M13 – Hercules Cluster
Short and sweet while waiting for M27 to transit. 14 x 2min EdgeHD 8″ QHY 8L 0.7x Focal Reducer Hutech IDAS-LPS light pollution filter (with diminishing returns now that wideband LED street lamps are becoming popular)
Messier 27 – some good data FINALLY!
FINALLY got some good data on the Dumbell Nebula (Messier 27). The last few days have been clear and calm-ish but at night it has still been pretty turbulent. I intended to just knock the cobwebs out since I haven’t been able to use the scope for a few months and the first few nights …
M57 revisited
I tend to not enjoy going out in the summer thanks to the mass of biting insects, hot and sweaty conditions and a multitude of other things. Unfortunately some of my favorite objects are out in the summer months. M57 is one of them. Easily seen in modest telescopes this small but bright nebula really …
Happy (star) trails to you
A little bit of playing around with a GoPro and some clever software.
A Rosette by any other name . . .
Caldwell 49 is one of the objects in my catalog of images that I’ve wanted to capture for a good long while. It is absolutely massive and generally lends itself well to grab and go wide field imaging. Polar alignment is less critical than at high f/ratio and field rotation is thus less obvious. I …
You’d think I’d by sick of Orion by now . . .
But I’m not. M42/43 continues to make me smile. The new-ness never seems to wear off even after 15 years of imaging the same region of space every (cooperative) winter. Even from the backyard in the North Dallas suburbs you can get reasonable detail with enough exposure time and a good light pollution filter. That …
An elusive winter target finally captured
M45 – The Pleiades, The Seven Sisters, Subarua Image Collection: 45 x 300 seconds AstroTech AT65EDQ Orion Starshoot Pro v2 Nebulosity 4 Guiding Meade DSI Pro Orion Mini-Guider PHD
M103 and M1, the addiction renewed
M1, the Crab Nebula. M103, the Christmas Tree Cluster. Two of my favorite objects. I’ve imaged the M103 cluster several times before but it remains one of my favorites. The obvious grouping of this open cluster gives it a triangular shape and the varied color remind many Westerners of a Christmas Tree. Given that …
LED Light Pollution begins its slow Intrusion
Cities are the bane of the amateur astronomer. Light pollution continues to grow at an astonishing rate as our cities increase in size and population. That doesn’t mean astronomy is impossible, just more challenging. The use of filters designed specifically to quench low pressure sodium and mercury vapor lights has gone a long way. Enjoy …
A Dumbbell at last
Finally got some good data on M27 after years of missed attempts. I collected this data from the back yard in Allen, TX. Camera was a Canon T2i with the IR cut filter removed and a custom white balance on a Celestron EdgeHD 8″ guided with a Meade DSI Pro in an Orion MiniGuider. 86 …