed in Nebulosity and Photoshop

Some tweeks in AstroPanel

Stars removed in AstroPanel

Full(isH) Moon 6th June 2020

Taken with Canon 1100D and SWED80

Lunar 8 Days Old Waxing Gibbous 65% Full

Canon 30D, Vixen ED80 Refractor, Skywather EQ6 German Equatorial Mount,  61 x 1/800th Second Exposures at 200 ISO, Stacked and Enhanced in Nebulosity.

NGC 3293 (Gem Cluster) and Surrounds

Just adjacent of NGC3372 (Eta Caraine Nebula)(image center),lies this compact open star cluster, The Gem Cluster (NGC3293) and surrounding nebulosity, .  The bright tear shaped nebulosity towards the left and top of the image is NGC3324.  Both objects are 7600 Light Years distant and about 2400 Light Years in the foreground compared to the much larger aforementioned Eta Carinae Nebula.

Image acquired 26th May 2020 and consists of 21 x 5 minute frames integrated/stacked/processed in Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity and PhotoShop.  Taken with Modified Canon 450D, Vixen ED80 Refractor on EQ6 German Equatorial Mount.

Running Chicken Nebula IC2948

Running Chicken Nebula (IC2948) Bright Emmision Nebula,390 Light Years Distant and 8.5 Light Years wide(diameter). This nebula's field of view enevelopes IC2944  the Lamba Centaur Open Star Cluster which is much further distant at 5900 Light Years.

The bright star, Lambda Centuari, sits behind the nebula at 420 Light Years.

21 x 5 minute frames, (1 hour and 45 Minutes Integration)

Imaged 26th May 2020 with Skywatcher ED80 Refractor and Modified(Filter Removed) Canon 550D, EQ6 German Equatorial Mount.

Capture Software Cart DuCiel, PHD2 and Astro Photography Tool.

Post Processed in Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity and Photoshop.

Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae

Lagoon Nebula (Emmission Nebula), lower right NGC 6523/ Messier 8 containing star cluster NGC6530.  

4300 light years distant and approx 114 light years wide(diameter).

Trifid Nebula, top left NGC 6514/Messier 20.

2700 light years distant and apporx 21 light years wide(diameter)

The Trifid consists of an Emission Nebula(Red Nebulosity), a Reflection Nebula(Blue Nebulosity), a Dark Nebula(dividing the Emission Nebula into three) and also an Open Star Cluster.

15 x 5 Minute Frames ( 1 Hour 15 and Minutes Integration)

Imaged 26th May 2020 with Skywatcher ED80 Refractor and Modified Canon 550D(Filter Removed) and, EQ6 German Equatorial Mount.

Capture Software Cart DuCiel, PHD2 and Astro Photography Tool.

Post Processed in Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity and Photoshop.

NGC's (3576, 3579,3603) then 3590 and 3572

NGC's(3576,3579,3603) The area of larger nebulosity left of middle.

NGC3590 Small Open Star Cluster middle just right of the dark patch.

NGC 3572 The smaller nebulosity to the right

Canon 450D(Modified), Vixen ED80 Refractor and Skywatcher EQ6 Mount

Stacked and processes Nebulosity and Photoshop

 

19 Frame (Usually do 6) Eta Carinae Nebula NGC 3372 15th and 16th May 2020

The more frames you take you don't necesarily inclrease the brightness but when combined the brighter parts of the image can be enhanced without enhancing the background noise in the image making it easier to produce a clearer and more vibrant appearance.  I have up to now mostly just taken 6 shots and combined them and carried out to reasonably heavy nois e reduction in post processing.  The nineteen frames (of 24 taken over 2 nights) required on very minimal noise reduction and the nebula required much less contrast and colour enhancement.

 

Taking 'Pot Shots' between the clouds! 4th May Waxing Gibbous Moon, Eta Carinae and Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae

All three images taken with Vixen ED80 and modified Canon 450D

Waxing Gibbous Moon 

20 frames stacked and enhanced in Nebulosity

Eta Carina NGC3372

30x2 minute frames stacked and enhanced in Nebulosity

 

Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae

4x2 minute frames stacked and enhanced in Nebulosity

Clouds prevented more imaging.

Wide Field Galaxy(s) Messier 101 (Pinwheel Galaxy) iTelescope T20 New Mexico

M101, The Pinwheel Galaxy, in the constellation of Ursa Major and isn't visible in southern hemisphere skies.It  is almost 21 million light years distant, 85000 light years wide and with around  1 trillion stars.

If you zoom into the surrounding space you will see a number of more distant and fainter galaxies.

T20 is a 106mm aperture refracting telescope.  Image consistes of 6 X 5 minute exposures (Filters used- 3 Luminance and  1 each Red, Green and Blue) combined and processed with Nebulosity and Photoshop (with Astropanel).

Coma Star Cluster / Melotte 111

Loose open star cluster in Coma Berenices 288 light years distant. 

Visible in both southern and northern hemispere skies but as it's 60 degrees above the horizon at 

New Mexico and only around 20 degrees at Siding Spring it's easier to image from a more northerly position.

Black and white image (could't quite get the colour frames to combine in an appealing way)

made up of 4 frames, 12 Mins 30 sec of exposure total.

Taken with Telescope 14, iTelescope, New Mexico a 106mm aperture refracting telescope.

M101

M101 face on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major (Great Bear). 

23 Million Light Years distant.

6 x 5min exposures (3 Luminance and 1 each Red, Green and Blue)  Telescope T11 at iTelescope Mayhill, New Mexico.  Processed in Nebulosity and Phototshop(Astropanel)

Wide Field Ptolemy Cluster M7

300 seconds Luminance and 3 x 150 second images Red  Green and Blue filters respectively. Captured by iTelescope T8 at Siding Springs.
Processed in Nebulosity and Photoshop with Astro Panel.

M104 Sombrero Galaxy - T5 iTelescope New Mexico

Cloudy but enhanced in Nebulosity and PhotoShop.   5 Minutes Clear and 2.5 each of Red, Green and Blue.

M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy (telescope New Mexico T5)

Eta Carinae 29th January 2020

5×5 minute frames by modified Canon 30D and Skywatcher ED80 and EQ6 German Equatorial Mount. Stacked and processed in Nebulosity.  Acquisition with APT (Astrophotography Tool) and PHD  Guiding (Push Here Dummy).    Taken onsite at Astronomical Society of Tasmania Mount Pleasant Observatory. 

Tarantula Nebula and Large Magellanic Cloud (iTelescope T8 and T12 Siding Spring)

 T12

T8