View allAll Photos Tagged Subframing
NGC 3718, also know as ARP 214, is a distorted spiral galaxy in the Constellation Ursa Major and is located about 59 Million Light Years away. Its distorted form is thought to be gravitational interaction with the other galaxy seen in this image - NGC 3729 - at some point in the distant past. These are all part of a group of galaxies known as the Ursa Major Cluster.
One interesting footnote - below NGC 3718 you can see a small grouping of elongated shapes, very close together. While not shown very well in this image, this is a small group 5 galaxies known as Hickson 56. These Galaxies are estimated to be about 400 Million Light Years away!
These galaxies are very far away and very small. The largest here only measure 2.9" x 2.4" in size. I mention this because I really don't have a scope that is setup for these very small galaxies. SO why did I chose this target? Well, part of me wanted to see what I could do with it. Another part is that this time of year the number of targets is a bit limited - especially what I can access due to the tree lines on my property.
This is the third and last image to come out of my 3 night imaging cycle starting on June 4th. While we had three clear nights, we also had some bands of thin clouds that came through and the overall sky transparency was far from great. The thin clouds are not enough to lose a guide star and disrupt your runs, but they can ruin the contrast on critical subframes. In this case, I had to remove roughly 1/3 of my subs and it reduced the number of Green frames I ended with to less than half what I had for the other channels.
When first processed this image - it looked pretty bad. So I went back to square one, and this time I spent a huge amount of time working on the image deconvolution step. Some people think of deconvolution as a "Sharpening" step. In fact it does something quite different. Working it the frequency domain, it attempt to restore lost information caused by the optics. This is very tricky to use properly and for my first year of astrophotography I could not get any good results out of this at all. Then I got some help from Gary Optiz and Dan Kutcha and I was able follow a "recipe" and get some small advantage to my images. This time though, I really dug into it - played around with every parameter and saw how it impacted the image. At the end of it all, I had finally figured out how to use it properly, and I had a version of the linear image that had more detail than I had before.
With this I went forward and processed the image doing the bulk of the work in Pixinsight, and then shifting to Photoshop for the last polishing phases. I also used Topaz Denoise AI, on a few trouble spots along the way.
In the end - I was happy with the final result - but I also knew that to get the results I really want here I need a few things: 1) a scope with more focal length and resolution 2) Clearer and more transparent skies. 3) and a lot more integration time.
Thanks for looking!
Pat
----
Image Details
*Number of frames is after bad or questionable frames were culled.
53 x 120 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II L Filter
64 x 120 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, Unity gain, ZWO Gen II R Filter
26 x 120 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II G Filter
46x 120 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II B Filter
Total of 6.3 hours
30 Darks at 300 seconds, bin 1x1, -10C, gain 100
30 Darks at 90 seconds, bin 1x1, -10C, gain 0
30 L Flats
30 R Flats
30 G Flats
30 B Flats
50 Bias
Capture Hardware:
Scope: William Optics 132mm F/7 FLT APO
Guide Scope: Sharpstar 66EDPHII
Camera: ZWO ASI1600mm-pro with ZWO Filter wheel with ZWO LRGB filter set,
and Astronomiks 6nm Narrowband filter set
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI290Mini
Focus Motor: Pegasus ZWO EAF 5V
Mount: Ioptron CEM 26
Polar Alignment: Ipolar camera
Software:
Capture Software: PHD2 Guider, Sequence Generator Pro controller
Image Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop - assisted by Coffee, extensive processing indecision and second guessing, editor regret and much swearing….. Given the problems on this image, more than the usual whining….
Globular cluster M5 in Serpens Cauda.
This is an RGB integration of approx 30x180s subframes in each channel captured on a QHY163M camera, WO FLT110 and Optolong filters. Imaging was managed via SGP and PHD2, all post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.
Observed from Prachinburi, Thailand
Whilst Europe bakes in record breaking high temperatures, here in Wales we have another wet weekend.
***************************************************************************
Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
(285 km by road north of Toronto)
between 01.50 and 02.14 EDT
* Altitude of centre of frame at time of exposures: ~40°, declining to 37°
* Temperature 17° C.
* Total exposure time: 12 minutes
* 70 mm focal length lens
___________________________________________
Description:
On of the brightest patches in the northern section of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, lies in the constellations Aquila (the Eagle) and Scutum (the Shield). This starcloud contains many open clusters of stars, together with foreground globules of cold dark gas that are the incubators of new star formation.
One of the most prominent star clusters in this area of the sky is M11, the so-called "Wild Duck" cluster, which is a favourite observing target of amateur astronomers with modest telescopes. M11 is the small bright blob in the lower right quadrant in this image. This is a rich open cluster of stars that looks like a duck in flight. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Duck_Cluster for more information about M11.
For a closer in view of M11 and the surrounding area, made in June 2020 with a 660 mm focal length telescope, click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/50039721548
For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, showing constellation boundaries and the many open star clusters and dark nebulae, click on the RIGHT side of your screen, or click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/52277624786
___________________________________________
Technical information:
Nikkor AF-S 70-200 mm f/2.8 G ED VRII lens on Nikon D810a camera body, mounted on Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount with a Kirk Enterprises ball head
Twelve stacked subframes; each frame:
70 mm focal length
ISO 5000; 1 minute exposure at f/4.5, unguided
(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)
Subframes stacked in RegiStar;
Processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, brightness, contrast, colour balance)
***************************************************************************
The planetary nebula NGC2818, another southern target in the Pyxis constellation. This is an Ha L O3 RGB exposure for about 8.5 hrs; Scope GSO RC 30cms, camera Sbig STF8300/AO-8 operating at -35°C. 12 min subframes, from my backyard observatory at La Colonia, Illapel, Chile. This planetary nebula (PLN) doesn't belong to the open cluster (NGC 2818A), but have near the same distance to us.
La nebulosa planetaria denominada NGC2818 en la sureña constelación de Pyxis. No pertenece al cúmulo abierto (NGC 2818 A), sino que está por coincidencia a una distancia y línea de visión similares. Exposición con filtros Ha-L-O3 y RGB, subframes de 12 minutos, telescopio GSO RC de 30cms, cámara Sbig STF8300/AO-8 operando a -35°C, desde mi observatorio casero en La Colonia, Illapel, Chile.
Photo taken in 1987. Image is a scan off of a 3-1/2” x 5” print.
Note the leading arm front suspension, the cast alloy I-beam subframe, the Villiers 2-stroke engine and the blue livery. These were common features on most Greeves (GB) motorcycles.
Photo taken in 1987. Image is a scan off of a 3-1/2” x 5” print.
There are 4 typical features of Britain’s Greeves brand motorcycles that are visible here. The leading arm front suspension, the cast alloy I-beam subframe, the Villiers 2-stroke engine and the blue livery with distinctive Greeves’ script.
I think it’s a beauty!
Manufacturer: Chrysler Group LLC for Plymouth, Auburn Hills, Michigan - USA
Type: Fury V8 Series RP2-H27 Convertible
Production time: 1961
Production outlet: 6,948
Engine: 5208cc V-8 Fury V-800 OHV I-head
Power: 230 bhp / 4.400 rpm
Torque: 461 Nm / 2.400 rpm
Drivetrain: rear wheels
Speed: 170 km/h
Curb weight: 1804 kg
Wheelbase: 118 inch
Chassis: box frame with crossbars and unibody body with bolted-on subframe
Steering: worm & three tooth roller
Gearbox: three-speed manual / II and III synchronized / steering column shift
Clutch: 10 inch single dry plate disc
Carburettor: Carter or Stromberg dual troath
Fuel tank: 79 liter
Electric system: Autolite 12 Volts 50 Ah
Ignition system: distributor and coil
Brakes front: 11 inch hydraulic self-adjusting internal expanding drums
Brakes rear: 11 inch hydraulic self-adjusting internal expanding drums
Suspension front: independent ball joints, upper trapezoidal wishbones, upper triangular cross-link, lower simple arm with shock mounted tension strut and along lying torsion bars (Torsion-Aire System) + Oriflow hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Suspension rear: beam axle, coil link system, 2½ inch outboard mounted asymmetrical longitudinal leaf springs + Oriflow hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Rear axle: live semi-floating type
Differential: hypoid 3.58:1
Wheels: 5K - 14 inch steel discs safety rim type
Tires: 7.5 x 14 4-ply
Options: pushbutton-controlled Torque Flite three-speed automatic transmission, Power Flite two-speed automatic transmission, Sure-Grip differential, power brakes, power steering, DeLuxe steering wheel, power windows, power seats, bucket seats, fold-down armrests, Air Conditioning, pushbutton Hi-Fi radio, rear seat radio speakers, load leveling system, push-button heater / defroster, windshield washer (foot operated), variable speed windshield wipers, outside left mirror, back-up lights, Solex tinted safety glass, bumper guards, colour-matched carpeting, child-guard safety locks, inside “Day/Nigt” rear view mirror, safety-padded sun visors, parking brake warning light, safety seat belts (front and rear), rear window defogger, dual exhaust mufflers, emergency warning lights, custom curb signals,
Special:
- The Plymouth automobile was introduced on July 7, 1928. It was the Chrysler Corporation's first entry in the low-priced field, which at the time was dominated by Chevrolet and Ford.
- The logo featured a rear view of the Mayflower ship which landed at Plymouth Rock, hence the name "Plymouth" as the brand.
- The origins of the first Plymouth can be traced back to the Maxwell automobile. When Walter Chrysler took over control of the trouble-ridden Maxwell-Chalmers car company in the early 1920's, he inherited the Maxwell as part of the package. After he used the company's facilities to help create and launch the Chrysler car in 1924, he decided to create a lower-priced companion car. So for 1926 the Maxwell was reworked and re-badged as a low-end Chrysler model. Then at the end of the decade this model was once again reworked and re-badged, this time to create the Plymouth.
- The word "fury" denotes a type of anger, inspired by the Furies, mythological creatures in Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman mythology.
- From 1960 the name Fury was no longer used for the original Sports Sedans, but for the most exclusive line Plymouth's. The successors of the original type Fury were called Sport Fury since then.
- The 1961 Fury V8 Series RP2-H, with a reskin “below-the-beltline” and its pinched aluminum grille, was available as this 2-door Convertible, as 2-door Hardtop (16,141 units built), as 4-door Hardtop (8,507 units built) and as 4-door Sedan (22,619 units built).
- This second generation mid-sized Fury’s (1960-1961), designed by Virgil Exner, were assembled in Detroit, Michigan (Lynch Road) and in Windsor, Ontario (Canada).
Total exposure was 2 hours 32 minutes at ISO 800 (61 subframes of 150 seconds were stacked). I used Canon 1000D without IR-filter and telescope-refractor Sky-Watcher ED-80 (F=510mm, D=80mm, f/6.4).
This is a detailed Moon mosaic using an infrared pass filter. The mosaic is made up of 24 individual frames, each one is a stack of the best 40% of 1,200 subframes. Taken in trying conditions with occasional rain causing me to dive for cover and protect the scope and mount before I started. By the time I had finished and closed up my home-built observatory the rain had started in earnest.
Peter
Equipment:
ZWO ASI174MM Cool mono CMOS camera, IR pass filter, 14inch f/10 LX200 SCT OTA, EQ8 mount
This is the nebulosity surounding attractive star cluster NGC 6910 in Cygnus. The image is a stack of eleven five-minute subframes in Hydrogen Alpha.
Peter
Equipment:
Atik 460EX mono CCD, 130mm triplet APO, EQ8 mount. As part of a test of accuracy in RA of my EQ8 all images were captured unguided.
Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz AG, Stuttgart - Germany
Type: 190 SL 121-Serie W121 B II BM121.042 Roadster
Production time: May 1955 - February 1963
Production outlet: 25,881
Engine: 1897cc straight-4 Daimler-Benz M 121 B II SOHC (mounted on a detachable sub-frame)
Power: 105 bhp / 5.700 rpm
Torque: 142 Nm / 3.200 rpm
Drivetrain: rear wheels
Speed: 171 km/h
Curb weight: 1164 kg
Wheelbase: 94.5 inch
Chassis: self-supporting (frame-floor unit with welded unibody), front subframe with front suspension, engine block and steering
Steering: recirculating ball
Gearbox: four-speed manual / all synchromesh / floor shift
Clutch: single dry late disc
Carburettor: twin Solex 44 PHH 2-barrel downdraft
Fuel tank: 65 liter
Electric system: Bosch 12 Volts 56 Ah
Ignition system: distributor and coil
Brakes front: ATE-T-50 power assisted hydraulic 9.1 inch Duplex drums
Brakes rear: ATE-T-50 power assisted hydraulic 9.1 inch drums
Suspension front: independent trapezoidal double wishbones, sway bar, coil springs with rubber auxiliary springs + hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Suspension rear: independent single-joint swing axle with longitudinal sliding struts, coil springs with rubber auxiliary springs + hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Rear axle: swing axle
Differential: hypoid 3,90:1
Wheels: 5K x 13
Tires: 6.40 - 13 Sport
Options: power brakes (standard from 1956), small third-passenger transverse seat, removable hardtop roof, removable hardtop roof with storage box made of wood, high-gloss paint, safety belts in front (from 1961), cigarette lighter, leather seats, special interior with Becker Mexico radio and automatic antenna, whitewall tires, sealed beam headlights, fog lights, “English” instruments, separate cross seat in the back, bumper overriders, wheel trim rings, chrome stone guards, chrome rocker strip, jack-hole covers, eyebrow chrome on fenders, ski holders, various suitcases, two-tone colouring
Special:
- Established in 1871, Benz & Cie. was the most important of several companies founded by Karl Benz.
- Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and his partner Wilhelm Maybach in 1890. Daimler died in 1900 and Maybach left DMG in 1907.
- By then, Benz & Cie. and DMG were rivals.
- In 1924, owing to economic necessity after World War I, they entered into an "Agreement of Mutual Interest", allowing each company to manufacture and sell their products under their original brand names. After the official merger in June 28, 1926, the firm became known as Daimler-Benz.
- The SL was designed by Karl Wilfert, Friedrich Geiger and Walter Häcker and as prototype introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show. The production model was revealed at the 1955 Geneva Auto Show.
- The “S” stands for “Sport”/ “Sports” while the “L” meant “Leichts”/ “Light”. Some say “SL” stands for “Sehr Leicht”/ “Very Light”.
- During its first years the 190 SLR was available as a sports-racing model with small perspex windscreen and spartan one-piece leather covered bucket seats and aluminum doors.
- The 190 SL was primarily intended for the US market; a lot of comfort, but little speed.
- Some owners leave the hardtop permanently on their cars, but an official Coupé was never produced.
- All SL's were assembled in Untertürkheim, Stuttgart - Germany.
- From the total of 25,881 units built, 5,245 remained in Germany, 20,636 units were exported, including 10,368 units to the United States.
IC443 is a supernova remnant about 5000 light years distant. For this false colour image I captured light emitting from hydrogen, sulphur and oxygen ions and then combined in a HSO tone map i.e. hydrogen is red, sulphur is green and oxygen is blue. Throughout much of the jellyfish hydrogen and sulphur emissions are equally strong giving yellow, while oxygen is relatively weak and is only visible around the edges.
The image is an integration of 12 hours of H, 13 of O and 14 of S captured in 10 minute subframes on a QHY163M camera with Optolong filters, The telescope was a WO FLT110 with Flat4 and this was mounted on a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6. Imaging was managed by Sequence Generator Pro with PHD2 for guiding and all post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.
Observed from Prachinburi, Thailand
Moon: Southwestern Quadrant Mosaic
May 8, 2017
This was an experiment to determine a way to create image files large enough for making large, high quality prints. It was also my first use of AutoStakkert!2 (which I LIKE!).
Mosaic of seven subframes, each frame a stack of the best 1666 of 2222 video frames.
Raw video processed in PIPP and converted to .ser files, stacked in AutoStakkert!2, wavelets applied in Registax 6.
Subframes merged with Microsoft ICE. Final processing in Photoshop CC2017.
ASI ZWO290MM Camera
Optolong IR Pass (685nm) Filter - 1.25"
Explore Scientific 3x Barlow lens
Explore Scientific ED80 APO Triplet f/6 Refractor, 480mm focal length
Celestron Advanced VX EQ Mount
Comet C252/P, captured today (2016-04-30) between 0:45h and 2:45h UT in Tenerife, 1180 m altitude. After stacking the subframes I was very surprised by these faint HII regions (unknown to me; perhaps someone can give me some information) at top of the coma and also under the near coma part of the tail (giving false red color to it).
Coma diameter is 37 ' and tail length about 1 degree.
Parallel exposure resulting in a LRGB image.
RGB: 120 x 45 sec, Sony A7s (CentralDS modded), Hyperstar 14"/F1.9, ISO3200, IR block filter
Monochrome: 40 x 180 sec, Starlight Xpress SX-36, RASA 11"/F2.2, L-pro filter
Both mounted at a ASA DDM 85 (unguided)
******************************************************************************
Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, between 02.09 and 02.34 EDT
(285 km by road north of Toronto)
* Temperature 7° C.
* Total exposure time: 12 minutes
* 540 mm focal length telescope
___________________________________________
Description:
Visually with the unaided eye, or in binoculars or a telescope, the distinctively-shaped North America Nebula appears as a large but faint white cloud in the middle of our Milky Way galaxy. The digital camera sensor, however, reveals the red glow of ionized hydrogen gas.
This nebula is 1,600 light years distant from our solar system. Clouds of dark gas lie between us and the nebula, blocking the light behind and creating the apparent shape of the nebula.
For a wider angle view of this nebula - photographed with a telephoto lens 9 nights earlier - that also shows the adjacent Pelican Nebula - click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/29220929561
... and for an even wider angle view of the constellation Cygnus (The Swan), including the North America Nebula and other hydrogen gas clouds, click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/27422508523
___________________________________________
Technical information:
Nikon D810a camera body on Teleview 101is apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount with a Kirk Enterprises ball head
Twelve stacked frames; each frame:
540 mm focal length
ISO 6400; 1 minute exposure at f/5.4; unguided
(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)
Subframes registered in RegiStar;
Stacked and processed in Photoshop CS6 (brightness, contrast, levels, colour balance, sharpening)
******************************************************************************
This is an open cluster in Orion that, when rotated and flipped, resembles the number 37 written in the stars.
Subframes were shot on 2022-01-20 and 01-21. Taken with Optolong RGB filters and an Atik 414-EX mono camera on a Celestron Edge HD 925 with an 0.63x focal reducer. This gives a focal length of 1525 mm.
R channel: 70 frames of 30 s exposures
G channel: 77 frames of 30 s exposures
B channel: 51 frames of 30 s exposures
After preprocessing and compositing the stacks in PixInsight, color was calibrated using the Photometric Color Calibration tool. I played with the saturation a bit and knocked down the background in Photoshop.
In order to advance beyond a somewhat colorless result arising from using a combination of an OSC camera and a broad band LPF, the integrated image was first separated into starless and stars only components, followed by splitting the starless image into its RGB components which were individually weighted and then recombined using LRGB Combination followed by further processing.
Scope: WO Zenith Star 81mm f/6.9 with WO 6AIII Flattener/Focal Reducer x0.8
OSC Camera: ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro at 100 Gain and 50 Offset
Mount: iOptron GEM28-EC
Guider: ZWO Off-Axis Guider
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI 174mm mini
Light Pollution Filter: Chroma LoGlow Broadband LPF
Date: 30-31 March 2023 and 2-5 April 2023
Location: Washington D.C.
Exposure: 244x300s subs (= 20.3 hours)
Software: Pixinsight
Processing Steps:
Preprocessing: FITS data > Image Calibration > Cosmetic Correction > Subframe Selector > Debayer > Select Reference Star and Star Align > Image Integration.
Linear Postprocessing: Integrated image > Rotation > Dynamic Crop > Dynamic Background Extractor (subtraction to remove light pollution gradients and division for flat field corrections) > Background Neutralization > Color Calibration > Blur Xterminator > Noise Xterminator.
Nonlinear Postprocessing: Linear postprocessed image > Histogram Transformation > Star Xterminator to separate into Starless and Stars Only images.
Starless image > Histogram Transformation > Noise Xterminator > Local Histogram Equalization > Split RGB Channels > Weight the original channels and use Pixel Math to generate new modified RGB channels.
Apply HDR Multiscale Transform to the L channel (= R channel for broad band image) and the new modified RGB channels.
LRGB combination > LRGB image.
LRGB image > Curves Transformation using color masks > Histogram Transformation (multiple steps as needed) > Local Histogram Equalization (multiple steps as needed) > Final Starless image.
Pixel Math to combine the Final Starless Image and the new Stars Only image > Rejoined image.
Rejoined image > Dark Structure Enhancement > New rejoined image.
New rejoined image > Topaz AI > AI image.
Pixel Math to combine New rejoined image and AI image > Final result.
******************************************************************************
Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
(285 km by road north of Toronto)
* Temperature 12° C.
* Total exposure time: 8 minutes
* 1200 mm focal length telescope
___________________________________________
Description:
From Wikipedia:
"The Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Apple Core Nebula, Messier 27, M 27, or NGC 6853) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula, at a distance of about 1,360 light years.
This object was the first planetary nebula to be discovered; by Charles Messier in 1764. At its brightness of visual magnitude 7.5 and its diameter of about 8 arcminutes, it is easily visible in binoculars, and a popular observing target in amateur telescopes."
What we are seeing is the visible remains of a low-mass star's expelled gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an X-ray hot white dwarf at the centre.
Stars to about 17th magnitude are visible in this image. The central star in the nebula is magnitude 14.0.
___________________________________________
Technical information:
Nikon D810a camera body on Explore Scientific 152 mm (6") apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount with a Kirk Enterprises ball head
Eight stacked subframes; each subframe:
1200 mm focal length
ISO 4000; 1 minute exposure at f/8; unguided
(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)
Subframes registered in RegiStar;
Stacked and processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, brightness, contrast, sharpening)
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
between 02.24 and 02.44 EDT
(285 km by road north of Toronto)
* Altitude of centre of frame at time of exposures: ~12°
* Temperature 14° C.
* Total exposure time: 10 minutes
* 660 mm focal length telescope
___________________________________________
Description:
North is to the upper right in this image, which contains several objects of note.
M8, the Lagoon Nebula, with embedded star cluster NGC 6530 (right side of the frame)
One of the most prominent, large, bright and well known nebulae in the sky is the Lagoon Nebula (M8), which is a favourite target of amateur astronomers with modest telescopes.
From Wikipedia: "The Lagoon Nebula ... is a giant interstellar cloud ... classified as an emission nebula and as an H II region. [It] was discovered by Giovanni Hodierna before 1654 and is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the eye from mid-northern latitudes. Seen with binoculars, it appears as a distinct oval cloudlike patch with a definite core. Within the nebula is the open cluster NGC 6530.
The Lagoon Nebula is estimated to be between 4,000-6,000 light-years away from the Earth. In the sky of Earth, it spans 90' by 40', which translates to an actual dimension of 110 by 50 light years. ... The nebula contains a number of Bok globules (dark, collapsing clouds of protostellar material), the most prominent of which have been catalogued by E. E. Barnard as B88, B89 and B296."
IC 4678 (directly above M8)
This is a tiny nebula composed of emission (pink) and reflection (blue) components.
NGC 6544 (near centre of frame)
This is a small globular star cluster of magnitude ~7.3, lying at a distance of 9,000-10,00 light years from us..
NGC 6553 (left edge of frame, just below centre)
This is a globular star cluster of magnitude ~8.@, with an unusually low star concentration even at its centre, and lying about 19,600 LY from our solar system. Studies show that it underwent two distinct periods of star formation, resulting in two populations of stars with differing compositions, especially in sodium and aluminum.
For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on the RIGHT side of your screen, or click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/52229322166
To see a wider angle view this and other adjacent nebulae, photographed in Australia in Sept. 2019, click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/49183970671
__________________________________________
Technical information:
Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 127is (127 mm - 5" - diameter) apochromatic telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount
Ten stacked frames; each frame:
660 mm focal length
ISO 2500; 1 minute exposure at f/5.2; unguided
With long exposure noise reduction
Subframes stacked in RegiStar;
Processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, brightness / contrast, colour balance)
******************************************************************************
A widefield shot of the ρ Ophiuchi - Antares region showing red emission nebulae, blue and yellow reflection nebulae and dark clouds and tendrils of gas and dust. At the right, above the bright star Antares, is globula cluster M4 which is the nearest to us.
This image is an integration of 105 x 2 minute subframes taken with a QHY268C OSC camera and a WO Redcat51, Image sequencing was managed via SGP and PHD2, all post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.
Observed from Prachinburi, Thailand
SH2-119 is an often overlooked nebula just east of the North American and Pelican nebula. It is quite a bit fainter, but also covered with masses of stars, which overwhelms the nebula itself. The large star at it’s centre is 68 A Cyg which resembles a pearl within the Clamshell.
Taken over four nights in August, comprising Sii, Ha and Oiii narrowband filters of 5 minute and 10 minute subframes totalling 10h hours, plus 30 minutes 30 second subs of RGB for the stars. A challenge to process, particularly with the mass of stars. I think this could really benefit with at least 12 to 15hrs total exposure but not much chance with the current run of cloudy weather. This particular SHO palette is from a quite complicated Pixelmath expression in Pixinsight that produces a reddy orange instead of yellow. Star reduction to reveal the nebula.
30 x Darks, Flats and Bias
Astromiks 50mm SHO 6nm Filters and RGB Filters
ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
ZWO 7x2" EFW
ZWO EAF
Williams Optics GT81 IV
Williams Optics 6A III Field Flattener 0.8
Williams Optics 50mm Uniguide guide scope
ZWO ASI 120MM-S
HEQ5 Pro Rowan
ASIAIR Pro
Astro Pixel Processor
Pixinsight
Photoshop 2021
Topaz DeNoise
This is a colour image of this fascinating region around Orion's belt captured through an 80mm triplet APO refractor using a colour Atik Horizon CMOS camera with a Baader-S filter. I had to wait for both the sky to clear and fireworks displays around me to stop before I could take this image. The image consists of eleven seven-minute subframes stacked. Dark frames have been subtracted but no flats or bias frames used.
Peter
***************************************************************************
Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, between 22.39 and 23.04 EDT
(285 km by road north of Toronto)
* Altitude of centre of image at time of exposures: 23°
* Temperature 15° C.
* Total exposure time: 11 minutes
* 540 mm focal length telescope
* field of view: 3° wide by 2° high
* co-ordinates of centre of frame: R.A. 18 h 07 m, Dec. -22° 46'
___________________________________________
Description:
The best known of the several ringed planets in our solar system is Saturn, which is easily visible to the unaided eye and is the brightest object in the night sky after the Sun, the Moon, and the planets Venus, Jupiter and (sometimes) Mars.
Saturn revolves around the Sun in a period of about 30 years, which means that it passes through each of the twelve constellations of zodiac in about 2 1/2 years.
This year (2018), Saturn is in the constellation Sagittarius, and is set against the gorgeous background of the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.
In this view, Saturn - the brilliant object near the left edge of the frame - is very close to the the well-known and beautiful Trifid Nebula (M20, at the top right of the frame) and Lagoon Nebula (M8, lower right), making for a striking view.
For a different, higher contrast view of the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae, made in Sept 2016, click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/29207812440
And for a closer-in view of the Lagoon Nebula, made in Sept. 2017, click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/36452351134
___________________________________________
Technical information:
Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 101is 101 mm (4") apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount
Eleven stacked frames - each frame:
540 mm focal length
ISO 3200; 1 minute exposure at f/5.4; unguided
(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)
Subframes registered in RegiStar;
Stacked and processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, brightness, contrast, colour balance, bright star flare reduction)
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
Photographed from mid-town Toronto, Canada, at 18.43 EST (Moon altitude: 57° | Sun 14° below the horizon)
* Temperature 4° C.
The sky was reasonably clear, with some thin cirrus cloud, when I was able to get the ten base subframes that make up this view of the Moon high over Toronto early on this mild January evening before the heavier cloud moved in.
______________________________________________
Nikon D850 camera body on Explore Scientific 152 mm (6") apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 SynScan mount.
Best ten of fourteen identical stacked frames; each frame:
* ISO 100, 1/120 sec. exposure
Stacked in Registax
Processed in Photoshop CS6
(brightness, contrast, sharpening on right side of Moon)
***************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
Photographed at Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Preserve, Ontario, Canada (200 km by road north of Toronto)
* Temperature 0° C.
* Total exposure time: 6 minutes.
___________________________________________
Description:
I didn't have enough time before I had to pack up my gear and drive two hours back to my home in the city to make more than six subframes for this photo. I would have liked at least ten. So the resolution is not as good as I'd like it to be, but I think that it's not a bad image.
The Rosette Nebula, which lies about 5,000 light years from Earth, is located just to the east of the constellation Orion, and is in the centre of the (northern hemisphere) winter Milky Way. It can just barely be glimpsed in binoculars from a dark-sky location far away from city lights.
From Wikipedia:
"The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is a large, spherical, H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy."
For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on your screen to the RIGHT of the photo, or click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/32743250460
___________________________________________
Nikon D810a camera body on Teleview 101is apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount.
Six stacked frames; each frame:
* 540 mm focal length
* ISO 3200; 60-second exposure at f/5.4; unguided
(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)
Stacked in RegiStar;
Processed in Photoshop CS6 (brightness, contrast, levels, colour balance)
******************************************************************************
Quick stack of 12 subframes , 30 sec each and processing in PI .
Taken on Oct 27 ,2025 from my backyard in Tiny Twp. Canada
Taken in Hydrogen Alpha just before 4pm as the sky was beginning to darken.
This is a stack of 29 subframes taken through my 130mm refractor using an Atik 460 EX mono camera and 0.75 reducer.
Peter
In the news today, AR2941 launched a CME that knocked out 40 Starlink satellites.
Canon EOS 60Da (1/640s, ISO 100)
TeleVue NP101is/2x Power Mate (4", f/10.4)
Losmandy G11
100 subframes captured with Backyard EOS (BYE). CR2 files converted to AVI by PPIP. Best 75% of frames stacked in AutoStakkert! Sharpened in Registax and finished in Photoshop.
(c) Alwyn Greer 2025
09 August 2025
Vienna street photography. 09 August 2025
Café Schwarzenberg is a cool place to hang out and watch people passing by. On this day it was hot so we came inside and the window provided a good frame to use.
or the 1966 season, Ferrari built a new series of 12 lightweight 275 GTB/C racing cars. Even though they outwardly resembled the road-going 275 GTB, the 275 GTB/C was thoroughly revised by Mauro Forghieri and his Scuderia Ferrari engineering team and differed from both the 275 GTB production car and earlier 275 GTB competition cars. Every panel of the body was altered and substantial mechanical changes were made. All 12 were constructed in 1966 between the end of the 275 GTB (two cam) production run and the start of the 275 GTB/4 (four cam) production run.[14]
Forghieri designed a special super-lightweight steel and aluminium version of the 275 GTB chassis, designated Tipo 590 A. The 4-wheel independent suspension was the same design as on the production 275 GTB, but used different shock absorber valving and stiffer springs. The disc brakes were also the same as those used on the production 275 GTB, but with quick-change racing brake pads.[14]
The body appeared superficially very similar to that of the production 275 GTB series II "long nose", but in fact was a completely new lightweight version constructed by Scaglietti. All body panels were changed, including wider front and rear fenders and a slightly shorter nose. The body was constructed from .028 in (0.71 mm) thick aluminium panels joined with rivets. This method of construction allowed easy replacement of body panels after an accident. The body panels were approximately half as thick as the ones used on the 250 GTO and the Shelby Cobra. This made the body lightweight but extremely fragile—even leaning on a 275 GTB/C would dent it. The entire rear section was reinforced by fiberglass to prevent it from flexing at the slightest impact. The 275 GTB/C was equipped with bumpers visually similar to those on the road version, but they were made of much thinner material. The rear bumper lacked an internal supporting subframe and was simply fastened to the bodywork sheetmetal. Other weight-saving measures included removal of cooling fans, holes drilled in many internal panels and frames, plexiglass side and rear windows, thin fiberglass floor panels, and magnesium-framed seats. A 275 GTB/C fully equipped with fluids, spare tyre and tool kit weighs 2,452 lb (1,112 kg). In race trim without spare and tool kit, it can weigh less than 2,350 lb (1,070 kg), a savings of over 150 kg (331 lb) compared to the alloy bodied road cars.[14][23]
Similar to the four 'Competizione Speciales', the 275 GTB/C was powered by a Tipo 213 V12 tuned to 250 LM specification with a special crankshaft, piston, camshaft connecting rods and sodium-filled Nimonic valves. Many engine castings were made from the lightweight magnesium alloy Elektron. Due to an apparent clerical error, Ferrari did not report to the FIA that the production 275 GTB had a six carburetor option, so only a three carburetor engine could be homologated. In order to make up the loss of power from using only three carburetors, Weber constructed the 40 DF13 carburetor. These replaced the six Weber 38 DCN carburetors used on the 250 LM and were unique to the 275 GTB/C. A dry sump lubrication system was also added, allowing the engine to sit lower in the chassis. The Tipo 213 engine in this competition specification produced 275-282 hp (210 kW) at 7500 rpm.[14][23]
The 275 GTB/C did not use the torque tube driveshaft configuration introduced with the 275 GTB series II, instead using a series I-style open driveshaft which made clutch changes easier during endurance races.The clutch itself was strengthened for the added stresses of racing. The transaxle was a similar design to the road version, but used a lightweight magnesium case, close ratio gears, a strengthened ZF limited slip differential and needle bearings (instead of plain bearings) between the gears and the main shaft.[14]
The 275 GTB/C was fitted with specially-made Borrani wire wheels, sized 7" x 15" in front and 7.5" x 15" in the rear. These wheels were fitted with Dunlop's latest "M series" racing tyres. It was this combination that would prove to be the weak spot of the 275 GTB/C; the tyres had so much grip that they could overstress and break the spokes on the wheels. This resulted in several crashes during competition. After the 275 GTB/C, no competition Ferrari would be fitted with wire wheels again. Two of the twelve 275 GTB/Cs built were sold for street use. Unlike the race cars, these street cars were fitted with standard 275 GTB-style alloy wheels with Pirelli tyre Ferrari
Narrowband (Ha Sii Oiii) combination using SHO palette. Processed in Pixinsight and Photoshop, and enhanced in Lightroom.
The weather has still remained bad, so I have been limited in what I can capture (it doesn't help that it's low in the sky and goes behind houses by midnight). I processed what I managed to capture this week.
Doing 5 min exposures, 100 gain. 12xOiii, 6xHa, and only a couple Sii. Given the results from that amount of subframes, I'm looking forward to what I can do when the weather improves.
Equipment: Skywatcher Esprit 100ED, HEQ5-Pro mount, ASI 2600MM Camera, and I had to temporarily switch to .67x flattener because my SkyWatcher one has issues.
These are two images of Neptune taken in the early evening of 19 November. On the left a LRGB video sequence of the best 40% of frames at 15fps for luminance and 12fps for Red, Green and Blue and on the right a stack of 400 luminance subframes at 5 seconds per frame converted from video to still images and stacked to enable the much fainter Triton to be picked up in the imaging. It has also blown out the size of Neptune in consequence although both images were taken at the same magnification.
Neptune is a tricky target at the best of times for close-up imaging. For a variety of reasons from technical equipment issues to weather conditions this is the first time I've successfully managed to pin down a reasonable image of Neptune and Triton in 2017.
Peter
Equipment:
Cooled ZWO ASI174MM mono CMOS camera, LRGB filters, 300mm f/10 LX200 SCT, EQ8 mount.