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First lunar light with my Skywatcher 200p 200 / 1000 newtonian telescope.

 

These beautiful colours are from the variants of iron and titanium. The reddish areas are from iron, the blue areas are titanium.

 

I was so eager to finally shoot some higher res lunar images. I’ve always only had camera lenses and had to crop enormous amounts. Of course, due to seeing it became pure luck as high res video wasn’t an option in order to stack properly.

 

For this image, I tried out my ZWO 290MM (which I use for guiding) as a luminance set of data. I captured and made a 6 panel mosaic using this camera with the 8” newt.

 

For each panel I captured 1000 frames full resolution, then stacked the best 10% of these.

 

For the colour, I used my ZWO 533MC Pro. I captured 2000 frames at 2256px ROI.

 

I stacked all these in Autostackkert 2, used wavelets in Registax, aligned and pano created in Photoshop.

 

These images were shot before total darkness, so I have a few issues with the luminance layers having slightly different black levels. However, I think this came out good overall :)

 

Lum data was captured at sunset and colour post sunset.

 

Hardware Details:

 

Skywatcher EQ6R Pro

Skywatcher 8” 200/1000 newt

SharpStar 0.95x coma corrector

Astronomik 2" UV IR L2

ZWO 533MC Pro (with UV IR)

ZWO 290MM (no filter)

 

Here is a quick capture of the planet Jupiter and an overexposed image of Jupiter on the top showing the four Galilean moons.

 

Tech Specs: Sky Watcher Esprit 120ED, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC, and ZWO EAF, Televue 1.5x Barlow. Captured in SharpCap Pro, processed in Autostakkert and Registax, top image single 3-second exposure, bottom image is best 20% of 9000 frames. Image date: October 13, 2021. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

Imaging telescope or lens:GSO 8" f/5 Newton

Imaging camera:ZWO ASI 183 MM PRO

Mount:SkyWatcher NEQ6 Pro Goto

Guiding telescope or lens:GSO 8" f/5 Newton

Guiding camera:Astrolumina Alccd5L-IIc

Focal reducer:Pal Gyulai GPU Aplanatic Koma Korrector 4-element

Software:DeepSky Stacker Deep Sky Stacker 3.3.4, FitsWork 4, Adobe PhotoShop CS5, PHD2 Guiding

Filters:Baader Ha 1.25" 7nm, Baader Planetarium O3 1.25" 8.5nm, Baader Planetarium SII 1.25" 8nm

Accessory:TSOptics TS Off Axis Guider - 9mm

Dates:June 21, 2018, June 27, 2018, Sept. 14, 2019, Sept. 15, 2019

Frames:

Baader Ha 1.25" 7nm: 40x600" (gain: 200.00) -20C bin 1x1

Baader Planetarium O3 1.25" 8.5nm: 23x420" (gain: 200.00) -20C bin 1x1

Baader Planetarium SII 1.25" 8nm: 18x420" (gain: 200.00) -20C bin 1x1

Integration: 11.5 hours

Darks: ~37

Flats: ~27

Flat darks: ~100

Avg. Moon age: 13.39 days

Avg. Moon phase: 89.80%

RA center: 341.794 degrees

DEC center: 58.052 degrees

Pixel scale: 0.493 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: 66.112 degrees

Field radius: 0.447 degrees

Locations: Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Bayern, Germany

Data source: Backyard

 

Object description (wikipedia.org):

 

NGC 7380 (also known as the Wizard Nebula) is an open cluster discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1787. William Herschel included his sister's discovery in his catalog, and labelled it H VIII.77. It is also known as 142 in the 1959 Sharpless catalog (Sh2-142). This reasonably large nebula is located in Cepheus. It is extremely difficult to observe visually, usually requiring very dark skies and an O-III filter.

 

Located 7200 light years away, the Wizard nebula, surrounds developing open star cluster NGC 7380. Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a fictional medieval sorcerer. The active star forming region spans about 100 light years, making it appear larger than the angular extent of the Moon. The Wizard Nebula can be located with a small telescope toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia (Cepheus). Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the stars being formed may outlive our Sun.

SkyWatcher Mini in "Moon" mode.

What started out as a question became a small marathon. I was getting shadow /reflections of the filters in the shot. So it became full clean down mirrors and filters. once put together I did a NB night and a RGB night to see if all had gone, happy to say its all clear.

What better way to really see so I did 5 nights of NB in total about 130 shots per filter. This is a Hubble SHaO pallet. One thing that showed up in those 5 night 2 am in the morning mount would disconnect. It would restart straight away once I got the port recognized. Turns out the fitting for the EQMOD cable for the mount was not firm even if the screws where. Two small slithers of a wall plug on the screws the whole thing is a tight as a drum and ran all night.

Now who cant see the chicken running Bottom left cant miss it. Still cant get over the detail in the shot.

QHY268M -10c 130 Odd shots 5 min each filter over 5 nights .. 30 shots each RGB 1 min exposure.

QHYCFW3 and 7 Antlia filters LRGBSHaO

MeLE Mini PC

Pegasus Astro Pocket Mini power box

Starpoint Australis SP3 Focuser Rotated

Skywatcher 200 F4 PREMIUM PHOTO QUATTRO REFLECTOR OTA

Skywatcher F4 Aplanatic Coma Corrector

Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned

SVbony 50MM Guide scope

QHY5L-II-M Guide camera

Guided PHD2, Nina

Pixinsight, Ps, Lr

Aberkenfig, South Wales

Lat 51.542 N Long 3.593 W

 

Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian, Tal 2x Barlow,

ZWO ASI 385MC.

 

4000 frames captured using Firecapture.

 

Approx. 1700 frames processed with Registax 6. Final levels slightly adjusted using G.I.M.P.

 

Lunar south is uppermost. Quite good seeing.

 

A very favourable libration revealing the very elusive lunar crater Hausen.

OTA: Newtonian Celestron 130 mm/f5 modified

Mount: Skywatcher Heq 5

Imaging Camera: Canon 700D astro modified

Telescope Guide: Gso 50mm

Camera Guide: QHY5L II Mono

Baader Mk III Coma Corrector

Polemaster Eletronic Polar Scope

   

Total Exposure: 2:30 hours (subs 300 sec)

Deep Sky Stacker: Calibration and stacking

Adobe Photoshop Cs2 : Data Processing

Pulg-in: Hasta la vista, green, astroflat pro

PHD Guiding 2: Guide

   

Darks, Dark Flats, Flats and Bias apply

 

Serra Negra ( Bortle 4) /São Paulo/Brasil . 05/2022

06_01_2021

M42 Orion Nebula

20 180s lights

10 60s lights for core

stacked in DSS

 

Skywatcher ED80

Heq5 Pro

Orion 50mm guidescope

Canon 100d (modded)

  

All shots taken near Washpen Falls in very dry but very cold conditions (-10°C).

 

Nikon D810A

Nikon 600mm F4

Skywatcher NEQ6

Canon 600d (astromod)

Skywatcher Equinox ED80 APO

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro tracking mount (unguided)

Short 2 min sub exposures adding to 30 min in total

Stacked in DeepSky Stacker

Processed in Photoshop CS6

 

Situated about 2,400 light years away (that's aprox. fourteen thousand trillion miles....!!!!) the Elephant Trunk Nebula is an interstellar gas and dust cloud residing within our galaxy in the constellation Cepheus.

 

The name is due to a small part of the nebula resembling the nose of the Elephant, it can be seen just to the right and above the center of my image. This area of gas has been ionised by the large blue star toward the centre, the radiation this star emits is absorbed by the atoms and molecules in the cloud which then become excited and consequently emit radiation themselves to reduce their energy states, making them glow in IR and visible light.

 

This again is an image that I need to do much longer exposures on to really pull out any real detail in the nebula, however you can make out the structure of the trunk and i thought i would put it up non the less as i still think its pretty.

 

Keep looking up!

Todays afocal capture of the Sun, digital camera, Skywatcher Goto telescope fitted with homemade Baader Solarfilm filter

La comète 46P/Wirtanen à travers un Skywatcher Quattro (F=800mm, D=200mm)et un réducteur de focale (focale résultante sur un 24x36: environ 1000mm F/3.5) Suivi à l'aide d'une Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro. Nikon D5300 avec filtre clip in LPS-V4-N5. Télécommande Twin1 ISR2

64x 59s, 1600 ISO.

Assemblage dans IRIS , cosmétique dans Photoshop CS4.

 

The 46P/Wirtanen comet through a skywatcher Quattro (F=800mm, D=200mm) with a coma reducer (resulting in a focal lenght in 24x36 of roughly 1000mm F/3.5) Tracking with a Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro. Nikon D5300 with clip in filter LPS-V4-N5. Remote Twin1 ISR2

64x 59s, 1600 ISO.

Compiling in IRIS , cosmetics in Photoshop CS4.

Captured late last year (2021) from my back garden.

 

Messier 33 (M33) is located 2.73 million light years away in the Triangulum constellation. It’s a small hop away from the famous M31, Andromeda Galaxy making it relatively easy to find in the night sky.

 

You’ll need quite dark skies to see it visually, but astrophotography can reveal all it’s faint details and colours.

 

I used my ZWO 533 camera to capture this with my 8” newtonian telescope from Skywatcher. I use a Ha filter to bring out the nebulae within the galaxy too.

Aberkenfig, South Wales

Lat +51.542 Long -3.593

 

Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian, EQ6 Syntrek Mount & Modified Philips SPC 900NC Webcam.

 

Captured using Sharpcap

25 frames @ 25s

10 Dark frames

 

Processed using Deep Sky Stacker.

Levels slightly adjusted with G.I.M.P.

 

Sharpcap Settings:

[Philips SPC 900NC PC Camera (LX Mode)]

Resolution=640x480

Colour Space / Compression=YUY2

Exposure (s)=25.2476670702873

Brightness=90

Contrast=40

Saturation=72

Gamma=3

ColorEnable=255

BacklightCompensation=0

Gain=30

 

Aberkenfig, South Wales

Lat +51.542 Long -3.593

 

Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Olympus E410 at prime focus. EQ6 Syntrek Mount.

 

7 @ 20s ISO 800

8 @ 15s ISO 800

7 @ 10s ISO 800

Also 10 dark frames.

 

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and final levels adjusted with G.I.M.P. The diffraction spikes were not added in post processing.

 

The image displays coma towards the edges. This is is one drawback of a parabolic f/4.8 Newtonian.

 

Frames were captured commencing 04:07 UT on 15th October 2020

 

A shot I did with the coloured camera But never as detailed as this shot is . All the winds in space the help for the Wisps in the shot. This was a trial to see does more time equal more detail. This is some 42 hours shot time over 7 nights. Looking at this shot you would have to say like me yes it does equal more detail.

 

This is part of the Carina complex a very big area of the sky.

  

QHY268M -10c 100 Odd shots 5 min each filter over 7 nights .. 30 shots each RGB 1 min exposure.

QHYCFW3 and 7 Antlia filters LRGBSHaO

MeLE Mini PC

Pegasus Astro Pocket Mini power box

Starpoint Australis SP3 Focuser Rotated 90 degrees

Skywatcher 200 F4 PREMIUM PHOTO QUATTRO REFLECTOR OTA

Skywatcher F4 Aplanatic Coma Corrector

Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned

SVbony 50MM Guide scope

QHY5L-II-M Guide camera

Guided PHD2, Nina

Pixinsight, Ps, Lr

Active Region - AR12665

False Colour

 

Skywatcher 120mm Achro Evostar

Quark Chromosphere

PG Blackfly

I picked up this small 10-mile wide asteroid named 7756 Scientia while imaging the Beehive Cluster. Scientia is a Main-belt Asteroid discovered on March 27, 1990 by C. S. Shoemaker and E. M. Shoemaker at Palomar.

 

Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, 60 x 60 second guided exposures, focused with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using Tycho Tracker. Image Date: November 23, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

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

 

Image Details: 175x150S at Gain 26

Darks: 101 Frames

Flats: 101 Frames

Bias: 201 Frames

 

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

 

Total Capture time: 7.3 hours

 

Equipment Details:

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI2400MC Pro 24mpx Full Frame OSC

Imaging Scope: SharpStar 15028HNT Hyperboloid Astrograph

Guide Camera: StarlightXpress Lodestar X2

Guide Scope: 365Astronomy 280mm Guide Scope

Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro

Focuser: Primalucelab Sesto Senso V2

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Power and USB Control: Pegasus Astro USB Ultimate Hub Pro

Acquisition Software: Main Sequence Software. Sequence Generator Pro 3.2

Calibration and Stacking: Astro Pixel Processor

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

The Omega or Swan nebula in Sagittarius, using broadband RGB data and narrowband SHO data.

 

This object only rises to 19 degrees altitude above my horizon from 54N, so it's a challenge to image well. This attempt uses narrowband filters to try and reduce the impact of the poor seeing conditions at such low elevation.

 

System 1 (narrowband)

Camera: QHY23M

Scope: Celestron C14 Hyperstar

Focal length: 675mm f/1.9

 

Exposures (all bin 2x2):

S-ii (6 x 180s)

H-Alpha (8 x 180s)

O-iii (7 x 180s)

 

System 2 (broadband HaRGB)

Camera: QHY163M

Scope: Skywatcher MN190

Focal length: 1000mm f/5.2

 

Exposures:

Red (5 x 120s)

Green (10 x 120s)

Blue (5 x 120s)

H-Alpha (4 x 300s)

 

Separate images were produced from each system and then merged to provide a more natural colour balance, with narrowband data enhancing detail in the nebula. Although this is not strictly a true-colour image it is close.

 

Taken from UK.

Messier 81 and Messier 82 galaxies are part of the M81 Group, a group of 34 galaxies in Ursa Major and Camelopardalis constellations. Due to the distance of approximately 12M light years from Earth, this group together with the Local Group (containing the Milky Way) are relative neighbors in the Virgo Supercluster. M81 was discovered initially be Johann Bode (a German astronomer famous for determining the orbit of Uranus) at the end of 1774, hence the alternate name this object is sometimes referred as: Bode's Galaxy. In 1779 Pierre Méchain together with Charles Messier re-discovered the object and included it in the Messier Catalogue. M81 is a grand spiral galaxy with a very active nucleus, "hosting" a super-massive black hole with a mass of around 70 million times the mass of our Sun.

 

M82, sometimes called the Cigar galaxy due to it's edge on view from Earth, is the brightest galaxy in the night sky in infrared light, being a lot brighter in infrared than in the visible part of the spectrum. It is a starburst class galaxy that got caught in a gravitational struggle with M81 for past billion years. M82 is famous for its heavy star forming activity and the outburst of ionized hydrogen that can be seen in this photo as jets almost perpendicular to the galaxy disk. Around 100 newly formed globular star clusters have been discovered in this galaxy by Hubble Space Telescope. Many of the newly formed stars are so massive that they have a relatively short life and at the end of it, they explode as supernovas and drive gas and matter out of the galaxy at speeds of millions of kilometers per hour.

 

This image was taken over 3 consecutive nights with a total of 21.9 hours of total integration time, with 10 hours dedicated to hydrogen alpha.

 

more details here

astrob.in/vipgsj/0/

Skywatcher 130/900

QHY 5L-II mono

Barlow Televue 3x

Filter Astronomik planet IR pro 807

Tonights Moon

Shot through a Skywatcher 10in dobsonian telescope

Skywatcher 130/900 Newtonian

QHY 5L-II mono

Astronomik RGB filters

Barlow 5x

The Cygnus Wall in the North American Nebula

After an eternal wait for decent weather i finally get chance to try the Star Adventurer GTi

For those who are interested ;

3.5 hours at 60sec exposure using zwo 585 colour camera,Skywatcher 72ed and zwo dual band filter to cut through the bortle7 sky.

software used deep sky stacker .siril and photoshop

Obtained with my Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian, Tal 2x Barlow and a recently purchased ZWO ASI 385MC.

 

4000 frames captured on each image using Firecapture. Then approx. 1600 to 1700 frames stacked with AutoStakkert! 3.1.4. Wavelets processed with Registax and final adjustments with G.I.M.P.

 

I have now uploaded a separate and better quality capture & process of the Hortensius Domes as two pane mosaic. It includes the lunar domes situated to the north of Milichius

 

Lunar south is uppermost.

Aberkenfig, South Wales

Lat +51.542 Long -3.593

 

Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Nikon D780 at prime focus. EQ6 Syntrek Mount.

 

Imaging session commenced 22:13 UT

 

9 light frames of 30s at ISO 2000

3 light frames of 20s at ISO 800

Also 10 dark frames.

 

A light to moderate breeze and increasing cloud interrupted this imaging session. Only 12 suitable frames captured with low exposure times but at a higher ISO level.

 

Despite this, I decided to process this meagre haul using Deep Sky Stacker. Finally, some basic adjustments on levels & colour with G.I.M.P. gave a surprising result. I must obtain a coma corrector now and also have a look at some alternative processing software.

The shadows of both craters lengthen as the sun slowly sets over the lunar eastern limb.

 

Aberkenfig, South Wales

Lat 51.542 N Long 3.593 W

 

Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian, Tal 2x Barlow,

ZWO ASI 385MC.

 

4000 frames captured on each image using Firecapture.

 

Approx. 1200 frames processed with Registax 6 on each capture.

 

Slight adjustment to levels, collage & annotations using G.I.M.P.

 

Lunar south is uppermost.

 

Reasonable to fairly good seeing, with some fluctuations, during the course of captures.

Messier 38 (M38 or NGC 1912) is a large open cluster found in the constellation Auriga. It lies at a distance of about 4,200 light years away from Earth and is about 13 light years across. Also included in this view is open cluster NGC 1907 to the of M38.

 

Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)

Constellation: Auriga

Right ascension: 05h 28m 43s

Declination: +35° 51′ 18″

Distance: 3,480 ly

Apparent magnitude (V): 7.4

Apparent dimensions (V): 21′

Other designations: NGC 1912

 

Tech Specs: Sky Watcher Esprit 120ED, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF. 57 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats. Image Date: October 27, 2021. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

Gear used:

 

■ Mount: skywatcher neq-6 goto with Rowan modification belt

■ Telescope: skywatcher 200/1000 F/5

■ Autoguiding: Asi 120mm

■ Total exposure: 5H || 60 X 300 seconds

■ Camera: modified canon eos 700d astrodon

■ Filter(s): astronomik CLS ccd eos clip

■ Other optic(s): baader coma corrector

■ Software : Siril / photoshopCC

Skywatcher 200/800

TeleVue 3x Barlow

AZ-EQ6 GT

ZWO Asi 178MC-s camera

2022 11 28

 

Aberkenfig, South Wales

Lat +51.542 Long -3.593

 

Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Olympus E410 at prime focus. EQ6 Syntrek Mount.

 

27 suitable light frames of 40s at 800 ISO. Also 10 dark frames.

 

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and final levels adjusted with G.I.M.P.

OTA: Newtonian Celestron 130 mm/f5 modified

 

Mount: Skywatcher Heq 5

 

Imaging Camera: Canon 700D astro modified

 

Telescope Guide: Gso 50mm

 

Camera Guide: QHY5L II Mono

 

Baader Mk III Coma Corrector

 

Polemaster Eletronic Polar Scope

     

Total Exposure: 5:30 hours (subs 300 sec)

 

Deep Sky Stacker: Calibration and stacking of frames

 

Adobe Photoshop Cs2 : Data Processing, Plug-in: Hasta la vista, green, astroflat pro

 

PHD Guiding 2: Guide

  

Darks, Dark Flats, Flats and Bias apply

 

Serra Negra ( Bortle 4) /São Paulo/Brasil . may/2021

Heart Hebula

8 x 300s Ha

Atik Horizon Mono

Skywatcher 80ED

Telescope: Skywatcher ED80, 0.85 FF/FR

Camera: ASI1600mm pro @ -20°C

Mount: SW EQ6 Pro

Guiding: finderguider with QHY5L-IIc

Exposure: Baader 7nm Ha filter, 75X3min, Gain 200, Offset 50

Baader 8.5nm OIII 53x3min, Gain 200 Offset 50, dark, flat, flat dark

Software: Sequence Generator Pro, PHD2, PixInsight

Location and time Zagreb, 20.06.2018. and 07.07.2018.

**Capturer les étoiles filantes : Perséides 2023 dans la Constellation du Cygne**

 

Chaque année, le mois d'août offre aux observateurs du ciel un spectacle envoûtant : les Perséides, un essaim d'étoiles filantes qui traversent l'atmosphère terrestre à la vitesse fulgurante de 59 kilomètres par seconde. En cette année 2023, le pic de cette pluie d'étoiles filantes était prévu pour la nuit du 12 au 13 août, mais les caprices de la météo dans le nord de la France ont rendu la tâche de les capturer ardue et incertaine.

 

Cependant, persévérance et passion ont finalement porté leurs fruits. Malgré les défis posés par les nuages, un peu plus de 4 heures d'exposition ont pu être cumulées ces derniers jours, pour un total de 6 - 7 étoiles filantes, la plupart étant de taille modeste. L'une d'entre elles, de plus grande taille, est passée devant mon objectif le 17 août vers 2 heures du matin. En voici une photographie.

 

L'image obtenue offre une vue sur une portion de notre galaxie, la Voie lactée, concentrée autour de la Constellation du Cygne. Celle-ci regorge de nébuleuses, dont la Nébuleuse de l'Amérique du Nord, du Papillon et les Dentelles du Cygne. D'ailleurs, cette constellation est aisément identifiable à l'œil nu grâce à son étoile principale, Deneb. Cette partie du ciel se déploie au zénith en ce moment.

 

Dans la partie supérieure, rayonne l'étoile Vega. Celle-ci est la deuxième étoile la plus brillante observable depuis l'hémisphère nord. En raison du phénomène de précession des équinoxes, Vega a occupé le rôle d'étoile polaire (c'est-à-dire indiquant le Nord) vers le 12e millénaire av. J.-C., et le redeviendra dans quelque 12 000 ans...

 

Bien que nous ne puissions jamais être certains si les hommes du Magdalénien utilisaient Vega comme repère céleste, il est indiscutable que ces individus avaient la chance d'observer un ciel pur… En contraste, notre réalité « moderne » est marquée par la pollution lumineuse urbaine qui altère la qualité du ciel nocturne et entrave (ou empêche) notre relation avec les étoiles….

 

Exif : 500 x 30s - Canon 6d Mark II (non-défiltré) - Sigma 28mm (f/2) - Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI - 16-17-18 Aout 2023. Arras (Pas de Calais, France).

  

-----

 

**Capturing shooting stars: Perseids 2023 in the Constellation Cygnus**

 

Every year in August, skywatchers are treated to a spellbinding spectacle: the Perseids, a swarm of shooting stars that cross the Earth's atmosphere at the lightning speed of 59 kilometres per second. In 2023, the peak of this shower of shooting stars was scheduled for the night of 12 to 13 August, but the vagaries of the weather in northern France made the task of capturing them arduous and uncertain.

 

However, perseverance and passion finally paid off. Despite the challenges posed by the clouds, just over 4 hours of exposure were accumulated over the last few days, for a total of 6 - 7 shooting stars, most of them modest in size. One of them, a larger one, passed in front of my lens at around 2am on 17 August. Here is a photograph.

 

The image obtained shows a portion of our galaxy, the Milky Way, concentrated around the Constellation of the Swan. This constellation is teeming with nebulae, including the North American Nebula, the Butterfly Nebula and the Cygnet's Lace. This constellation is easy to identify with the naked eye thanks to its main star, Deneb. This part of the sky is at its zenith at the moment.

 

In the upper part, the star Vega shines brightly. This is the second brightest star observable from the northern hemisphere. Due to the phenomenon of the precession of the equinoxes, Vega occupied the role of polar star (i.e. indicating the North) around the 12th millennium BC, and will do so again in some 12,000 years' time...

 

Although we can never be certain whether the Magdalenians used Vega as a celestial marker, it is indisputable that they were fortunate enough to observe a pure sky... In contrast, our 'modern' reality is marked by urban light pollution that alters the quality of the night sky and hinders (or prevents) our relationship with the stars....

 

Exif : 500 x 30s - Canon 6d Mark II (unfiltered) - Sigma 28mm (f/2) - Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI - 16-17-18 August 2023. Arras (Pas de Calais, France).

 

One shot from this morning lunar eclipse. This was the last phase before the moon was hidden behind a solid cloudcover.

 

Shot thru Skywatcher 750/150 reflector telescope.

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

Telescopio: Skywatcher 200/800 Wide Photo

Camera: Zwo Asi 294 mm pro Zwo Asi 294 mc pro

Montatura: Skywatcher AZ-EQ6

Autoguida: 60mm UltraGuide Artesky con zwo asi 224mc

Correttore di coma: aplanatico Skywatcher f4

Focheggiatore motorizzato Zwo Eaf

Ruota portafiltri Zwo Efw

Filtri: Antlia pro Ha Optolong l-pro

Software d'acquisizione Sgpro

————— FOTO ————

temp 0 con dark, flat e darkflat

HA 50 x 300s

rgb 60 x 300s

————— ELABORAZIONE ———

Pixinsight

Photoshop

Image taken with a Skywatcher Mak180 and ASI678mc camera (with IR-cur and ADC)

An intermediate barred spiral galaxy first discovered by William Herschel on the 6th of April 1785.

At 41 million light years from us this stunning galaxy and it's neighbours, NGC 4747 bottom right of centre and NGC 4712 to the left and just above 4725, can all be found in the constellation Coma Berenices. There are a few fainter galaxies dotted about as well.

NGC 4725 is 100,000 light years across, a similar size to our own Milky Way.

All data gathered at www.astronomycentre.org.uk/

 

Boring techie bit:

Skywatcher Quattro 8" Newtonian Reflector steel tube with the f4 aplanatic coma corrector, Skywatcher EQ6 R pro mount, Altair Starwave 60mm guide scope, ZWO asi120mm guide camera mini, ZWO asi533mc pro cooled to -20c gain 101, Optolong UV/IR 2" filter, ZWO filter drawer, ZWO asiair plus.

180s exposures.

34 light frames.

Darks, Flats, Dark Flats & Bias

Stacked and processed in PixInsight & Affinity Photo.

OTA: Newtonian Celestron 130 mm/f5 modified

 

Mount: Skywatcher Heq 5

 

Imaging Camera: Canon 700D astro modified

 

Telescope Guide: Gso 50mm

 

Camera Guide: QHY5L II Mono

 

Baader Mk III Coma Corrector

 

Polemaster Eletronic Polar Scope

     

Total Exposure: 3:30 hours (subs 300 sec)

 

Deep Sky Stacker: Calibration and stacking

 

Adobe Photoshop Cs2 : Data Processing, Pulg-in: Hasta la vista, green, astroflat pro

 

PHD Guiding 2: Guide

   

Darks, Dark Flats, Flats and Bias apply

 

Serra Negra ( Bortle 4) /São Paulo/Brasil . 2019

Taken w/ William Optics Redcat 51, QHYCCD Polemaster, Skywatcher EQM-35, Nikon D7500.

 

190 x 90s lights @ ISO 800, ~45 dark, ~80 flat, ~100 bias, stacked in DSS and post-processed in Photoshop & PixInsight

Image taken with a SkyWatcher 70mm SK707AZ2, using a super 25mm lens (28x).

 

It lies at Ophiucus (The Serpent Bearer) constellation and is the fiftieth eighth brightest star in the sky.

 

Afocal, with Lumia 640.

Edited with MS Picture Manager.

50mm

45min exposure

15x180sec iso 2000 f/4

Tracked with Skywatcher SA

First attempt with the ASI 1600 MM in Narrowband H-Alpha. Very impressed with the results from the polluted skies of Milan. Can't wait to use this setup under a dark sky!

"Only" 37,5 minutes of exposure. Its not the best time to shoot for Orion yet.

 

Stacked with ASTAP and processed with Photoshop and Starnet++

Bortle 5

 

Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro

Nikon D500 + Nikkor-Micro 105mm

150" ISO 400 f/3,2 105mm

 

15x150" Lights

10 Darks

15 Bias

10 Flats

Orion Nebula

 

Telescope: TSAPO100Q 580mm f5,8

Camera: Moravian G2-8300 (black/white)

mount: Skywatcher NEQ-6 Pro

guider: Lodestar 2 as Off-axis guider

 

exposures:

 

luminance: 2x10 mins + 8x2 mins + 2x4 mins + 10x10 mins + 2x15 mins + 2x30 mins

 

red: 10x10 mins + 4x2 mins + 1x15 mins

green: 1x10 mins + 2x2 mins + 1x15 mins

blue: 6x10 mins + 2x2 mins + 2x15 mins

 

Postprocessed in Pixinsight and Adobe Lightroom 5

 

Teleskop: TSAPO100Q 580mm f5,8

Kamera: Moravian G2-8300 (Schwarz/Weiß)

Montierung: Skywatcher NEQ-6 Pro

Autoguider: Lodestar 2 als Off-axis guider

 

Belichtungszeiten:

Luminanz: 2x10 min + 8x2 min + 2x4 min + 10x10 min + 2x15 min + 2x30 min

 

Rot: 10x10 min + 4x2 min + 1x15 min

Grün: 1x10 min + 2x2 min + 1x15 min

Blau: 6x10 min + 2x2 min + 2x15 min

 

Bearbeitet mit Pixinsight und Adobe Lightroom 5

 

My biggest project so far, finally hit the 20 hours mark on a single image! let me know what you think. Im really happy with the nebulosity detail that came through.

Flaming Star Nebula, IC 405 is an emission and reflection nebula in the constellation Auriga, surrounding the bluish star AE Aurigae. It shines at magnitude +6.0. It surrounds the irregular variable star AE Aurigae and is located near the emission nebula IC 410, the open clusters M38 and M36, and the K-class star Iota Aurigae. The nebula measures approximately 37.0' x 19.0', and lies about 1,500 light-years away from Earth. It is believed that the proper motion of the central star can be traced back to the Orion's Belt area. The nebula is about 5 light-years across.

 

astrob.in/h4stmy/B/

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

Telescopio: Skywatcher 200/800 Wide Photo

Camera: Zwo Asi 294 mm pro monocromatica

Montatura: Skywatcher AZ-EQ6

Autoguida: 60mm UltraGuide Artesky con zwo asi 224mc

Correttore di coma: aplanatico Skywatcher f4

Focheggiatore motorizzato Zwo Eaf

Ruota portafiltri Zwo Efw

Filtri: Antlia 3nm Ha O3 S2

Software d'acquisizione Sgpro

————— FOTO ————

temp 0 con dark, flat e darkflat

HA 87 x 300s

O3 85 x 300s

S2 74 x 300s

————— ELABORAZIONE ———

Pixinsight

Photoshop

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