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NGC 6946, commonly known as the Fireworks Galaxy, straddles the border between the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus. Because, as seen from Earth, it lies near the plane of our own Milky Way Galaxy, it appears nestled amidst a rich field of foreground stars.
Telescope: Celestron Edge HD 8 at f/7
Camera: QSI 683wsg
Mount: Astro-Physics Mach 1 GTO
Integration: Approx 40 mins each of RGB (~8 x 5 minute subframes)
Processing Software: PixInsight v1.9, Adobe Photoshop
Captured under dark skies near Goldendale, WA.
Andromeda at this time of year doesn't get high enough above the horizon to photograph until about 2am or so. It starts getting too light to photograph at around 4am. Which gives only about 2 hours during one night to capture the image. I'm not usually up at 2am, but Seestar can be set to autopilot and do the late night/early morning work while you sleep.
782 ten-second subframes taken over two nights.
Seestar S50 mosaic mode | Polar Alignment
On another windy day in Chicago I was looking for a Stephen Shore picture of that complicated gas station behind me across the street which is visible reflecting in the green window. But this color combination caught my attention when that person came along. I knew I wanted her framed between those two poles, but she was moving very fast. I'm not a burst shooter. I believe it wears out the camera and isn't fair. FYI; with a predicted lifespan of 100K my Nikon D3300 has over 200,000 clicks on it.
And I wanted that sliver of sidewalk for depth.
Standing on the other side of those bushes made for a very flat scene.
Attended a Lime Rock Show yesterday, and was mostly disappointed with the subject matter. I'll probably have a few shots to post but one car immediately grabbed my attention and literally stopped me in my tracks. I was clueless as to what it was, but it was a real beauty. And it was until I returned home and did some online research when I found out more about this little gem...like it's 1/2 mullion dollar plus price, among other things. It's a limited production, custom bodied car built by an Italian company, Kimera, and it features the same underpinnings as the original Lancia EVO37, a 500hp+, both supercharged and turbocharged inline 2.1L 4 cylinder powerplant. The following will provide the interested reader with more details:
Following the launch of its original Lancia 037 restomod in 2021, Italian outfit Kimera Automobili has revealed a new limited-run take, inspired by Martini Racing’s iconic Group B racer. Developed in collaboration with two-time World Rally Champion Miki Biasion and Martini, just 37 examples will be produced, with prices expected to exceed the £415,000 of its original car.
Kimera’s EVO37 is not built from one of the few, and very special originals, but built from scratch in a similar construction method with modern materials and techniques. The chassis itself is a bespoke monocoque built from tube steel, with subframes directly welded to it on either side. The steel structure is then clothed in bespoke carbonfibre panels, replacing the original kevlar composite units.
While it features the same underpinnings as the original EVO37, the Martini 7 adopts a new carbonfibre aerodynamics package, applying a new front splitter, side skirts, more aggressive in-built canards and NACA ducts aft of the doors and on the rear haunches. The use of more carbonfibre and carbonkevlar in the Martini 7 is said to drop weight to 1100kg.
Continuing the motorsport theme, the rear has received a complete overhaul, with new carbonfibre air vents framing a transparent engine cover to reveal its rally-inspired power plant. The rear bumper is also now equipped with a quick disconnect mechanism, allowing buyers to display the gearbox casing and ceramic coated exhaust system in all its glory, just like the Group B 037.
As in the homologation car, the forged double wishbone suspension has a long-travel design, with dual Ohlins dampers flanking the separated spring at the rear and a more compact coilover design on the front end.
Like the structure, the engine is also referenced by the original, running a new-build 2.1-litre four-cylinder engine that is both turbo and supercharged. Unlike the original, however, the supercharger will be electrically driven, so as not to bleed power away from the engine itself as all purely mechanical units do.
The engine’s development has been overseen by one of Lancia’s original powertrain engineers Claudio Lombardi, and thanks to the advances in engine technology is said to produce 542bhp in Martini 7 trim, up 49bhp on the original EVO37. The engine will power the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual, or six-speed sequential transmission, the latter operable via electro-mechanically actuated paddles behind the steering wheel – in-line with its motorsport connection, ratios are shortened in Martini 7-trim.
The overall design remains similar to the original restomod, reworking the Lancia 037’s iconic design with the aid of modern, high-tech carbonfibre manufacturing techniques. Details, like the front and rear lighting, mesh inserts and wheels are also new, the latter being of a much larger 18- and 19-inch staggered design to clear the modern brake package. The Martini 7 receives new wheels inspired by those originally featured on the Delta Evoluzione, created with weight-saving in mind and incorporating the yellow/black carbon-kevlar of Delta group A cars.
Inside, Kimera has opted for a tasteful dry carbonfibre and blue Alcantara theme, with the dials coming with the same orange backlight as the racer. A unique limited-edition plaque, enamel Miki Biasion/Martini dashboard logo and Martini Racing harnesses also feature, with the main control panel labelled exactly how it was in the race car. Being a modern recreation, Kimera has also incorporated a second control panel in the centre console for fine tuning of the ABS and traction control.
A total of 37 Kimera EVO37 Martini 7s will be produced, joining 37 of the original recreation.
By: Sam Jenkins
Take it for a spin through the gears here: www.google.com/search?q=kimera+evo37&oq=kimera&gs...
Since we entered PermaCloud season, I reprocessed an older image of M78 taken in January 2015, just for fun :)
QHY23M & 11" Celestron EdgeHD w/Hyperstar
L-24x60
R-10x60
G-10x60
B-10x60
Ha 9x300
99 minutes
There's a lot of noise in the subframes, this was taken before I received an upgraded driver for the QHY23M.
The 1961 Chrysler 300G was the final year for fins on the 300, marking the end of Virgil Exner's FlightSweep designs, but they did go out in a grand way!
Chrysler's first-generation Letter Cars hammered the competition during the 1955-'56 NASCAR seasons. The full-size fliers then went on to set speed records at Daytona in '57, prior to both the AMA ban on motorsports and NASCAR's embargo on elaborate fuel delivery systems. In spite of those two apparent setbacks, Chrysler continued to improve its top-of-the- line V-8 engine as well as the now-legendary luxury performance machine that engine came wrapped in. So, the mighty Letter Cars thundered on, in production form, at the command of well-heeled owners seeking grown-up thrills. By 1961, Chrysler had moved up the alphabet to the letter "G."
The post-'57 Letter Cars were no longer eligible for circle track racing, but the 300G was still a force to be reckoned with in street trim, thanks to performance equipment that not only sounded good—413 cubic inches, Cross-Ram, dual four-barrels—but backed it up with 375 or an optional 400 horsepower, delivering a 0-60-mph time of 8.2 seconds (Motor Life, April 1961). Though not the fastest time turned by contemporary road test periodicals, it occurred during a period when most full-size cars could barely achieve 60 mph in less than 10 or 11 seconds while simultaneously maintaining an air of luxury.
Today, the 1961 300G is among the legion of groundbreaking Mopar performance cars, respected for its stunning combination of power and styling. Its value is bolstered by low production numbers— just 1,280 hardtops and 337 convertibles were built. These cars remain in the upper stratosphere of postwar American collector cars, but prices in recent years have held steady. Is this your time to grab one of the few remaining pieces of Letter Car history? Here's what you should keep in mind when you begin to shop.
The Cross-Ram Induction system's 30-inch "Long Rams" hide the big 413 V-8 from view.
Engines
Chrysler engineers specified a 413-cu.in. wedge to go under the hood of every 300G. Introduced into the RB-Series of V-8s in 1959, the 413 had a 4.18-inch bore and a 3.75-inch stroke with a forged-steel crankshaft. Compression was advertised as 10.1:1 and the cylinder heads breathed through 2.08/1.60-inch intake/exhaust valves, while a .430-inch lift, 268-degree camshaft dictated valve action. Also included was a pair of Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors. There were, however, two versions of the 413 installed, which were differentiated by the intake manifolds.
Referred to as Ram Induction and initially appearing in 1960, the elongated aluminum intakes were designed based on much older principles involving resonance and its effect on a compression wave of, in this case, the fuel/air mixture. Though we won't go into greater depth regarding the physics here, intake tube length had a direct effect on the timing of the fuel delivery, or ramming, into each cylinder bore, maximizing engine output at certain rpm ranges.
A pair of Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors provide the fuel/air mix.
With these basics in mind, expansion of midrange output was the main target of the base 300G 413 and the engineers thus calculated 30-inch runners would be ideal. Referred to as the Long Ram intakes, they were designed to fit neatly under the hood and crisscross (hence the Cross Ram moniker) over the top of the engine, each fitted with a single four-barrel carburetor at the outboard location. In this configuration, the engine hit 375 hp at 5,000 rpm and 495 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm, effectively providing passing power on demand without sacrificing full-throttle acceleration.
Optional was the high-performance Short Ram version. Though this intake system looked identical to the Long Ram at first blush, the separate internal runners measured only 15 inches in length, raising the engine's power band and enabling it to make peak horsepower at 5,200 rpm, with peak torque at 3,600 rpm. This meant that Chrysler's advertised Short Ram ratings were 400 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.
Visually, a keen eye can spot the difference between the Long and Short Ram intakes. The Long Rams feature a visible valley between each pair of runners for the entire length; they also have a seven-digit casting number that begins with "19." Short Rams sport only a partial valley between runners; their seven-digit casting number begins with "21." Finally, Short Ram 413 engines were designed for those more interested in straight-line contests and are therefore the rarer of the two.
Transmissions
Backing either engine was the already-durable 727 TorqueFlite automatic, which was issued as standard equipment. Like other Chryslers of the day, the three-speed unit was shifted via pushbutton on the dash; it contained first and second gear ratios of 2.45:1 and 1.45:1, respectively. Replacing the French-made four-speed on the option chart was a floor-shifted three-speed manual, which is a relative rarity today. First and second gear ratios were 2.55:1 and 1.49:1; the two gears were not synchronized, making for some uncomfortable downshifts for the uninitiated. Furthermore, contemporary road tests complained of a long second-to-third gate while hinting that the better performer in transferring torque to the differential was the TorqueFlite.
Swivel front seats, upholstered in ventilated leather, were standard on the 300G.
Differential
The final transfer point for the torque from either engine was a standard 8.-inch open differential with semi-floating axles and a 3.23:1 final drive ratio, although some printed material suggests that a 3.15:1 ratio was employed when the three-speed manual was installed. While this unit was known for its durability, dealers were also able to provide a number of more highway-friendly or performance-oriented grear ratios, even if the optional Sure-Grip (positive traction) unit was installed on the assembly line.
Contemporary magazines reported an average mpg rating of 9 to 13 with a three-speed/3.23 arrangement, yet in terms of power off the line, both Motor Trend (8.3-second 0-60 mph) and Motor Life (8.2 seconds) stated that the 300G had more acceleration potential waiting to be unleashed if geared accordingly.
The center console provided some storage and housed a tachometer.
Chassis
Each 300G hardtop and convertible was derived from the New Yorker, which meant they shared the same basic unit-body/subframe platform and 126-inch wheelbase; however, the similarities were limited beyond that. For instance, though an independent front torsion bar suspension system was used, the 44 x 1.08-inch torsion bars were thicker and 40 percent stiffer than those on other Chryslers, rated for 175 lb-in. The same can be said of the rear semi-elliptic leaf-sprung suspension, rated for 135 lb-in (or 50 percent stiffer) than those on the New Yorker. For reference, the rear springs were comprised of seven leaves, measuring 60 x 2.50 inches. Power steering, with its 15.7:1 gear ratio, was also standard equipment, as were heavy-duty shocks.
In short, the chassis was engineered and better suited for high-speed highway travel and maneuverability rather than a short drive across the city. It could also handle short, quarter-mile blasts if, as discussed, geared accordingly.
Brakes
Although equipment upgrades were made in other areas, the hydraulic drum-brake system was the same as found in the New Yorker series. Drum brakes, measuring 12 x 2.50-inches, were utilized at each corner. Power assist was standard, so stopping the roughly 4,200-pound performer was easier; however, as with other drumbrake systems, each corner needed to be adjusted equally to prevent directional pull during sudden stops. Additionally, Chrysler employed two wheel cylinders per front assembly—a fact to keep in mind when seeking replacement parts.
Wheels and Tires
Unlike the previous 300F, the new 300G was bestowed with larger 15 x 6-inch pressed-steel wheels, which were then shod with 8.00-15 Goodyear Blue Streak "racing-type" tires that featured white sidewalls. According to one report, the width of the whitewall itself ranged from 3- to 3 3/16-inches. Vented "300" wheel covers completed the ensemble, and no options were available.
Body and Interior
Styling updates made to the '61 Chryslers, including the 300G, probably did more to generate higher sales than printed virtues touting the fleet's combination of power and comfort, marking the end of Virgil Exner's FlightSweep designs. The changes began with a complete revamp of the front end, where the grille was simply inverted. The top-to-bottom inward canted grille sides were harmoniously complemented by equally canted quad headlamps, running lamps, and bumper ends, while also matching the angle of the rear fins— which were also slightly redesigned. At the opposite end, the faux spare tire decklid inlay was scrapped, providing a cleaner expanse of sleek sheetmetal. Other than appropriate badging denoting the letter "G," little else appeared to change on the 219.8-inch-long body; the greenhouse and rear fenders were carry-over items, with the exception of the leading edge of the fins found on each door.
Interiors remained exquisitely plush. A full-length, front-to-rear tunneled center console divided the interior in two, creating four truly individual buckets seats wrapped in ventilated leather. Those front seats retained the swivel feature, making for easy ingress/egress, while the console was trimmed with ample amounts of chrome and padded armrests that flipped open to expose additional storage areas. The console also housed optional power window controls, ashtrays, and a tachometer.
Primary instruments resided in a dome-like, easy-to-read bubble; potential glare concerns were eliminated by means of a matching padded dash arch. The transmission's pushbutton controls resided to the left of the instrument cluster, balanced by radio, heat, and air controls to the right. Comfort and convenience options included power seats, power antenna, rear window defroster, and air conditioning.
Source: Hemmings
I photographed this nebula not long ago, so why photograph it again? The answer is I used a different smart telescope: The Dwarf III. I still use the Seestar S50. I'll go into my reasons later. This is my very first Dwarf III image.
Dwarf III - Gain 60, 15 second exposures, (after culling) 720 subframes.
The most famous location on the A&A is by far the reflection pond at Welch Road. Usually perfectly still, the pond provides a mirror reflection for photos and I had gotten a few there prior to this image. On this day, the pond was half frozen just like myself, so I went for a different angle than the usual. I walked back along the shore to get a snowy foreground (and apparently some unnecessary sticks) in the shot. The pair of glorified tractors soon showed up with the usual heavy train for Reisdorf Bros and sang the song of an M5 as they approached Welch Road. Fit with two separate crews in each unit, the A&A gave you a true doubleheader, and unfortunately that has gone by the wayside with the arrival of an Alco RS3.
While chasing this, I was driving a beige on beige 1997 Ford Taurus. The bubble years of the Taurus were my favorite, as the cars were so damn ugly they were almost cute, the same way that pugs are. The car had been beaten to death at that point by many ridiculous railroad trips in remote locations, and she was starting to feel it. On this day I was already down a muffler, it had rotted and finally fell free the day prior on my way home from work. During the chase she gave up the other one as well, and I have a photo of it sitting on my car as the train passed by to prove it. Not long after I would move to Maine with two new mufflers just to find out the subframe had rusted off and was hanging on by a thread the entire time I owned it. Oh well, I'll miss it.
The Jaguar E-Type, is a British front mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974. Its sleek appearance, advanced technologies, high performance, and competitive pricing established it as an icon. The E-Type's claimed 150 miles per hour (240 km/h) top speed, sub-7-second 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration, largely unitary body construction, front and rear independent suspension with disc brakes, mounted inboard at the rear, and rack-and-pinion steering spurred industry-wide changes.
The E-Type was based on Jaguar's D-Type racing car, which had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for three consecutive years beginning in 1955.
The E-Type employed what was, for the early 1960s, a novel design principle, with a front subframe carrying the engine, front suspension and front bodywork bolted directly to the body tub. No ladder frame chassis, as was common at the time, was needed and as such the first cars weighed only 1,315 kg (2,899 lb).
It is rumored that, on its debut on 15 March 1961, Enzo Ferrari called it "the most beautiful car ever made", but this statement is not fully confirmed. In 2004, Sports Car International magazine placed the E-Type at number one on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s. In March 2008, the Jaguar E-Type ranked first in The Daily Telegraph's online list of the world's "100 most beautiful cars" of all time.[
Andromeda Galaxy is an island universe that lies some two million light years from our own Milky Way Galaxy. I think of my imaging system as a time machine that captured this object as it appeared two million years ago. If it is still there, I wonder what it looks like now.
This is a preliminary LRGB image to which I willl add Hydrogen alpha data (Ha). The Ha data will highlight the star-forming regions in the spiral arms of the galaxy. My objective in this rendering was to explore the full LRGB possibilities before adding the Ha data.
60-second subframe exposures were taken to minimize saturation in the bright galactic center.
ZWO ASI6200MM-P/EFW 2" x 7 (LRGB)
Tele Vue NP101is (4" f/4.3)
Losmandy G11
Integration time:
L: 60s x 233 = 3:53
R: 60s x 74 = 1:14
G: 60s x 80 = 1:20
B: 60s x 71 = 1:11
Total integration time: 7:31
Captured with NINA, processed with PixInsight, and finished with Affinity Photo.
Brenda has a brand new MOT. A certain amount of surgery was needed, both on Brenda’s subframe and my wallet, but we’re good to go for another year of adventures. When we first took possession of her two and a half years ago, I was frightened to drive her out of the lane at the end of our garden and onto the main road, but nowadays it’s a joy to trundle along at a modest pace along the A30 on the inside lane, towards the blissfully peaceful and charge free car park on the Towans in winter. Even though we’ve stripped out all the soft furnishings and brought them into the house until springtime to keep them from getting damp, she’s comfortable enough to sit in with a cup of tea after a stumble over the dunes, gazing out over the black water towards the darkening hulk of the headland around the bright lights of St Ives. Not that I’m planning to drive Brenda around St Ives any time soon. Anything that might involve reversing in tight spaces is still a bit of a nerve jangler, even with the aid of the onboard reversing camera. Still, I’ve been brave enough to stop in the M&S car park just off Loggans roundabout in the rush hour twice in the last week. Creeping around a car park in over six metres of steel without bashing pedestrians can be a challenge in the dark.
We ended up going to the big free car park on consecutive afternoons. As you’ve no doubt remembered, neither of us have ever been keen on the business of mornings, and at this time of year the sun sets before half past four in the afternoon. So despite a firm intention to head slightly further afield, more often than not we come here. Sometimes we bring lunch with us. On this occasion we picked up a couple of pasties and a salivating spaniel called Rosie. Ali’s sister’s dog. Much as I was delighted to learn that Prima does a flaky steak pasty, having an excitable hound within three inches of my face while I was trying to eat it was rather less enjoyable. And because Rosie didn’t really get the idea that I was hoping to wash it down afterwards, the post lunch coffee was abandoned in favour of letting her loose across the dunes before she exploded with excitement - and other things best not mentioned here. But Ali likes to take the dog for a stomp while I take pictures, so we stomped together for some distance along the dunes before descending onto the beach, where we split up. That dog must cover at least twenty miles in comparison to the two or three we usually manage.
I spent some time on the beach with the long lens, picking out lone figures bathed in light against the backdrop of the bluff and the warmly lit seaspray. Everyone except me seemed to be walking their dogs on this bright winter afternoon that was full of atmosphere. Sunbeams moved continually in and out of the clouds, suddenly illuminating the landscape before everything disappeared into shadows once more. It was an afternoon for catching moments. The lady in the distance really needed to be walking towards me or away from me, but instead she stood in the shallows, throwing a ball for one of her expectant companions, while the other sniffed about in the sand behind her. Actually, I just looked at the picture I worked on from this earlier part of the session and I like it more than I did at first. It might yet make it into these pages - you never know.
After I was happy enough with the shots I’d grabbed down on the beach, I moved up to the dunes, hoping to catch some light on them, much as I’d done the day before, as well as on the last outing of the three happy snappers with Dave and Lee a month earlier. By now we were getting close to sunset, and after trying a wider shot, I returned to the brilliant telephoto lens. Each time the sun peaked out from the dark clouds, the scene before me became a mixture of fire and shadow, parts of the beach lighting up in a golden blaze. I just needed someone to walk across that patch of golden blaze. It seemed unlikely, because who’d be daft enough to walk across the wettest part of the sand and risk a wave breaking over their walking boots? But happily, one barefooted soul obliged. There’s always somebody who wants a paddle, whatever the season.
Shoots at this time of year are often brief, but at the same time I’m always home for tea, and even today I managed the mile across the undulating landscape to the van, arriving just as Ali was unlocking. With a damp snoozing dog sprawled out on an equally sodden blanket across the passenger seat in the cab, we sat in the back and watched the sea through the open side door nursing the steaming mugs we’d been denied earlier in the day. Coffee at last on a perfect winter afternoon.
1995 Chrysler Atlantic Concept
The Chrysler Atlantic was a retro concept car created by Chrysler and fabricated by Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters in California. It was first shown in 1995. The Atlantic was designed by Bob Hubbach and inspired by the Bugatti Atlantique. The idea for this car began out as a sketch on a napkin by Chrysler's president Bob Lutz in early 1993 and also involved the automaker's chief designer, Tom Gale.
The Atlantic has several similarities to the opulent vehicles of the 1930s such as the aforementioned Bugatti Type 57S Atlantique (or Atlantic). Its styling is also more than a little inspired by the Talbot-Lago T150 SS Coupe that was constructed in 1938, such as the shape of the side windows and the curved boot. Some of the retro details include a straight-8-engine that was actually constructed from two 4-cylinder Dodge Neon engines with an S configuration 4.0 L., which is rarely used in modern cars. Other retro touches to the car's look include the interior that is replete with Art Deco-style gauges. The Atlantic Concept has around 360 horsepower (268.5 kW) and uses Chrysler's 42LE transaxle transmission lifted from the Chrysler LHS mounted to the rear subframe. Power is sent from the engine to the transaxle through a long torque tube hidden under a large tunnel in the interior. Riding on a 128-inch (3,251 mm) wheelbase, its front wheels measure 21 inches and 22 inches in the rear — large at that time.
It was one of Chrysler's most popular concept vehicles and has proven popular enough to still make the occasional public appearance.
The Atlantic's popularity has also allowed its overall design and image to be associated as part of both advertising and labeling of packages associated with a variety of automotive car care products, accessories, and electronics.
Andromeda Galaxy is an island universe that lies some two million light years from our own Milky Way Galaxy. I think of my imaging system as a time machine that captured this object as it appeared two million years ago. If it is still there, I wonder what it looks like now.
This is an LRGB image that is augmented with Ha data to highight the star forming regions, which appear as reddish blotches in the spiral arms of the galaxy. The preliminary LRGB and Ha data that comprise this image were uploaded on November 1st and 12th, respectively.
60-second subframe exposures were taken in LRGB and HDRMT was used in PixInsight processing to minimize saturation in the bright galactic center.
ZWO ASI6200MM-P/EFW 2" x 7 (Chroma 3nm Ha, ZWO LRGB)
Tele Vue NP101is (4" f/4.3)
Losmandy G11
Integration time:
Ha: 600s x 16 = 2:40
L: 60s x 233 = 3:53
R: 60s x 74 = 1:14
G: 60s x 80 = 1:20
B: 60s x 71 = 1:11
Total integration time: 10:11
Captured with NINA, processed with PixInsight, and finished with Affinity Photo.
I added color data to my mosaic project from a widefield shot I took 5/9/16. nova.astrometry.net/user_images/1106296#annotated
RGB shot with a QHY10 OSC and a 55mm lens, 4x20 minutes each
LUM- mosaic of 15 images, each composed 15x2 minute subframes. 11" Celestron EdgeHD w/Hyperstar and QHY23M.
Total integration 8h 50m
This was a tough shot to get. Between light pollution, moonlight, and clouds moving in and out not in accordance to the weather forecast I felt lucky to be able to pull any kind of image from the data. Still I like the painterly quality it has taken on. More like something Whistler would have painted in a nocturne when he was painting his mother.
Dwarf III - 236 30-second subframes. Gain 30. Duo band filter.
This is another image I completed on my recent trip to Kartchner Caverns. I had been collecting data with three different combinations of camera and telescope, but just could not get the signal to noise ratio I wanted. After this last run, I had a ton of data, over 100 subframes in each channel of LRGB. With so many subs, I skipped the calibration frames and just stacked them all. Pretty much all the flaws were rejected by the algorithm, and it came out pretty clean. A little cleanup with GraExpert, plus normal processing in PI. Description below is stolen from APOD.
In this celestial abstract art composed with a cosmic brush, dusty nebula NGC 2170, also known as the Angel Nebula, shines just above the image center. Reflecting the light of nearby hot stars, NGC 2170 is joined by other bluish reflection nebulae, a red emission region, many dark absorption nebulae, and a backdrop of colorful stars. Like the common household items that abstract painters often choose for their subjects, the clouds of gas, dust, and hot stars featured here are also commonly found in a setting like this one -- a massive, star-forming molecular cloud in the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). The giant molecular cloud, Mon R2, is impressively close, estimated to be only 2,400 light-years or so away. At that distance, this canvas would be over 60 light-years across.
Cameras: QSI 683, ASI 2600mm
Telescopes TEC 140, Vixen VC200L
Taken from multiple locations in multiple years, finished in Southern Arizona, October 2024.
Reprocessed Aug 2025 with GraXpert
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Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, between 02.29 and 02.50 EDT
(285 km by road north of Toronto)
* Temperature 12° C.
* Total exposure time: 10 minutes
* 540 mm focal length telescope
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Description:
One of the most famous and best known objects in the sky is this large spiral galaxy, which can be seen with the unaided eye in a dark-sky location late in the northern hemisphere summer and in the autumn.
M31 is about 50% larger than our own Milky Way galaxy, and lies at a distance of about 2.5 million light years. For more information about M31, click here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_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@N06/29251167742
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Technical information:
Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 101is apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount with a Kirk Enterprises ball head
Ten stacked frames; each frame:
540 mm focal length
ISO 4000; 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, sharpening)
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IC 443 also known as the Jellyfish Nebula is a supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation of Gemini. Its distance is approximately 5,000 light years from Earth and a diameter of 70 light years. This image has been processed in the style of the Hubble pallete using two narrow band 3nm filters of Ha and Oiii. This helps to separate the two gasses from each other.
Location: Gergal, Spain - January 2023
Scope: William Optics GT81 385mm
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Mount: Celestron CGX
Filter: Optolong L-Ultimate Dual 3nm Narrow Band
Subframes: 90 x 600s
Integration: 15 hours
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NOTE: This photo is mislabelled as having been made on Dec. 16. It was made on Dec. 21!
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Photographed from mid-town Toronto, Canada, at 04.55 EST (Moon altitude: 41° | Sun 30° below the horizon)
* Temperature -6° C. ~ warmer than last week!
The Sun reached the December solstice - marking the start of winter in the northern hemisphere and of summer in the southern hemisphere - at 05.44 EST today. The subframes for this image of the Moon were obtained just 49 minutes earlier.
At the time of this photo the Moon had passed its last quarter phase exactly 8 hours earlier, so the Moon was in its waning crescent phase, with the terminator (the dividing line between day and night) already appearing slightly curved. Slightly less than half (actually, 46.7%) of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun in this photo.
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Nikon D810 camera body on Explore Scientific 152 mm (6") apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 SynScan mount.
1200 mm focal length, f/8
Best twelve of fourteen identical stacked frames; each frame:
* ISO 200, 1/200 sec. exposure
Stacked in Registax
Processed in Photoshop CS6
(image rotation, brightness, contrast, 35% colour desaturation, sharpening on left side of Moon)
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IC 405 also known as the Flaming Star Nebula, SH 2-229, or Caldwell 31,
Seestar S50. This is a composite of 567 ten-second exposures (subframes). Taken January 26, 2025.
Some of the middle-sized bells in Loughborough's Carillon. It was built after the first world war as a war memorial. The bells were cast in Loughborough's John Taylor bell foundry and funded by individuals and local businesses. The 46 metre high carillon tower was officially opened on 22 July 1923; this photograph was taken 100 years and a day after that! There is a total of 47 bells sounded by mechanical links to an organ-like keyboard whose keys need to be played by the carilloneur with fists and feet. It's wise to avoid ascending past the bass bells when the carillon is playing!
M51 in Ursa Major is the first galaxy for which a spiral structure was detected. William Parsons, the 3rd Earl of Rosse, observed and sketched M51's spiral arms using his 72" telescope in Ireland. M51 tidally interacts with an adjacent smaller companion galaxy, NGC 5194, creating the extended area of brightness you can see below and to the right of the galaxy pair.
Telescope: Celestron EdgeHD 8"
Reducer: 0.7x (1440mm Focal Length)
Camera: QSI 683wsg
Filters: Baader RGB-CCD + UV/IR Cut
Mount: Astro-Physics Mach1 GTO
Integration: 40-50 mins each LRGB (5 min subframes)
Processing Software: PixInsight v1.8