March 24, 2023

Naples, FL

Equipment--

Telescope: Explore Scientific ED 80, field flattener (no reducer), 480mm focal length

Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro

Camera: ZWO ASI204MC-Pro

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm guide scope

Guide camera: ZWO ASI120MM-S

Software: NINA, PHD2

Imaging--

Lights: 45x60s

Darks, Flats, DarkFlats, Bias: assorted

Sensor temp: -10.0

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Sky: Bortle 5 (nominal)

Post processing--

Software: PixInsight, Photoshop

Data acquired remotely from IC Astronomy Observatory, Oria, Spain.

Takahashi FSQ-106 telescope

Paramount MX mount

ZWO ASA 2600mm CMOS camera

Optolong SHO filters

This turned out to be a bigger project than expected! I’d originally shot this target a while back but the orientation was poor on our remote rig so I revisited the nebula and made a two-pane mosaic. Once done, I cropped some of the outer edges from the final image.

I’d like to dedicate this image to the memory of our dear friend Colin Cooper (IC Astronomy Observatory, Oria, Spain).

SHO image:

Ha: 220 × 600s

OIII: 280 × 600s

SII: 252 × 600s

Data acquisition:

28-08-2025 to 27-10-2025

NGC 281 is a bright emission nebula in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way's Perseus Spiral Arm.

I imaged this target before with my FLT91 and wanted to revisit it with the FLT132 to get more detail. I used a combination of the Antlia ALP-T 5nm and Optolong L-Ultimate 3nm dualband filters. I managed to get almost 20 hours integration time over 5 nights, so I'm happy with the result.

I used my William Optics FLT132 with FLAT8 0.72x reducer/flattener. ZWO 2600MC Pro colour camera, Antlia ALP-T 5nm Ha & Oiii and Optolong L-Ultimate 3nm Ha & Oiii filters.

ZWO AM5 mount and ZWO ASIAir Plus to control everything.

Pre and post-processed in PixInsight and Affinity Photo 2.

Integration time: 19 hours + 15 minutes.

More acquisition details and other versions in Astrobin: astrob.in/dy1bmv/0/

Takahashi FSQ-106 telescope

Paramount MX mount

ZWO ASA 2600mm CMOS camera

Optolong Ha-LRGB filters

Data acquired remotely from IC Astronomy Observatory, Oria, Spain.

LRGB image.

L: 67 x 600s

R: 16 x 600s

G: 21 x 600s

B: 17 x 600s

Acquisition dates:

09-08-2024 to 15-08-2-24

North is to the right in this view.

Processed with Astro Pixel Processor, PixInsight, Blur Xterminator, Star Xterminator, Noise Xterminator, Affinity Photo.

Astronomy tutorials and music videos on my You Tube Channel:

www.youtube.com/channel/UCdNHCly_2ueWSe-Hh4OiuDA

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THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR 1.7+ MILLION + VIEWS!!!👍👍

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About this image:

A widefield mosaic of the large Rho Ophiuchi Nebular Cloud Complex. Rho Ophiuchi is a dark nebula of gas and dust that is located 1° south of the star ρ Ophiuchi of the constellation Ophiuchus (close to the red Supergiant star Antares).

About the Interstellar Cloud Colors:

Fine dust illuminated from the front by starlight produces blue reflection nebulae. The atoms of gaseous clouds that are excited by ultraviolet starlight produce reddish emission nebulae. Back-lit dust clouds block light and appear dark. Antares (a red supergiant star, and one of the brighter stars in the night sky), lights up the yellow-red dust clouds. Rho Ophiuchi lies at the center of the blue nebula. Interstellar clouds are even more colorful than we can see in visible light, emitting light across a large portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Gear:

William Optics Star 71mm f/4.9 Imaging APO Refractor Telescope.

William Optics 50mm Finder Scope.

Celestron SkySync GPS Accessory.

Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope.

Orion StarShoot Autoguider.

Celestron AVX Mount.

QHYCCD PoleMaster.

Celestron StarSense.

Aurora Flatfield Panel.

Optolong 36mm LRGB & SHO filters.

QHYCFW2-M-US Filterwheel (7 position).

QHY163M Cooled CMOS Monochrome Astronomy Camera.

Lights/Subs:

Mosaic photographed using Optolong LRGB filters.

L = 36 x 180 sec. per filter / per mosaic panel.

R = 24 x 180 sec. per filter / per mosaic panel.

G = 24 x 180 sec. per filter / per mosaic panel.

B = 24 x 180 sec. per filter / per mosaic panel.

Enhanced emission lines:

Optolong L-Pro used for Luminance (instead of default L filter).

OIII (496, 500nm).

H-Beta (486nm).

NII (654, 658nm).

H-Alpha (656nm).

SII (672nm).

Infrared cut-off (700-1100nm).

Imaged with the QHY163M Unity Gain Settings:

Gain = 12

Offset = 60

CMOS Cooled to -25°C

Calibration Frames:

50 x Bias/Offset.

30 x Darks.

20 x Flats and Dark Flats.

Image Acquisition:

Sequence Generator Pro via the Mosaic and Framing Wizard.

Plate Solving in SGP via the Astrometry.net ANSVR Solver.

Autoguiding via Open PHD Guiding.

Processing:

Pre-Processing and Linear workflow in PixInsight,

and finished in Photoshop.

Astrometry Info:

View an Annotated Sky Chart of this image.

Center RA, Dec: 249.146, -24.140

Center RA, hms: 16h 36m 34.922s

Center Dec, dms: -24° 08' 22.364"

Size: 8.75 x 6.19 deg

Radius: 5.356 deg

Pixel scale: 17.5 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: Up is 196 degrees E of N

View this image in the World Wide Telescope.

Martin

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Constelación en que se encuentra: Osa Mayor

Distancia: 27 millones de años luz

De SkySafari:

Messier 101 (#M101) es una galaxia descubierta en 1781, ubicada en la constelación de la Osa Mayor. Con observaciones del telescopio espacial Hubble se ha podido determinar a través de estrellas cefeidas que está a unos 27 millones de años luz. Su diámetro se estima en 170.000 años luz, casi el doble del tamaño de la vía láctea. Es una de las galaxias espirales más grandes conocidas.

M101 ha producido tres super novas en el último siglo. Tiene muchas regiones de formación estelar. Su forma espiral se debe a la interacción con las galaxias satélite.

Datos de la imagen:

Exposure: 21hr 12min LRGB (79 x 3min Luminance, 43 x 3 min Red, 45 x 3 min Green, 44 x 3 min Blue, 32 x 3 min Ha)

Telescope: #Celestron #EdgeHD #C925

Camera: #PlayerOne #Poseidon-M

Focal ratio: f10

Focal length: 2350 mm

Capturing software: NINA

Filter: #Optolong L, Optolong R, Optolong G, Optolong B

Mount: #iOptron #CEM60

Guiding: PlayerOne #Xena with PlayerOne #OAG Max and #PHD2

Dithering: Yes

Calibration: 30 darks, 30 flat darks, 50 flats

Processing: #PixInsight

Date: 19-Ene-2025, 22-Ene-2025, 23-Ene-2025, 30-Ene-2025, 24-Mar-2025

Location: #Bogotá, #Colombia

Combined HA from QHY294M Pro (1 x 360s) and Oiii from Altair 26C with Optolong L-eXtreme(3 x 240s)

NGC 6604 – ammasso aperto

La costellazione del Serpente, situata poco a Nord dell’equatore galattico, è visibile in due parti: la Testa e la Coda del Serpente, separate da Ofiuco il Serpentario. Nella Coda del Serpente c’è uno degli oggetti più famosi del cielo, la Nebulosa Aquila o M16 con i Pilastri della Creazione, e circa un grado e mezzo a Nord di M16 c’è un altro oggetto meno famoso che ho ripreso nelle prime notti di agosto di quest’anno: il piccolo ma luminoso ammasso aperto NGC 6604, che Wikipedia mi dice essere stato scoperto nel 1784 da William Herschel.

NGC 6604 è un giovane ammasso aperto contenente un gran numero di stelle massicce. Si stima (leggo sempre da Wikipedia) che le sue componenti stellari più massicce non superano i 4-5 milioni di anni. Si trova a circa 5.540 anni luce di distanza ed è situato all’interno di una vasta nebulosa a emissione chiamata Sh2–54 che costituisce il suo sfondo luminoso.

Nella mia immagine NGC 6604 appare quindi come un piccolo raggruppamento stellare incastonato nella trama luminosa e intricata della nebulosa retrostante.

Per questa ripresa ho utilizzato

•Telescopio newton GSO 154/600 con Camera di ripresa ASI 294 MC Pro

•Telescopio guida 60/240 con Camera ASI 120 MM Mini

•Montatura Sky-Watcher HEQ5 SynScan GOTO

Ho accumulato un’integrazione totale di quasi 4 ore acquisite con Asiair Pro:

•45 frames da 120sec con filtro Optolong L-pro

•28 frames da 300sec con filtro Optolong L-extreme

L’elaborazione in RGB l’ho poi eseguita con Pixinsight.

NGC 6604 – Open Cluster

The Serpens constellation, located just north of the galactic equator, is visible in two parts: the Head and Tail of the Serpens, separated by Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. In the Tail of the Serpens is one of the most famous objects in the sky, the Eagle Nebula or M16 with the Pillars of Creation, and about a degree and a half north of M16 is another less famous object that I photographed in the early nights of August this year: the small but bright open cluster NGC 6604, which Wikipedia tells me was discovered in 1784 by William Herschel.

NGC 6604 is a young open cluster containing a large number of massive stars. It is estimated (again, I read from Wikipedia) that its most massive stellar components are no more than 4-5 million years old. It is approximately 5,540 light-years away and is located within a vast emission nebula called Sh2–54, which forms its bright background.

In my image, NGC 6604 therefore appears as a small star cluster embedded in the bright and intricate texture of the nebula behind it.

For this image, I used:

• GSO 154/600 Newtonian telescope with ASI 294 MC Pro imaging camera

• 60/240 guide scope with ASI 120 MM Mini camera

• Sky-Watcher HEQ5 SynScan GOTO mount

I accumulated a total integration of almost 4 hours acquired with Asiair Pro:

• 45 frames of 120 seconds with Optolong L-pro filter

• 28 frames of 300 seconds with Optolong L-extreme filter

I then processed the RGB data with Pixinsight.

The Wizard Nebula.

Still a lot to learn about editing, but I finally feel like I can get something back from my data now.

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Askar 71f at 490mm

ZWO ASI533MC

Optolong L-eNhance filter

Processed in Siril, GraXpert and Ps

/

#astropho #astrophotography_ #astrophotography #astrophotographer #deepskyimaging #deepskyobject

ic410-60x180-qhy183c_-20C-g20-o100-lnh-85f5_6

3 hrs of 3 minute sub-images (60x180 sec) were used to generate this image of IC410 and the Tadpoles with Comet ATLAS moving through the field of view during the exposures. Metro area (Bortle 7-8 Red Zone) conditions, clear and transparent, 55F. Equipment: Televue TV-85, QHY183c camera, Optolong L-eNhance filter, and an Atlas EQ-G mount.

Camera: Canon RP Astro mod

Lens: Walimex Pro (Samyang) 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC

Expo: 33 * 15s @ f/2.2 stacked

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

monkeyhead-100x30-g42-o42-qhy183c_-20C-lenh-85f5_6-v2

"NGC 2174 (aka, Monkey Head Nebula) is an H II emission nebula located in the constellation Orion. Is associated with the open star cluster NGC 2175. It is located about 6,400 light-years away from us."

I used an Optolong L-eNhance filter to shoot through bad LP in a metro area for this shot. Live Stacking in SharpCap 3.2 with dithering, 100 x 30 seconds sub-images. Gain was 42 (1 to 54 scale,) offset was 42, and the camera, a QHY183c, was cooled to -20C. Televue TV-85 at F/5.6, Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD.

I have imaged the Dark Shark Nebula before as a 2-Panel mosaic due to the field of view from a smaller sensor size, so with a Full Frame such as the ASI2400MC Pro I manage to capture the whole shark in one frame as well as the surrounding dark nebulosity

Image Details: 175x150S at Gain 26

Darks: 101 Frames

Flats: 101 Frames

Bias: 201 Frames

Acquisition Dates: Sept. 14, 2020 , Sept. 15, 2020 , Sept. 18, 2020 , Sept. 21, 2020 , Sept. 22, 2020

Total Capture time: 7.3 hours

Equipment Details:

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI2400MC Pro 24mpx Full Frame OSC

Imaging Scope: SharpStar 15028HNT Hyperboloid Astrograph

Guide Camera: StarlightXpress Lodestar X2

Guide Scope: 365Astronomy 280mm Guide Scope

Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro

Focuser: Primalucelab Sesto Senso V2

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Power and USB Control: Pegasus Astro USB Ultimate Hub Pro

Acquisition Software: Main Sequence Software. Sequence Generator Pro 3.2

Calibration and Stacking: Astro Pixel Processor

Processing Software: PixInsight 1.8.6 and EZ Processing Suite for Star Reduction

Sh2-140 è una nebulosa a emissione visibile nella costellazione di Cefeo, fa parte della grande regione di formazione stellare del Complesso nebuloso molecolare di Cefeo.

Sh2-140 è una regione H II situata sul bordo sudoccidentale della nebulosa oscura LDN 1204, nella Bolla di Cefeo, a una distanza di circa 2900 anni luce dal Sole. La stella responsabile della ionizzazione dei gas della nebulosa è HD 211880, una stella azzurra.

Composizione HaRGB

Telescopio Sky-Watcher Newton 200/1000 PDS @960 con riduttore Tecnosky

Camera ToupTek 571c

Guida Phd2 con ASI 224

Montatura Sky-Watcher Eq6r pro

Light 101 da 300" tot. 8 ore e 25 filtro Optolong L-QEF

più boost filtro Optolong L-Ultimate

Software di acquisizione N.I.N.A.

Stacking DSS, elab. PixInsight e Photoshop

Sannicola LE Italy

Ripresa 7 Settembre 2024

SQM 19.42

FR:

Une projection trompeuse : la « boucle d’Arp » dans le duo galactique M81-M82

Ce duo spectaculaire de galaxies, découvert en 1774 par l’astronome allemand Johann Elert Bode, se situe dans la constellation de la Grande Ourse, à environ 12 millions d’années-lumière de la Terre. Bien qu’elles présentent des apparences très différentes, M81 et M82 sont physiquement proches l’une de l’autre et interagissent gravitationnellement depuis des centaines de millions d’années.

M81 est une majestueuse galaxie spirale, légèrement inclinée par rapport à notre ligne de visée. Elle évoque une version plus structurée de la Voie lactée, avec ses bras bien définis et un noyau central lumineux abritant un trou noir supermassif. D’un diamètre d’environ 90 000 années-lumière, elle est légèrement plus petite que notre Galaxie. M81 contient une population de jeunes étoiles bleues et chaudes, formées lors de récents épisodes de formation stellaire, probablement déclenchés par les interactions gravitationnelles avec sa voisine, M82.

M82, quant à elle, contraste fortement avec M81. Vue par la tranche, cette galaxie irrégulière est en pleine effervescence : c’est une galaxie dite starburst, c’est-à-dire qu’elle connaît un intense sursaut de formation d’étoiles. Ce phénomène spectaculaire a été provoqué par un passage rapproché de M81, qui a perturbé gravitationnellement le gaz de M82, déclenchant des flambées de naissance stellaire. Ces explosions d’activités produisent d’immenses panaches de gaz rougeoyant, éjectés perpendiculairement au disque galactique.

Mais ce qui rend cette image particulièrement intrigante, c’est la présence de structures diffuses autour de ce duo galactique. M81 et M82 font partie d’un petit groupe de galaxies en interaction, et leur dernier rapprochement a arraché de vastes quantités d’hydrogène neutre (HI), désormais dispersées sous forme de filaments ténus dans l’espace intergalactique. Ces structures, invisibles à l’œil nu, forment un réseau complexe que l’on peut détecter avec des instruments sensibles.

Parmi ces formations, une arche lumineuse située au-dessus de M81 avait longtemps été interprétée comme une queue de marée, un résidu de l’interaction gravitationnelle entre les deux galaxies. Baptisée « boucle d’Arp » en l’honneur de l’astronome Halton Arp, elle semblait être une preuve directe des forces de marée à l’œuvre dans ce système. Cependant, des observations plus poussées ont révélé que cette structure arquée n’est pas liée aux galaxies M81 et M82. Il s’agit en réalité d’un filament de poussière appartenant à notre propre Voie lactée, projeté par hasard sur la même ligne de visée. Ce malentendu illustre parfaitement les pièges que peut tendre la perspective en astronomie : un exemple saisissant de projection trompeuse dans l’immensité de l’Univers.

Données techniques :

– 180 x 300 s – ASI 2600MC Pro (gain 100, -10 °C)

– Filtre L-Quad Optolong

– Monture NEQ6 Pro GoTo

– Ciel Bortle 5

– Traitement : Siril / PixInsight / Photoshop

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EN:

A Deceptive Projection: The “Arp Loop” in the Galactic Duo M81–M82

This striking galactic pair, discovered in 1774 by German astronomer Johann Elert Bode, lies in the constellation Ursa Major, about 12 million light-years from Earth. Although they appear visually very different, M81 and M82 are physically close and have been interacting gravitationally for hundreds of millions of years.

M81 is a grand spiral galaxy, viewed at a slight tilt. It resembles a more orderly version of our own Milky Way, with clearly defined spiral arms and a bright central core that hosts a supermassive black hole. Spanning around 90,000 light-years, it’s slightly smaller than the Milky Way. M81 is home to populations of young, blue, and hot stars—evidence of recent star formation episodes likely triggered by gravitational encounters with M82.

M82, by contrast, looks radically different. Seen edge-on, it is a classic starburst galaxy undergoing an intense surge of star formation. This burst was directly caused by a close encounter with M81, which stirred up the gas within M82 and ignited widespread stellar birth. As a result, colossal plumes of glowing gas are being ejected perpendicular to its disk, giving the galaxy a chaotic and energetic appearance.

What makes this image particularly fascinating is the presence of faint, dark clouds surrounding the pair. M81 and M82 belong to a small group of galaxies engaged in gravitational interaction. Their most recent close pass tore out vast amounts of neutral hydrogen (HI), now spread out in a network of diffuse, thread-like filaments between them—structures invisible to the naked eye but detectable with sensitive equipment.

Among these features is a curious arc of light above M81, once thought to be a tidal tail—material flung out during the gravitational encounter between the two galaxies. Named the “Arp Loop” after astronomer Halton Arp, it was long believed to be a direct remnant of this galactic interaction. However, more recent observations have revealed a surprising twist: this arc is not associated with M81 or M82 at all. It is, in fact, a foreground filament of dust from our own Milky Way, aligned by chance along the same line of sight. A striking example of how deceptive cosmic projections can be—and a reminder that in astronomy, appearances can be misleading.

Technical details:

– 180 x 300 s – ASI 2600MC Pro (gain 100, -10 °C)

– Optolong L-Quad filter

– NEQ6 Pro GoTo mount

– Bortle 5 sky

– Processing: Siril / PixInsight / Photoshop

ccd: Moravian G3-16200 with IFW + OAG

filters: Optolong LRGB and 7-nm Ha

telescope: TEC 140 f/7

mount: 10Micron GM2000 QCI

guider: Lodestar X2

exposure: L 22x20min + RGB 8x12min + Ha 28x30min (all 1x1)

location: Les Granges, 900 m (Hautes Alpes, France)

software: TheSkyX Pro, CCD Commander, Pixinsight, PS CS5

date: 17 Jul - 17 Aug 2018

Revisit my year old Rosette data.

Telescope: AT60ED

Camera: ZWO ASI294MM Pro

Filters: Optolong sho 3nm

Total of 25 hours of total exposure using 3 filters: Ha, Oiii &Sii.

Total of 300 frames of 5 minutes each.

Location: Bortle 7

Astrobin:

www.astrobin.com/nehw9j/

Another attempt to image Comet Tsuchinshan- atlas C/2023 A3 to say goodbye to this remarkable comet. Hopefully, we can see it after 80,000 years 😬. I wish you will like it. Gear setup:

WO 73 Zenithstar, iOptron iEQ 30 pro, ZWO 2600MC @0, Optolong L-Pro 2”. Captured by ASIAir light subs 120 x 30sec, total exposure 1 hour. Stacked and processed in PI and PS.

M81 & M82, also known as Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy seem to float in IFN (integrated flux nebula.) These nebulae clouds, an important component of the interstellar medium, are composed of dust particles, hydrogen and carbon monoxide and other elements, and are extremely faint. M81 and M82 are located about 12 million light years away. The IFN is much closer and associated with our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

This is an integrated exposure of almost 25 hrs, to bring out the faint details.

Scope: Radian Raptor 61, FL 275mm

Camera: ZWO2600M

Optolong HLRGB filters

ZWO AM5 mount. Taken in bortle1-2 skies, northern Arizona.

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is a concentration of interstellar gas and dust within the much larger ionized gas region IC 1396 located in the constellation Cepheus about 2,400 light years away from Earth.

I shot this image over several evenings from three different locations where I collected a total of 11 hours and 22 minutes of exposure time.

Equipment: William Optics Redcat 51 telescope, William Optics Uniguide scope.

ZWO ASI294 MC Pro camera and ASI120 mm mini guide camera, ZWO ASIair plus onboard computer, iOptron GEM 28 mount. Filters Optolong L-Plus, L-Extreme and UV/IR cut.

Shot details: The camera was cooled to -10 degrees C at 120 gain, I shot 91 x 5 minute subs in my Bortle 8 backyard using the L-Extreme dual band filter. 58 x 3 minute subs from a park, Bordle 5, using the L-Pro light pollution filter and finally 18 x 3 minute subs from a Bordle 2 location using the IR/UV cut filter for natural star colour.

The images were stacked in Deep Sky Stacker then processed in Photoshop.

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

Telescopio: Skywatcher evostar ed80

Camera: Zwo Asi 294 mc Zwo Asi 294 mm

Montatura: Skywatcher AZ-EQ5

Autoguida: 60mm UltraGuide Artesky con zwo asi 224mc

Correttore 0.85x ed80 skywatcher

Filtri Optolong L-pro H-alfa

Software d'acquisizione Sgpro

————— FOTO ————

temp 0 con dark, flat e darkflat

ha 83 x 300s

rgb 155 x 300s

—— ELABORAZIONE ——

Pixinsight

Photoshop

ccd: Moravian G3-16200 with EFW + OAG

filters: Optolong LRGB and Astrodon 5-nm Ha/O3

telescope: FSQ 106N f/5

mount: 10Micron GM2000 QCI

guider: Lodestar X2

exposure: L 36x10min + RGB 15x5min (all 1x1)

location: Les Granges, 900 m (Hautes Alpes, France)

software: TheSkyX Pro, CCD Commander, Pixinsight, PS CC

date: 22 Aug - 15 Sep 2020

NGC 1499 aka The California Nebula is an intense hydrogen emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus. It is so named because it appears to resemble the outline of the US State of California on long exposure photographs. The California Nebula is around 100 light years long and is 1000 light years away from earth.

Total exposer 7 hours and 10 minutes taken over several evenings, a total of 88 x 5 minute exposures plus calibration frames stacked in Deep Space Stacker and processed in Photoshop.

Equipment: William Optics Redcat 51 telescope, William Optics Uniguide scope.

ZWO ASI294 MC Pro camera and ASI120 mm mini guide camera, ZWO ASIair plus onboard computer, iOptron GEM 28 mount. Filter Optolong L-Extreme.

Sharpless 2-106, Sh2-106 or S106 for short, lies nearly 2,000 light-years from us. The nebula measures several light-years in length. It appears in a relatively isolated region of the Milky Way galaxy. A massive, young star, IRS 4 (Infrared Source 4), is responsible for the furious activity we see in the nebula. Twin lobes of super-hot gas stretch outward from the central star. A ring of dust and gas orbiting the star acts like a belt, cinching the expanding nebula into an "hourglass" shape.

Detailed studies of the nebula have also uncovered several hundred brown dwarfs. At purely infrared wavelengths, more than 600 of these sub-stellar objects appear. These "failed" stars weigh less than a tenth of our Sun. Because of their low mass, they cannot produce sustained energy through nuclear fusion like our Sun does. They encompass the nebula in a small cluster. (Ref: hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2011/38/2932-Image.html)

Observation data: J2000.0 epoch

Subtype: bipolar nebula

Right ascension: 20h 27m 27.1s

Declination: +37° 22′ 39″

Distance: 2,000 ly

Apparent dimensions (V): 3′ × 3′

Constellation: Cygnus

Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at 0C, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro mount, Optolong L-eXtreme filter (2”), 42 x 300 second exposures, guided using a ZWO 30mm f/4 mini guide scope and ZWO 120 Mini, focus with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: August 3, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

Triplet 115/800

ZWO ASI 183MMPRO

LRGB

#opotolong

L: 60x180

RGB: 10x180 each channel

DSS+PIXINSIGHT+PS6

Takahashi FSQ-106 telescope

Paramount MX mount

ZWO ASA 2600mm CMOS camera

Optolong Ha-LRGB filters

Data acquired remotely from IC Astronomy Observatory, Oria, Spain.

Ha: 181 x 600s

L: 56 x 600s

R: 63 x 600s

G: 32 x 600s

B: 48 x 600s

Data acquisition:

04-February-2024 to 13-March-2024

Processed with Astro Pixel Processor, PixInsight, Blur Xterminator, Star Xterminator, Noise Xterminator, Affinity Photo.

Astronomy tutorials and music videos on my You Tube Channel:

www.youtube.com/channel/UCdNHCly_2ueWSe-Hh4OiuDA

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THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR 1.5 MILLION + VIEWS!!!👍👍

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The Soul Nebula is an emission nebula located in Cassiopeia, 6,500 lightyears away. It is a cloud of cosmic gas and dust 150 lightyears wide that's being illuminated and carved by powerful streams of charged particles emanating from an open cluster of stars.

This image of the Soul Nebula completes my project to image the three main nebulae in the same region. The Heart Nebula (IC1805) flic.kr/p/2qgwVE8, The Fish Head Nebula (NGC896) flic.kr/p/2qg6dbf and the Soul Nebula.

Starless version here: flic.kr/p/2qkE9hs

The weather has not been great over the last month, but I managed to get close to 26 hours integration time over 5 separate nights.

Equipment:

* William Optics FLT132 with the FLAT8 0.72x reducer.

* ZWO ASI2600MC Pro cooled camera with 2 narrowband/dualband filters: Optolong L-Ultimate 3nm Ha & Oiii, and Antlia 5nm Ha & Oiii.

* ZWO AM5 mount with ASIAir Plus.

* Processed with PixInsight and Affinity Photo 2

More integration and acquisition information in my Astrobin page: astrob.in/jjjpim/0/

Thanks for looking.

Clear Skies

Tarantula Nebula is an impressive cosmic object, it lies in Great Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy of our local group. This nebula is very rich in hydrogen, in this image we can see many complex clouds of ionized gas. NGC 2070 is a jewel for southern astrophotographers and I'm feeling so happy with this work. It's always a challenge to get this nebula because it is high on sky in rainy season here in Brazil.

Besides that, it was a great pleasure to do this work because there was a cooperation between Rick Stevenson and me sharing our h-alpha images to improve exposure time.

Rick Stevenson:

Ha: 47x120s (1,6 hours) bin1x1

Delberson:

Ha: 26x300s (2,2 hours) bin1x1

R: 30x120s (1 hour) bin2x2

G: 30x120s (1 hour) bin2x2

B: 30x120s (1 hour) bin2x2

Total exposure: 6,8 hours

* Setup:

Telescope: Refractor Orion ED80

Focal Length: 600mm

Camera: QHY163M

Mount: HEQ5 Pro

Filters: LRGB Optolong and H-Alpha 7nm Baader

Location: Silvânia / GO / Brazil

Here is a wide field view of the Veil Nebula Complex found in the constellation Cygnus. This is the remnants of a supernova that is about 1,470 light years from Earth and nearly 50 light years across. The Veil Nebula Complex has about two dozen components that have their own designations including the Eastern Veil, Western Veil, The Funnel, Pickering’s Triangle and more. Processing was done to remove the stars to focus more on the nebula details.

Tech Specs: Williams Optics Redcat, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro mount, ZWO ASI071 camera, 77 x 300 seconds at 0C with darks and flats, guided using a ZWO 30mm f/4 mini guide scope and ZWO 120 Mini. Captured using ZWO AAP and processed using DSS and PixInsight. Autofocus using the ProAstroGear Black-CAT and ZWO EAF. Image date: August 22, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

5 hours acquisition time (5 minute subs at ISO 400) with my Ha modified Canon 77D + Askar FRA500 scope + Optolong L-Ultimate DNB filter mounted on the Proxisky UMi17 Lite and guiding/control via SvBony 50mm guidescope + ASI120MM Mini + ASIAir Plus + EAF

Taken from driveway at home under Bortle 5/6 Brisbane suburban sky

The Horsehead and Flame Nebulas in Orion from mydrive way with a last quarter moon under Bortle 6+ skies. William Optics Redcat 250/51 mm telescope Optolong L-Pro broadband light pollution reduction filter, ZWO ASI 533 MC Pro at -10C, gain 1.01, 112 minutes of exposure in 60” subs.

Processed in PixInsight, with Topaz DeNoise and final exposure and crop in Photoshop

The Clampshell Nebula (Sh2-119) is a large emission nebula located about 2,200 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Cygnus. It lies just 3° east of the famous North America–Pelican complex and, perhaps because of this proximity to such a well-known object, it is not among the most frequently photographed regions of the sky. In reality, it is a highly fascinating area, made particularly striking by the contrast created by a dense network of dark dust in its southern portion. Near the center of the field shines, like a pearl, the star 68 Cygni: its closeness is only apparent, as it is actually more than twice as far away as the nebula.

Technical data: Nikon 400 mm f/2.8 on ZWO AM5N mount. ZWO ASI 2600MC DUO camera. 84×300 s (7 h) at f/4 with Optolong L-Extreme filter (Dual Band Ha/OIII 7 nm).

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

Telescopio: Skywatcher evostar ed80

Camera: Zwo Asi 294 mm

Montatura: Skywatcher AZ-EQ6

Autoguida: 60mm UltraGuide Artesky con zwo asi 224mc

Correttore 0.85x ed80 skywatcher

Filtri: Optolong 3nm Ha O3 S2

Software d'acquisizione Sgpro

————— FOTO ————

temp -10 con dark, flat e darkflat

HA 300s x 69scatti

O3 300s x 79scatti

S2 300 x 57scatti

—— ELABORAZIONE ——

Pixinsight

Photoshop

ccd: Moravian G3-16200 with EFW + OAG

filters: Optolong LRGB and Astrodon 5-nm Ha/O3

telescope: FSQ 106N f/5

mount: 10Micron GM2000 QCI

guider: Lodestar X2

exposure: L 18x10min + RGB 12x5min (all 1x1)

location: Les Granges, 900 m (Hautes Alpes, France)

software: TheSkyX Pro, CCD Commander, Pixinsight, PS CC

date: 22 Feb - 17 Mar 2020

M46 includes the tiny planetary nebula NGC2438

is an emission nebula visible in the constellation Perseus.

Its distance is estimated at about 1,000 light-years from Earth.

This image is the result of combining two OSC filters, the L-Extreme filter and the L-Synergy filter, for a SHO image.

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

🔭 Tecnosky owl 90\540

📷 Zwo Asi 2600 duo

⚙️ Sw Az-eq6

Filtri Optolong l-Synergy L-extreme

————— FOTO ————

temp -10 con dark, flat e darkflat

l-extreme 80 x 300s

l-synergy 170 x 300s

————— ELABORAZIONE ———

Pixinsight

Photoshop

I never get bored of imaging the closest galaxy to our own, at 2.5 moon widths wide, it is an easy target to spot with the naked eye, really good field of view with the ASI6200 on the SHarpStar 15028HNT

RA: 00h42m44.33s

Dec: 41°16'07.50"

Constellation: Andromeda

Designation: M31

Image Details: 201x90S at Gain 0

Darks: 101 Frames

Flats: 101 Frames

Bias: 101 Frames

Acquisition Dates: Nov. 15, 2020 , Nov. 18, 2020 , Nov. 19, 2020 , Dec. 12, 2020

Total Capture time: 5.0 Hours

Equipment Details:

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI6200MC Pro 62mpx Full Frame OSC

Imaging Scope: SharpStar 15028HNT Hyperboloid Astrograph

Guide Camera: StarlightXpress Lodestar X2

Guide Scope: 365Astronomy 280mm Guide Scope

Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro

Focuser: Primalucelab Sesto Senso V2

Filter: Optolong L-Pro 2"

Power and USB Control: Pegasus Astro USB Ultimate Hub Pro

Acquisition Software: Main Sequence Software. Sequence Generator Pro 3.2

Calibration and Stacking: Astro Pixel Processor

Processing Software: PixInsight 1.8.8 and EZ Processing Suite for Star Reduction

Hey! It's another globular cluster!

Hey! Guess which constellation it's in?

(looks back through recent globular cluster pics)

That's right! Ophiuchus!

M19 (NGC 6273) - another globular cluster in Ophiuchus (and I'm not done yet). This one is even farther south than M9.

Shot with LRGB filters from my backyard in Long Beach, CA.

L: 26 30 s exposures

R: 23 60 s exposures

G: 15 60 s exposures

B: 17 60 s exposures

All taken with an Atik 414-EX mono camera on a Celestron Edge HD 925 at a focal length of 1530 mm. LRGB filters are from Optolong.

Pre-processing in Nebulosity; registration, stacking, channel combination, and processing in PixInsight; final touches in Photoshop.

Bode’s & Cigar Galaxy are in Ursa Major constellation (the big Dipper) . Both are 12 million years distant from us. On the right is Bode’s galaxy (M81) and on the left is Cigar galaxy (M82). Cigar galaxy is forming stars by hydrogen gas jets on both sides of the galaxy that burst form the middle of the galaxy. Gear setup: WO 71 f/5.9, iOptron GEM 45 Pro guided by ZWO 30 mini guide scope and ZWO ASI 120MM-S, Optolong L-Pro, ZWO 294MC cooled @ 0 degree. Total integration 1hr and 15min, 25 x 180sec, 15 Darks, 20 Flats, 50 Bias. Stacked by DSS and processed by PS 2020 CC and Topaz Denoise AI. Imaged from sky Bortle level 3 and cropped

I have photographed the Heart Nebula before, and was always curious and interested in the little appendix in the corner. It can easily be overlooked when looking at the much larger and impressive details of the Heart Nebula (See flic.kr/p/2qgwVE8). This time, I decided to spend some quality time imaging NGC896; I love the intricate patterns of dark dust clouds interspersed with brighter regions full of young stars.

In total, I've managed to acquire 27 hours of narrowband data, with both the Optolong L-Ultimate (3nm Ha & Oiii) and with the Antlia ALP-T 5nm Ha & Oiii filters.

I used my William Optics FLT 132 with the Flat8 0.72x reducer, the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera, on an AM5 mount with ASIAir Plus. Processed with PixInsight + Affinity Photo 2.

Please see the starless / SHO palette here: flic.kr/p/2qg7Hpe

More acquisition details in Astrobin: astrob.in/cf11hv/0/

I hope you like it and perhaps be inspired to spend some time imaging this somewhat overlooked but beautiful nebula.

Thanks for looking.

Clear Skies

Eduardo

===== From Wikipedia ====

The Fish Head Nebula, or the Northern Bear Nebula, is part of a large star forming system of gas and dust located along the Perseus spiral arm of the Milky Way. The nebula is located in the Constellation Cassiopeia, approximately 6,000 light-years from Earth and is adjacent to the much larger Heart Nebula. The brighter region of the nebula is designated NGC 896 and is the home to many young and large stars. These stars radiate high amounts of ultraviolet light. This UV radiation excites the surrounding gas and causes it to shine at a high brightness.

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

Obiettivo: Samyang 135mm f2 a f2.8

Camera: Zwo Asi 294 mc color pro

Montatura: Skywatcher AZ-EQ5

Autoguida: Zwo mini guide con zwo asi 224mc

Filtro: Optolong L-pro

Software d'acquisizione Sgpro

————— FOTO ————

temp -10 con dark, flat e darkflat

300s x 36scatti

—— ELABORAZIONE ——

Pixinsight

Photoshop

Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/lrvffg/

Total Exposure: 1 hrs 54 mins (38x180s lights frames + 20 Dark frames)

Camera: Nikon D810A (iso 1600)

Telescope: AT65EQ 420mm F/6.5 Quadruplet Astrograph

Mount: iOptron Zeq25GT

Light pollution filter: Optolong L-eNhance Filter 2" (Dual-Narrowband filter - H-Beta, Oxygen III, and H-Alpha emission lines passed)

Guiding tools and software: MGEN Stand Alone Autoguider

Editing software: Astro Pixel Processor, Photoshop CC and plugin software.

Location: Home Observatory, Miri City～SARAWAK. (美里～砂撈越)

EQUIPO UTILIZADO

Camara a color 144 light de 300 sg bin 1x1 gain 100 offset 185 temp -10

25 archivos de calibracion dark ,flats, darkflats

camara Omegon vetec IMX571 MC

mini guide scop zwo

camara de guiado qhy5/II color

cajon porta flitros svbonyn

filtro Optolong L-Pro

25 light de 300sg filtro dualband ha

reductor de focal cf apod x0.80 ts

triplete ts cf apod fpl 55 80/385

distribuidor de corriente 12v

mini pc minix

escritorio remoto windows 10 pro

ipad 11 pro , aplicacion RDP

montura eq6-r

power tank casera

A widefield shot of the three bright stars of Orion's Belt - Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka - with the Horsehead and Flame nebulae at the Eastern end around Alnitak and smaller dust clouds and nebulae scattered along the whole length of the belt.

This image is an integration of 17 hours of data shot on an ASI2600MC Pro OSC camera with the William Optics Redcat51,

All post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.

IC 443, also known as Jellyfish Nebula, is a supernova remnant located at 5,000 light years in the constellation Gemini. This supernova has created neutron star CXOU J061705.3+222127, the collapsed core of the exploded star; these neutron stars have a density of 400 million tons per cubic centimer - in other words, the mass of about 1’800 Great Pyramids of Giza fitted in a cube with one centimer side.

Near the top right corner, a small planetary nebula called HoCr1 (Howell-Crisp 1) can be seen. It was found in 2006 by amateur astronomers Michael Howell and Richard Crisp - always fun to find objects we were not expecting in a photo…

Image shot at Barcarena, Portugal (Bortle 8) from Jan.22 to Jan.28 2023 and built as a modified HSO with RGB stars.

Technical details:

Ha: 93x300’’ (7h45)

Oiii: 163x300’’ (13h35)

Sii: 76x300’’ (6h20)

RGB: 75 x 60s (1h15)

Total: 28h55

SW EQ6-R Pro | TS Optics Triplet APO 800/115 | TS Optics TSFLAT2 0.79x | QHYCCD 268M | Optolong LRGB | Astronomik Ha 6nm, Oiii 6nm, Sii 6nm | RBFocus Gaius-S | RBFocus Myrrdin 2.3

Acquisition: N.I.N.A. | Processing: Pixinsight

🔭TS optics 72 photoline

Correcteur x1 F6

EQM 35 Pro

📷Canon 6D DP

filtre optolong L-enhance

109x120s sans guidage

ISO 3200

DOF 19/19/19

💻️️pixinsight

It is an emission nebula visible in the constellation Cygnus, 7,500 light-years away from our solar system.

Shots taken with 3nm filters during the full moon.

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

🔭 Askar fra600 reducer f3.9

Zwo Asi 2600 mm

⚙️ Zwo Am5

Filtri Optolong ha, o3, s2

————— FOTO ————

temp 0 con dark, flat e darkflat

80 x 300s Ha

80 x 300s O3

80 x 300s S2

————— ELABORAZIONE ———

Pixinsight

Photoshop

Working on a Heart and Soul Mosaic, this is 2 of the panels, need to finish the 3rd panel which will include the rest of the Soul Nebula. This is the h-alpha integration shot with an Optolong L-enhance filter on a modded Nikon D5300, roughly 8 hours of integration per panel. Working on getting the Oiii for the second panel so I can then do the bi-color combination for the 2 panels. LOTS AND LOTS of work for this kind of stuff, some of the hardest astro I've done.

A few galaxies in the constellation Ursa Major.

Bode’s Galaxy aka, Messier 81, center screen, is a grand design spiral galaxy with a diameter of 90,000 light years, 12million light years away.

The Cigar Galaxy aka, Messier 82, center left, is a starburst galaxy, 12million light years away.

Also in the photo is NGC 2976, top right, and NGC3077, bottom center.

I captured this image from the North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve, Bordle 2, South west of Ottawa using my William Optics Redcat 71 and a ZWOASI294MC Pro camera with an Optolong UV/IR cut filter.

Total exposer 3 hours and 48 minutes.

North America Nebula, NGC 7000, emission nebula in Cygnus.

Location: 11-07-2025 St Helens UK Bortle 7 Full Moon.

Acquisition: 25x 540s L-Extreme calibrated with Biases, Darks, Flats. Total integration 3.75 hours.

Equipment: Altair 60EDF, Flat 60. Optolong L-Extreme. ZWO ASI260MCpro, AM5, EAF.

Guiding: Altair MG32mini. ZWO ASI120MMmini.

Software: Ekos, K-Stars, Indi, PHD2, RustDesk on Mele Quieter 3 with Linux Mint OS.

Processing: Siril, Starnet2, GraXpert, Affinity Photo, NoiseXTerminator.

Comments: Being irritated with Win11 updates causing problems with my imaging PC's decided to move to Linux Mint for better stability. This was first light with the new setup which proved to be very successful.

Resultado de 5 horas 3 min totales de integración utilizando nueva Cámara dedicada ZWO 294C, con una humedad relativa 72% y temperatura 10.4°C ambientales.

2 horas y 57 min totales de Tomas individuales de larga exposición de 180 seg, Ganancia 120 , Offset 30 y una temperatura de -10°C utilizando filtro Optolong L-pro y 2 horas 6min con filtro Askar H alpha-O3 filtro. Todas las tomas fueron realizadas en sector de Roa , Región del Bio-Bio, Chile. (Bortle 4-5).

Se ha utilizado telescopio refractor Askar CLA apertura y 200mm df , dew heater ,montura CEM 40, PPB, filtro Askar Halpha-O3, filtro Optolog L-Pro y cámara ZWO294 Pro color.

Apilado y procesado por PixInsight.

Fotografías realizadas en noche despejada del día 09 Enero 2024 con luna nueva . Sin dithering.

Magnitud: 8.3

La nebulosa Messier 78 (también conocida como M78 o NGC 2068) es una nebulosa de reflexión en la constelación Orión. Fue descubierta por Pierre Méchain en 1780 e incluida por Charles Messier en su catálogo de objetos ese mismo año.

M78 es la nebulosa difusa de reflexión más brillante de un grupo de nebulosas que incluye NGC 2064, NGC 2067 y NGC 2071. M78 es fácilmente visible en pequeños telescopios como una mancha difusa e incluye dos estrellas de magnitud 10. Estas dos estrellas, HD 38563A y HD 38563B, son responsables de hacer la nube de polvo en M78 visible al reflejar su luz. (Wikipedia)

Magnitud: 9.5

NGC 2071 es una nebulosa de reflexión en la constelación de Orión. Fue descubierto el 1 de enero de 1784 por William Herschel. Es parte de un grupo de nebulosas que también incluye a Messier 78, NGC 2064 y NGC 2067. (Wikipedia)