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This image was captured in Tucson AZ in the fading light using a Vixen VSD 100 astrograph and a stock (not astro-modified) Nikon Z7II camera on a Vixen SXP mount. There was an IR cut filter between the camera and telescope. The image is comprised of 31 x 6 sec stacked with Astropixelprocessor and adjust with Photoshop. Comet Leonard was low in the sky into the hazy zone and fading light below Venus. This capture was terminated by a tree branch soon to be removed. Captured at 5 degrees above the horizon at 6:30 pm MST.
On December 17th it is reported that Comet Leonard had an outburst to mag 3.5-4 on COBS CometOBServation database just before this capture was recorded which explains quite well why the comet was brighter and better than I expected. A day later the comet slipped to close to mag 5.
I might have overprocessed this one - the data was so nice. Bortle 2 skies make for easy processing.
Acquisition details: Fujifilm X-T10, Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC @ f2.0, ISO 1600, 70 x 60 sec, tracking with iOptron SkyTracker Pro, stacking with DeepSkyStacker, editing with Astro Pixel Processor and GIMP, taken Mar. 18, 2020 from Bortle 2 skies.
The Iris Nebula can be a tricky target due to the amount of dust and dark nebulosity around, which can be easily mistaken for noise or light polution, but also equally it is very easy to over expose the core. Whilst I have some sort of reflection in the lower left corner, I am very happy with the way this image turned out, there's a lot of detail around the nebula
RA: 21h07m01.11s
Dec: 67°15'22.46"
Constellation: Cepheus
Designation: NGC7023
Image Details:
389x150S at Gain 100 - CLS-CCD Filter
Darks: 101 Frames
Flats: 101 Frames
Bias: 101 Frames
Acquisition Dates: March 20, 2021 , April 6, 2021 , April 7, 2021 , April 13, 2021 , April 15, 2021 , April 16, 2021 , April 17, 2021 , April 18, 2021 , April 19, 2021
Total Capture time: 16.2 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
Pier: Altair Astro Skyshed 8" Pier
Focuser: Primalucelab Sesto Senso V2
Filter: Astronomik CLS-CCD 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
William Optics GT71 with ASI 294 MCPro
30 * 60 sec subs
Gain = 300
Temp = -10 Deg C.
Mounted on the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer and calibrated using AstroPixel Processor. Lights only.
Taken at Dayborough, Queensland, Bortle 4
The Jellyfish Nebula (left-center) is a supernova remnant. The Monkey Head Nebula is the bright emission nebula near the bottom; the monkey head is upside down looking right here. Both are quite close - the Jellyfish Nebula is an estimated 5,000 light years from earth; the Monkey Head is an estimated 6,400 light years from earth. The large star cluster near the top is Messier 35 (NGC 2168). NGC 2158 is the other smaller star cluster to the lower right of Messier 35.
Acquisition details: Fujifilm X-T10, Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC @ f2.0, ISO 1600, 150 x 30 sec, tracking with iOptron SkyTracker Pro, stacking with DeepSkyStacker, editing with Astro Pixel Processor and GIMP, taken Mar. 15, 2020 from my Bortle 5 backyard. The Monkey Head and brightest part of the Jellyfish are bright - they were apparent even on my unprocessed subs from my Bortle 5 backyard.
IC 1396, a complex, dynamic region of star formation in the constellation Cepheus also called the Elephant Trunk Nebula for the prominent column left of center. That's a region of denser material being eroded and energized by nearby hot stars. The image was made in the light of hydrogen, from suburban Bloomington, Indiana.
90 total exposures, 6 min. each (total 9 hours) in six overlapping tiles. Explore Scientific ED102 102mm f/7 refractor, 0.8x reducer/flattener, ZWO ASI2600MM Pro monochrome CMOS camera, 7nm H-alpha filter, iOptron CEM25P mount, ASIAir controller, auto-guided. Processed in Astro Pixel Processor and Lightroom.
#Astrophotography #DeepSky
Finally had a clear night over a week after the launch of the NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and managed to catch an image of it on the way to its observation post. This is a composite of about six hours of exposures from suburban Bloomington, Indiana. JWST shows up as the streak to the left of the bright (relatively) orange star (HD 44256) as it moves relative to the background stars. The trail is interrupted because several bad frames (poor tracking, etc.) were excluded.
73 5-min. exposures, Explore Scientific 102mm f/7 refractor, ZWO ASI294MC camera, UV/IR cut filter, iOptron CEM25P mount, ASIAir controller, processed in Astro Pixel Processor, Lightroom and Photoshop.
Christmas Eve 2019
Altair 294c
Altair 72EDF Deluxe
Stacked in AstroPixelProcessor
Processed in PixInsight
Looking back, I see I took a 2 year break from posting photos. When I returned, I decided I wanted to review my favorite astrophotography tools & techniques - so I could make sure to produce some really high quality images. After all, in a few years, things do change.
I'm not one to keep secrets so here's what I found:
1. Telescope Cameras - I won't waste time with telescope cameras that have less than 16 megapixels of resolution.
2. Exposure Blending - The (fits) images produced by telescope cameras are not linear so I export multiple images that are stretched to varying degrees of brightness and then I blend them in photoshop. This may be my most important technique because it avoids a lot of the over-exposing that I often see in astro-pics.
3. Noise - I like On1 Photo Raw Max 2026 (using the NoNoise tool as a Photoshop plugin).
4. Resizing - This is another important step and I like On1 Photo Raw Max 2026 (using the Resize tool).
With these techniques (and more experience processing with Astro Pixel Processor), I'm finding that want to go back and revisit some locations (like this one from 2021). As one of the closest and richest star-forming areas near Earth, the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex is especially colorful. With a combination of blue reflection nebula, red glow from the giant star Antares, dark lanes of cold molecular dust, golden glow from dense star fields of the milky way, and M4 (the globular cluster), it's a "target rich environment" that's one of my favorites places to shoot.
Calibrated images came from iTelescope's T71 telescope in their Deep Sky Chile observatory in Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile. I processed the final result with Astro Pixel Processor, Photoshop and On1 Photo Raw 2026.
Exposure Settings
• 122 images with a 3 minute exposure time
• Red: 30
• Green: 30
• Blue: 30
• Luminance: 32
• Total Exposure Time: 6.1 hours
32 * 88 secs at ISO 1600, f6.1 - unguided tracking.
Although there is a degree of trailing on the stars, it's a pleasing result given that the lens is at 200mm, so a 400mm FF equivalent. (OLYMPUS M.75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II)
Used the Skywatcher Star Adventurer for tracking & Pole Master for polar alignment. Astro Pixel Processor for all the image calibration, only jpg as still learning software (lights and darks only) then export to Photoshop.
IC5146 (The Cocoon Nebula) and the dark "Tail" Barnard 168 in the Constellation Cygnus imaged with an Esprit 100 refractor and QHY16200 CCD. 21 x 600 seconds Red, 21 x 600 seconds Green and 21x 600 seconds Blue.
Imaged on 2,3,13,14,15,16,17,21 and 22 July 2017. Processed with APP and Pixinsight.
Knight Observatory, Tomar
One of my favorite targets - the integrated flux nebula (IFN) or galactic cirrus is faint dust illuminated by our galaxy, and there happens to be a nice concentration of it in the direction of Bode's Nebulae (Bode's (M 81) and Cigar (M 82) Galaxies). The Angel Nebula, which is made of IFN, is in the lower left corner. This is an improvement over my last attempt at this target - shooting raw and more integration time made a difference.
Acquisition details: Fujifilm X-T10, Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC @ f2.0, ISO 1600, 78 x 60 sec, tracking with iOptron SkyTracker Pro, stacking with DeepSkyStacker, editing with Astro Pixel Processor and GIMP, taken on Feb. 21, 2020 under Bortle 3/4 skies.
Nov 2020 update: The color of M 81 on my original version had always irked me a bit. I reprocessed it and now M 81's color is much better (in my opinion).
This complex of reflection nebulae lies some 6,000 light-years away, in the constellation Cygnus.Obscuring interstellar dust clouds appear in silhouette against reddish hydrogen emission nebulae, along with the dusty blue reflection nebulae. Ultraviolet radiation from the massive, hot, young stars of the extensive Cygnus OB2 association ionize the region's atomic hydrogen gas, producing the characteristic red glow as protons and electrons recombine. Embedded Cygnus OB2 stars also provide the blue starlight strongly reflected by the dust clouds.
Telescope: Esprit 100 APO refractor.
Camera: QHY16200 CCD @-10 (RGB) and -20C (Ha).
28x 300sec Red filter
24x 300sec Green filter
28x 300sec Blue filter
23x 900sec H-alpha filter (6nm)
(12.4 hrs total integration time)
Ha Imaged on 20/5, 8/6, 27/7,28/7,30/7 2017.
RGB Imaged on 4/4, 5/4, 28/7, 29/7 2019.
Processed with AstroPixelProcessor and Pixinsight.
Knight Observatory, Tomar
M31 Andromeda Mosaic with M32 and M110. With special thanks to Stefan (astroartcologne).
© Julian Köpke
Dati: 31 x 480 sec ( 4.13 ore) gain 5 @ -10° c + 12 dark + 30 flat e darkflat
Filtro: Optolong l-enhanche
Montatura: EQ6 pro
Ottica: Takahashi FSQ106
Sensore: QHY168C
Cam guida e tele: magzero mz5-m su Scopos 62/520
Software acquisizione: nina e phd2
Software sviluppo: AstroPixelProcessor e Photoshop
Temperatura esterna: 21 ° C - Umidità 85%
> The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on spiral galaxy 21 million light-years (6.4 megaparsecs) away from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major.
This is a stack of 60 images captured with a Nikon Z7ii, SkyWatcher Esprit 100 scope, and the HEQ5 Pro tracking mount. PHD2 software was used for guiding.
This image was made from 60x180s exposures at ISO 800, plus 20 darks and 40 flats stacked in AstroPixelProcessor and edited in Photoshop.
Fujifilm X-T10, Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC @ f2.0, ISO 1600, 41 x 60 sec, tracking with iOptron SkyTracker Pro, stacking with DeepSkyStacker, editing with Astro Pixel Processor and GIMP, taken Jan 10, 2019.
This is a reprocess of data from earlier in the year - this time I used the 'remove light pollution' and 'HSL selective color' tools of Astro Pixel Processor after integrating light frames in DSS and before editing in GIMP. Also, my flats were introducing artifacts so I didn't use them, but instead corrected vignetting with the 'remove light pollution' tool.
I'm much happier with this version - the color and definition of the nebula are much better, and seem to be accurate in comparison with other images.
Dati: 12 x 300 sec ( 1 ore) gain 5 @ -10° c + 70 dark + 30 flat e darkflat
Filtro: Astronomik UV/IR Block L2
Montatura: EQ6 pro
Ottica: Takahashi FSQ106
Sensore: QHY168C
Cam guida e tele: magzero mz5-m su Scopos 62/520
Software acquisizione: nina e phd2
Software sviluppo: AstroPixelProcessor e Photoshop
Temperatura esterna: 18 ° C - Umidità 70%
Markarian's Chain is a group of galaxies in the constellation of Virgo, the galaxies when viewed from earth are in a curved line hence the name Markarian's Chain, they obtained the name from Benjamin Markarian who dicovered the common motion of the galaxies back in the early 1960s, there are quite a number of galaxies within the group, but the chain itself consists of M84, M86, NGC4477, NGC4473, NGC4461, NGC4458, NGC4438 and NGC4435 which are all visible in this image.
This image is a 2-Panel Mosaic, as the QHY183M on the SharpStar 15028HNT doe snot give me enough of a field of view to capture it in a single frame
Each Panel consists of
51x150S in Red Filter
51x150S in Green Filter
51x150S in Blue Filter
Darks, Flats and Flat Darks were applied in the image stacking process
Total Capture time: 12.8 Hours, total Image Size 34.9mpx
Acquisition Dates: March 3, 2020 , March 17, 2020 , March 23, 2020 , March 24, 2020 , March 27, 2020 , March 28, 2020 , April 12, 2020 , April 15, 2020 , April 16, 2020
Equipment Details:
Imaging Camera: Qhyccd 183M Mono ColdMOS Camera at -20C
Imaging Scope: SharpStar 15028HNT Hyperboloid Astrograph
Guide Camera: StarlightXpress Lodestar X2
Guide Scope: Sky-Watcher Finder Scope
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro
Focuser: Primalucelab ROBO Focuser
FIlterwheel: Starlight Xpress Ltd 7x36mm EFW
Filters: Astronomik Red, Green and Blue
Power and USB Control: Pegasus Astro USB Ultimate Hub Pro
Acquisition Software: Main Sequence Software. Sequence Generator Pro
Calibration and Stacking: Astro Pixel Processor
Mosaic Panel Merging: Image Composite Editor
Processing Software: PixInsight 1.8.6
The 48 panel version does not show the Veil nebula so i decided to extend to 8x8 panels. This 16 panel (2x8) strip shows 2 main "attractions". This version is made with single 15 minute exposures using a 6nm Ha filter. (QHY16200/ Esprit 100 on GM2000 unguided) Software: Sequence generator pro/ Astro Pixel Processor.
Image reduced to 25%.
Knight Observatory, Tomar
Fujifilm X-T10, Samyang 135mm f/2.0 @ f2.0, ISO 1600, 60 x 60 sec, tracking with iOptron SkyTracker Pro, stacking with DeepSkyStacker, editing with Astro Pixel Processor and GIMP, taken October 26 under Bortle 3/4 skies.
The faint haze on the right edge is integrated flux nebulae (IFN).
Nov. 2020 update: Tweaked color.
VdB 14 & 15 (left in the picture) are two very beautiful reflection nebulae, which also contain a few reddish emission components and belong to an even larger dust cloud in the inconspicuous constellation Camelopardalis. VdB 15 is the larger, lower area of the nebula and surrounds the star CE Cam, a variable supergiant. VdB 14, the upper part of the nebula, is located near the star CS Cam, which is also a supergiant. The distance to earth is around 3,000 lightyears.
The open star cluster Stock 23 can be found on the right in the picture and is also a nice object for visual observation. Its distance is estimated at 1,240 lightyears and it is surrounded by several spectacular dark clouds. It is embedded in the large but faint emission nebula SH2-202, which extends over the entire right half of the picture.
Equipment:
Celestron RASA 8 f/2
Celestron Motorfocuser
EQ6-R Pro
ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro (Gain 100, Offset 18, -10°)
RGB (no filter): 300 × 30″ (2h 30′)
RGB (IDAS LPS-D3 Filter): 260 × 120″ (8h 40′)
TS 2600 MP Mono (Gain 100, Offset 50, -10°)
Ha: (Baader H-alpha Highspeed Ultra-Narrowband 3.5nm Filter): 130 x 60 (2h 10')
Total: 13h 20'
Flats, Darkflats, Dithering
N.I.N.A., Guiding with ZWO ASI 120MM and PHD2
Astropixelprocessor, Photoshop, Pixinsight
Date: November 23, December 8 & 15, 2022
Location: Hannover, Germany (Bortle 5-6)
43x 600 sec( 7.2 hrs). through 6nm Ha filter and Esprit 100 refractor/ QHY16200 CCD camera @ -20C. On 17,18,19 and 20 November 2017.
Knight Observatory, Tomar
Dati: 29 x 300 sec a gain 5 e offset 25 a -10° c + 70 dark + 25 flat e darkflat
Filtro Astronomik UV/IR Block L2
Montatura: eq6 pro
Ottica: Takahashi FSQ106
Sensore: QHY168C
Cam guida e tele: magzero mz5-m su Scopos 62/520
Software acquisizione: nina e phd2
Software sviluppo: AstroPixelProcessor e Photoshop
COBS (Comet OBSveration database) contributions indicates that C/2021 Leonard had a significant outburst just prior to its recovery in the evening sky on December 15/16 2021. The comet flared to mag 3.5 and then quickly subsided to mag 5 by December 18. These three images were captured with a Vixen VSD 100 mm telescope and a Nikon Z7II camera mounted on a Vixen SXP. About 2.5 minutes of images were acquired with subs and stacked with AstroPixelProcessor and finished with Photoshop. With clouds and haze in Tucson and Comet Leonard gaining altitude each day the differences shown are not normalized and are a qualitative product of the captures.
40 exposures, each 360 sec. Explore Scientific ED102 102mm f/7 refractor, ZWO ASI294MC camera, H-alpåha filter, iOptron CEM25P mount, ASIAir controller. Processed in Astro Pixel Processor and Lightroom
RCW is an oval shaped emission nebula in the Constellation Norma created by the Wolf Rayet star HD 147419
The region is blanketed in HAlpha emission. In an effort to pick up OIII emissions I integrated nearly three times as much data in OIII as in Ha to produce this image
Total integration 19 hours collected over 5 nights
15 hours in OIII and 4 hours in H alpha ( 10 minute subs)
Equipment
Sharpstar Z4
HEQ5
ZWO ASI 533 MM pro
Antlia 3 nm H alpha Filter
Optolong 3 nm OIII Filter
ASIAR
Software
ASIAIR
AstropixelProcessor
PixinSight
Photoshop CS6
Processing notes-
Ha and OIII data processed independently
Stack
GradientCorrection
BlurX (Correct Only)
Starnet++
Nebula
Blemish Blaster (OIII only)
BlurX
Noise X
GHS
CurvesTransformation
Stars
Setiastro StarStretch script
Stars combined with
PixelMath
HOO image created using ChannelCombination
SelectiveColour
Minor tweaking in CS6
This wonderful dark nebula in Cepheus (Barnard 150 / LDN 1082) is commonly referred to as the "Seahorse Nebula", but in the orientation of my image, the structure reminds me much more of a mermaid, drifting through the cosmos with her long hair.
Its counterpart is played by an H-Alpha cloud, which already belongs to the adjacent "Flying Bat Nebula" (Sh2-129). To bring out this faint area, I captured 7 hours of Ha and then combined it with 10 hours and 24 minutes of RGB. I hope you like it!
Celestron RASA 8 f/2
Celestron Motorfocus
EQ6-R Pro
ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro (Gain 100, Offset 18, -10°)
RGB: 326 × 60″ (5h 26′)
TS 2600 MP (Gain 100, Offset 200, -10°)
RGB: 51 × 60″ (5h 51′), 131 × 120″ (4h 22′), 70 × 10″ (11' 40'′)
Baader H-Alpha Highspeed 3.5nm: 210 × 120″ (7h)
Total: 17H 24′ 40″
Bortle 5 (19.50 SQM)
N.I.N.A., Guiding with ZWO ASI 120MM and PHD2
Astropixelprocessor, Photoshop, Pixinsight
NGC7882 is a large Emission Nebula in Cepheus, whilst I tried to obtain some OIII data, there appears to be very little OIII Data within this particular target. NGC7822 lies approximately 2900 light years from Earth and spans somewhere in the region of 100 light years across, there are a number of "Pillars of Creation" scattered throughout this large nebula.
RA: 00h01m08.59s
Dec: 67°25'17.00"
Constellation: Cepheus
Designation: NGC7882 / Sharples 171
Image Details: 101x300S at Gain 100
Darks: 101 Frames
Flats: 101 Frames
Bias: 101 Frames
Acquisition Dates: Nov. 3, 2020 , Nov. 4, 2020 , Nov. 5, 2020 , Nov. 6, 2020 , Nov. 7, 2020
Total Capture time: 8.4 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-eXtreme Dual Band Filter
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
Equipo: Star Adventurer - Canon 6D - Sigma 70/300 APO
50 lights - 19 darks - 100 bias
60s - f/6,3 - ISO 3200 - 190mm - 4000K
Procesado: AstroPixelProcessor - Lightroom
I have not imaged M42 or the Great Orion Nebula for a few years, but with the field of view the ZWO ASI6200MCPro offers on the 15028HNT I just could not resist the temptation, this image is a blend of data from the L-eXtreme Filter and the Astronomik CLS-CCD filter
RA: 05h35m17.31s
Dec: -05°23'28.00"
Constellation: Orion
Designation: M42
Image Details:
60x90S at Gain 0 - CLS-CCD Filter
88x150S at Gain 0 - L-eXtreme Filter
32x30S at Gain 0 - L-eXtreme Filter
Darks: 101 Frames
Flats: 101 Frames
Bias: 101 Frames
Acquisition Dates: Jan. 3, 2021 , Feb. 18, 2021 , March 5, 2021 , March 6, 2021 , March 7, 2021
Total Capture time: 5.4 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-eXtreme 2"
Filter: Astronomik CLS-CCD 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
Messier 45, also known as the Seven Sisters or the Pleiades is an Open Cluster located in Taurus. It can easyly be seen in a starry autumn or winter night as a constellation of approx. five stars even with the naked eye.
Object: M 45 (Pleiades)
Optics: William Megrez 72ED F6 + Long Perng 0,6x Reducer
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R
Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro @-20°C, Gain=53, Offset=10
Filter: ZWO EFW 7x36mm, ZWO 36mm Filters
Exposure: total ~7h, R 87x60sec, G 90x60sec, B 106x60sec, L 65x120sec, L (mixed from RGB), 200 Bias, 40 Darks, 60 Flats per channel
Date: 2018-11-16, 2018-11-17
Location: Schwaig
Capture: Sequence Generator Pro
Guiding: APM50 Image Master, ASI120MM, PHD2
Image Acquisition: Stephan Schurig
Image Processing: Stephan Schurig
AstroPixelProcessor 1.070: Calibration, Registration, Normalization, Integration, Channel Combination, Background Flattening & Calibration, Star Colors Correction, Auto Digital Development
Photoshop 20.0.1: Levels, Curves, Exposure (Offset, Exposure), Masked Nik Dfine 2 Denoise, Masked Dynamic (Dynamic, Saturation), Star Shrink, Masked Unsharp Masking, Masked HighPass Sharpening, Camera Raw Lens Correction (Distorsion, Chromatic Abberation), Cosmetic Background Repair
Altair Astro ED60 with 0.8x reducer/flattener @ f/4.8
ZWO ASI585MC OSC
60 x 60sec. subs. for a 4 pane mosaic (4 hrs.)
Processed with Astro Pixel Processor, GraXpert, NoiseXTerminator and Affinity Photo.
Date: Nov. 1, 29 / Nov.29, 2019 /Dec. 27, 2019
Location: Amagi Highland, Shizuoka Pref., Japan / Asagiri Arena, Shizuoka Pref., Japan
Optics: SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art (f/2.2)
Mount: SWAT-310 V-spec(single axis autoguiding)
Autoguider: QHY5L-II, LM75JC, PHD2
Camera: Canon EOS 6D (SEO-SP4)
ISO speed: 1600
Exposure: 30x180sec.x9panels
Processing: PixInsight, Astro Pixel Processor
Date: May.10 / Oct.2, 2021
Location: Amagi Highland, Shizuoka Pref., Japan
Optics: SIGMA 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO | Art (f/3.2)
Mount: RainbowAstro RST-135
Camera: Canon EOS 6D (mod/SEO-SP4)
ISO speed: 1600
Exposure: 15x120sec.x3panel + 12x150sec.x4panels
Processing: PixInsight, AstroPixelProcessor
Tonight the observing conditions with Tucson's persistent haze were better and the comet is a little higher and dusk comes a few minutes earlier for next two days. Tonight was the first time in the past days I could easily see green around the comet nucleus with my eyes. COBS reports the comet is in the mid 3s mag at th time of this capture. My impression is that Leonard is brighter tonight than the prior night.
This image is 35 x 4 sec stacked with AstroPixelProcessor and finished with Photoshop. The images were captured with a Vixen VSD 100 telescope on a Vixen SXP mount, with a Baader IR cur filter and a Nikon 7II camera.
Crescent Venus in daylight.
30 1/1000sec. exposures, Explore Scientific 102mm f/7 refractor, ASI294MC camera, UV/IR cutoff filter, iOptron CEM25P, ASIAir controller, processed in Astro Pixel Processor, Lightroom, and Photoshop.
More information on how this photo was made:
Date: 21:10-28:15JST Oct.4, 2019
Location: Asagiri Highland, Shizuoka Pref., Japan
Cloud Coverage: 0 ~ 30%
Wind: 5 ~ 26 kt
Temperature: 13.9C ~ 17.8C
Humidity: 71 ~ 93%
Air pressure: 914hPa
Lens: SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art (f/2.2)
Mount: SWAT-310 (single axis autoguiding)
Autoguider: QHY5L-II, LM75JC, PHD2
Camera: Canon EOS 6D (SEO-SP4)
ISO speed: 1600
Exposure: 15x180sec.x5panels
Processing: PixInsight, Astro Pixel Processor
Date: 22:55~25:30JST Nov. 26, 2022
Location: Asagiri Arena, Shizuoka Pref., Japan
Cloud Coverage: < 5%
Temperature: 5.9C ~ 9.3C
Humidity: 69% ~ 84%
Wind: 2 ~ 8kt
Lens: SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art (f/2.2)
Mount: RainbowAstro RST-135
Autoguider: QHY5L-II, LM75JC, PHD2
Camera: Canon EOS 6D (mod/SEO-SP4)
ISO speed: 1600
Exposure: 45x90sec.x3panels
Processing: PixInsight, AstroPixelProcessor
This is the wonderful globular cluster M 3 in Canes Venatici. It‘s one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 11.4 billion years old and 32,600 light-years away from Earth. I had already photographed this cluster for about 3 hours last year and was able to add another 2.5 hours this time, which made the faint stars in the outer regions of the cluster more visible. Well, M 13 in Hercules is even more spectacular, but I think M 3 is worth to take a closer look at it. Hope you like it!
Equipment used:
Skywatcher 200/1000 @ 950mm f/5
EQ6-R Pro
ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro (Gain 100, Offset 18, -10°)
RGB (no filter): 658 x 30" (5h 29‘)
N.I.N.A., Guiding: ZWO ASI 120 MM & PHD2
Bortle 5
Astropixelprocessor, Photoshop, Pixinsight
Comet ATLAS C/2019 Y4, discovered in December 2019, has been quickly increasing in brightness over the last few months, and many of us hope that trend will continue; past projections put it as reaching naked-eye brightness this April or May. However, it's brightness has recently plateaued around magnitude +8. That and an elongated nucleus suggest that it might be disintegrating.
It was likely about magnitude +8 when I photographed it last night, April 9th, near Star 42 Camelopardalis. I'm not sure what the faint nebulosity is to the lower left of the comet: either Dark Nebula HSVMT 25, integrated flux nebula (IFN), or it's simply an artifact. Galaxy NGC 2366 is also apparent in the upper right corner.
Acquisition details: Fujifilm X-T10, Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC @ f2.0, ISO 1600, 50 x 30 sec, tracking with iOptron SkyTracker Pro, stacking with DeepSkyStacker (used comet stacking mode so stars and comet were stacked separately and then combined), editing with Astro Pixel Processor and GIMP, taken in the 30 minute-window between astronomic dusk and the rise of the 93% illuminated moon on April 9, 2020 under Bortle 3/4 skies.
M90 Galaxy found in the constellation of Virgo.
M: Pegasus NYX-101
T: WO GTF81 Refractor
C: ZWO ASI533MM-Cooled
G: OAG and PHD2
GC: ZWO ASI120MC
RAW16; FITs
Temp: -10 DegC
R: Gain 100; Exp: 10 x 300s
G: Gain 100; Exp: 6 x 300s
L: Gain 100; Exp: 10 x 300s
Frames: 26 Lights; Darks/DarkFlats/Flats
Total Exposure: ~2.17 hours
50% Crop
Capture: NINA
Processed: APP LRG[No 'B']; PS.
Sky: 90% moon, no breeze, no cloud.
Approx 10 hours each of HA and OIII, taken in 5 minute subs.
AP 155EDFS refractor. ZWO ASI6200 mount.
Processed with AstroPixelProcessor and Photoshop.
The Theta Musca Supernova Remnanant-G304.4-3.1
this is a recently discovered SNR (first imaged in high resolution just over a year ago by Bray Falls)
The object is huge and too big for the small sensor of my imaging camera, so I will have to re-attempt with possibly my RedCat51 at some future point in time.
Equipment
HEQ5/ASIAIR/Sharpstar Z4/Antlia 3 nm Ha Filter/Optolong 3nm OIII filter/ZWO ASI533MM Pro
Integration
16 hours in OIII (10 minute subs)
4 hours in Ha ( 10 minute subs)
Location
Bortle 6
imaged over multiple nights in July 2024
Processing notes
Ha and OIII data stacked in AstroPixelProcessor.
Ha and OII integrations registered in APP.
Processed in PixInsight
Dynamic Crop
Graxpert for gradient removal (for some reason GraXpert did a better job IMHO than my usual goto ADBE )
BlurX-correct
BlurX default
Starnet++
SetiAstro NB to RGB script to convert Ha and OII star masks to star layer -only mild stretch (4.0) applied
NoiseX on starless images
GHS for starless layer. Had to experiment to not overstretch the data especially Ha and swamp the image with ha signal
Linear Fit
HOO image constructed with PixelMath
Red- Ha
Green- 0.2 Ha +0.8 OIII
Blue-OIII
mild curves transformation
star layer added using Pixelmath
Narrowband Normalisation
BlurX
NoiseX
levels adjustment in Photoshop CS
Comment
Images published on the web tend to show the oxygen areas in an electric blue and the Ha areas in a hue closer to pink
while it was possible to achieve this colour palette by using adjustment layers (Hue/Saturation, colourise) I have chosen to go with the image more or less as it emerged from PixInsight
M101 Pinwheel Galaxy
Equipment:
Celestron AVX
Baader Moon and Sky Glow with IR cut filter
ES ED 102 FCD 100 Scope
SSAG Cope and Camera
ZWO 183mc Pro
Pegasus Focus Cube
Software:
SGP Acquisition
Sharp Cap - Initial Focus and Polar Align
AstropixelProcessor for stacking and initial stretch
Finished in Photoshop
I'll have to look to see how much integration.