Webewebbiers

M45 with new Atlas EQ-G mount

2012-01-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

My old EQ5 mount died back in November and I finally acquired the new Orion Atlas EQ-G late last week. I spent a few days fabricating a plate to adapt the new mount to my pier and got everything up and running. Last night was my first attempt at using the new mount for imaging. I am very happy with the results! (SW254N, Atlas EQ-g, (guided), Canon xt (modified), 15 x 3 minutes ISO800.

(from Wikipedia):
In astronomy, the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters (Messier object 45 or M45), is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. Pleiades has several meanings in different cultures and traditions.
The cluster is dominated by hot blue and extremely luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. Dust that forms a faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars was thought at first to be left over from the formation of the cluster (hence the alternate name Maia Nebula after the star Maia), but is now known to be an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium that the stars are currently passing through. Astronomers estimate that the cluster will survive for about another 250 million years, after which it will disperse due to gravitational interactions with its galactic neighborhood.

M33 Triangulum Galaxy

2011-10-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Took this shot with the DSLR (Canon 350d modified) the other night. 16X3min guided, SW254N, EQ5p.

from Wikipedia:
The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light years (ly) from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101. The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Milky Way Galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy and about 30 other smaller galaxies. It is one of the most distant permanent objects that can be viewed with the naked eye.

IC1795

2011-10-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

IC1795
I've been attempting longer exposures and was able to get great guiding last night, so thought I would try this target. It's very faint so was pretty happy with the results.

20 each 6 minute images ISO800. SW254N, EQ5p, guided, Canon 350d modified.

from Atlas of the Universe:

The Nebulae associated with the Heart and Soul Nebulae

IC 1795 is a bright nebula attached to the right side of IC 1805. NGC 896 simply seems to refer to the brightest part of IC 1795.

M32

2011-10-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've been on a 'messier marathon' of sorts lately. Lots of short (30 second) exposures to capture as many Messier objects as I can. (up to 50 now!) Anyway, one of the ones I shot the other night came out kinda neat. I took 3 minute images of this one to try to overwhelm the Andromeda galaxy as M32 is on the edge of M31 (Andromeda). Here are the results.

2011-09-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

I took 25 each 30 second images of Comet Garradd last night. Combined them into the following video.

Bubble Nebula

2011-09-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

I was able to get some really great guiding working last night! I have taken images of the Bubble nebula last year with the DSI IIc. so figured I would give it a shot with the modified DSLR. Here's the results:

SW 254N, EQ5 pro, guided, Canon XT (modified) 3 minute images, ISO 1600, 33 minutes total.

From Wikipedia:

NGC 7635, also called the Bubble Nebula, Sharpless 162, or Caldwell 11, is a H II region^[2] emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. It lies close to the direction of the open cluster Messier 52. The "bubble" is created by the stellar wind from a massive hot, 8.7^[2] magnitude young central star, the 15 ± 5 M_☉^[4] SAO 20575 (BD+60 2522).^[7] The nebula is near a giant molecular cloud which contains the expansion of the bubble nebula while itself being excited by the hot central star, causing it to glow.^[7] It was discovered in 1787 by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel.^[6] The star SAO 20575 or BD+602522 is thought to have a mass of 10-40 Solar masses.

M31 Andromeda

2011-08-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is my 2nd attempt at M31 with the modified DSLR (Canon XT) ISO800

17 each 3 minute images.

The Pelican Nebula (also known as IC5070 and IC5067)

2011-08-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

23 each 2 minute images, ISO800 modified Canon XT, SW254N scope, EQ5pro mount:

From Wikipedia:

The Pelican Nebula (also known as IC5070 and IC5067) is an H II region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The nebula resembles a pelican in shape, hence the name. The Pelican Nebula is a large area of emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus (the Swan), close to Deneb, and divided from its brighter, larger neighbor, the North America Nebula, by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust.
The Pelican is much studied because it has a particularly active mix of star formation and evolving gas clouds. The light from young energetic stars is slowly transforming cold gas to hot and causing an ionization front gradually to advance outward. Particularly dense filaments of cold gas are seen to still remain. Millions of years from now this nebula might no longer be known as the Pelican, as the balance and placement of stars and gas will leave something that appears completely different.

NGC6992 Eastern Veil Nebula

2011-08-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

This was the first serious attempt at a very faint nebula that is mostly red wisps. I was able to get about 1/2 of the nebula as framing it is very difficult. Any way here's the result. 10 each 2 minute images Canon XT modified.

Update! I gave this subject another run last night. Turned down the ISO to 800 and took 23 images. Also found the 'Veil' part of the nebula and snapped this one off. I personally think this is the best I've done to this point:

M27 Dumbbell nebula with modified DSLR

2011-08-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

I decided to try for M27 with the modified Canon XT last night. 10 each 1 minute images.

M20 after DSLR modification

2011-08-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

I got a Hap Griffith IR blocking filter (Astrodon) for my Canon 350d that I had decided to modify on my own. It was quite a challenge and not something I would recommend doing for anyone that doesn't have experience working with very small electronic components (imagine the inside of a computer reduced down by 80%!) Anyway I was successful in my attempt at it. The theory behind all of this is that the normal IR filter placed in DSLRs by the factory are made for normal photography. With Astrophotography we are attempting to capture extremely faint lights and colors. The normal IR filter does a very (overly good) job of blocking reds. Many of the deep sky objects we are attempting to capture contain significant amounts of red. Hence that is the light the normal IR filter blocks. So a few after market manufactures have a modified IR filter you can use as a replacement. However this requires getting into the guts of the DSLR to change it. The end result is a lower exposure time and much brighter reds. Here's my result from last night. No color tweeks just normal processing. Keep in mind I was shooting this with a 1/2 moon very close to the target object so it wiped out some of the blue portions that I captured in the earlier image.

M20 Trifid Nebula (dslr)

2011-07-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest Trifid Nebula capture. SW 254N, EQ5pro, guided, Canon 350d unmodified:

from Wikipedia:
The Trifid Nebula (catalogued as Messier 20 or M20 and as NGC 6514) is an H II region located in Sagittarius. Its name means 'divided into three lobes'. The object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula (the lower, red portion), a reflection nebula (the upper, blue portion) and a dark nebula (the apparent 'gaps' within the emission nebula that cause the trifid appearance; these are also designated Barnard 85). Viewed through a small telescope, the Trifid Nebula is a bright and colorful object, and is thus a perennial favorite of amateur astronomers.^[2]

M8 The Lagoon Nebula

2011-07-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here's my attempt at the Lagoon from last night. SW 254N, EQ5 pro, guided, Canon 350d, 5 minute images, 6 each.

M16 Eagle Nebula

2011-06-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia:

The Eagle Nebula (catalogued as Messier 16 or M16, and as NGC 6611) is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-46. Its name derives from its shape which is resemblant of an eagle. It is the subject of the famous "Pillars of Creation" photograph by the Hubble Space Telescope, which shows pillars of star-forming gas and dust within the nebula.

6 each 5 minute images: Canon xt (un modified), SkyWatcher 254N 10" newtonian, SW EQ5pro, guided.

M57 the Ring Nebula

2011-06-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have been doing some major mount alignment, getting it dialed in so the autoguider doesn't have to do quite so much work. I have started using PHD to fine tune the polar alignment and also have changed the position of my OTA so as to help eliminate some of the weight issues. Last night I finally got things dialed in so figured I would attempt to image something. Here's a 16 minute (8 x 2 min) guided image using my Canon XT (unmodified). I used my doghouse flat panel to take my flats, this time I used the 5 led tap light to illuminate the panel. Very little post processing was done to this image so I'm really happy about how things are working now.

M13 with DSLR

2011-06-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

I attempted to capture the M13 Hercules Cluster last night after changing my method of taking flat frames. I now use a white panel at the end of the dog house as my flat capture point. It seemed to work much better and faster than the 't-shirt' method I was using before.

Anyway. Here's my attempt. 4 each 2 minute images ISO 1600 Canon 350d un-modified.

Coma Cluster

2011-05-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

You may need to zoom in on this image a bit. But if you look closely the majority of the 'stars' are not really stars at all. They are galaxies!

from Wikipedia:

The Coma Cluster (Abell 1656) is a large cluster of galaxies that contains over 1,000 identified galaxies.^[2]^[3] Along with the Leo Cluster (Abell 1367), it is one of the two major clusters comprising the Coma Supercluster.^[4] It is located in and takes its name from the constellation Coma Berenices.
The cluster's mean distance from Earth is 99 Mpc (321 million light years).^[3]^[5]^[6] Its ten brightest spiral galaxies have apparent magnitudes of 12–14 that are observable with amateur telescopes larger than 20 cm.^{[citation needed]} The central region is dominated by two giant elliptical galaxies: NGC 4874 and NGC 4889.^[7] The cluster is within a few degrees of the north galactic pole on the sky. Most of the galaxies that inhabit the central portion of the Coma Cluster are ellipticals. Both dwarf, as well as giant ellipticals, are found in abundance in the Coma Cluster.^[8]

M102

2011-04-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was doing some testing of my guiding setup and a new 'light shield' last night so decided to add the my Messier list (up to 34 now).

Almost full moon!

2011-04-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Decided to try using the Canon XT to capture the moon. Came out pretty good considering I didn't spend much time focusing.

M99 and M100 galaxies

2011-04-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

This time of year the galaxies are abundant in our skies. I picked a couple out last night that are close together and fit the DSI IIc image chip size well.

Here are the results: 15 or so 90 second images.

M99

M100

M106

2011-03-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Gave capturing M106 a shot last night. 21 each 4 minute images:

From Wikipedia:

Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light-years away from Earth. It is also a Seyfert II galaxy, which means that due to x-rays and unusual emission lines detected, it is suspected that part of the galaxy is falling into a supermassive black hole in the center.^[7] NGC 4217 is a possible companion galaxy of Messier 106.^[6]

M97 The Owl nebula

2011-03-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

I'm still going through the learning curve. However I was able to get some great guiding last night and tried changing my ISO to 1600. I found this worked great and took 30 each 2 min images. Captured and pre-processed in Nebulosity, final process in PS elements.
SW 254N / EQ5pro / Canon 350d / guided image binned 2x2.

From Wikipedia:

The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier Object 97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781.
M97 is regarded as one of the more complex of the planetaries. The 16th magnitude central star has about 0.7 solar mass and the nebula itself about 0.15 solar mass. The nebula formed roughly 6,000 years ago.
The nebula gets it name due to the appearance of owl-like "eyes" when view through a large (>200 mm) telescope under dark sky conditions with the aid of a so-called "nebula filter." The "eyes" are also easily visible through photographs taken of the nebula.

M95 galaxy

2011-03-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

Trying out some different techniques with the DSLR. This is my first attempt using 'flats'. It seemed to work pretty well.

from Wikipedia:
Messier 95 (also known as M95 or NGC 3351) is a barred spiral galaxy about 38 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781, and catalogued by Charles Messier four days later.

M81 Bodes Galaxy

2011-02-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

I've been playing with the 'new' Canon XT. I'm starting to get the hang of processing now. I tried some 5 minute exposures the other night and got 7 of them to come out pretty good. (out of 12 taken). These were processed using bias and bad pixel mapping. Since I'm still working on getting my flats taken I just used a "false flat" layer in PS elements and subtracted it so I could remove the vignetting that I have using the DSLR. Anyway I'm pretty happy with the results.

Super Nova SN1120b

2011-02-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

I thought I would give this a try as it's not going to be visible for much longer.

14 each 120 second images at ISO800.

1st attempt at Rosette Nebula

2011-01-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

Here's my 1st attempt at 4 minute exposures with a Canon 350d (un-mod). 16 images stacked ISO200.

Orion Nebula

2011-01-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

Well here's my 1st serious attempt with the DSLR. This is 20 each 10 second ISO 200 images that have been stretched about as much as I can to pull the data in and yet keep the contrast minimal. I also took some 30 second images but I like the results of these better. I now know just how bad I need the long exposure control. I ordered the parts today and should have it put together this weekend.

DSLR 1st light

2011-01-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

Keeping in mind this is a first attempt and I was trying for a very dim object that is hard to capture with an un-modified DSLR.

If you look very closely in the upper middle of this photo you can just make out the horse head nebula. This is 15 each 30 second images so it was probably not the best first light object.

DSLR imaging is gonna be fun!

This years Crab Nebula (M1)

2011-01-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

I had about 1/2 moon tonight and it was very close to M1 so it cast some "tube shadows" in the image. Tonight was more for doing some testing and getting set up for my new (used) DSLR camera. Should be here next week and if the sky's hold I will be ready to really do some new work.

In the mean time here's the Crab: 37 images 30 second long stacked.

The Horsehead Nebula

2010-12-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

I was playing with setting up the periodic error files on the telescope mount last night and just for the heck if it I pointed the scope towards the horsehead nebula in Orion. I have read this is a very hard object to image as it is basically a "backlit" nebula from a nearby star. Since I couldn't see any sign of the nebula in a 1 minute preview I just took a chance and shot 15 each 1 minute images. Imagine my surprise when I started to process the stacked image! There it was, just as I would have framed it in the photo! I'm hoping to try to get more data to add to it. But all things considered I'm really happy with what I got!

From Wikipedia:

The Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33 in bright nebula IC 434) is a dark nebula in the constellation Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of the star Alnitak, which is furthest east on Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The Horsehead Nebula is approximately 1500 light years from Earth. It is one of the most identifiable nebulae because of the shape of its swirling cloud of dark dust and gases, which is similar to that of a horse's head when viewed from Earth. The shape was first noticed in 1888 by Williamina Fleming on photographic plate B2312 taken at the Harvard College Observatory.
The red glow originates from hydrogen gas predominantly behind the nebula, ionized by the nearby bright star Sigma Orionis. The darkness of the Horsehead is caused mostly by thick dust, although the lower part of the Horsehead's neck casts a shadow to the left. Streams of gas leaving the nebula are funneled by a strong magnetic field. Bright spots in the Horsehead Nebula's base are young stars just in the process of forming.

NGC246 The Skull Nebula

2010-11-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a "scary one!"

30 each 90 second images.

From Wikipedia:
NGC 246 (sometimes called the Skull Nebula^[2]) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Cetus.

M74

2010-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

M74 galaxy, 30 images @ 2 minutes each guided.

From Wikipedia:

Messier 74 (also known as NGC 628) is a face-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces. The galaxy contains two clearly-defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a Grand Design Spiral Galaxy.^[4] The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it the most difficult Messier object for amateur astronomers to observe.^[5]^[6] However, the relatively large angular size of the galaxy and the galaxy's face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and spiral density waves.

M74 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780. Méchain then communicated his discovery to Charles Messier, who listed the galaxy in his catalog.^[6]

M33-Triangulum Galaxy

2010-10-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

25 each 3 minute images. (no discards!) The image also includes one 5 minute image. I switched over from ST-4 guiding to pulseguiding. Man what a difference! Anyway here are the results.

NGC7662 Blue Snowball

2010-10-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

I finally got my polar alignment dialed in now. So gave this a shot.

From Wikipedia:

NGC 7662 otherwise known as the Blue Snowball Nebula is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Andromeda.
The distance to this nebula is not known with any real accuracy. According to the Skalnate Pleso Catalogue (1951) the distance of NGC 7662 is about 1,800 light years, the actual diameter about 20,000 AU. In a more recent survey of the brighter planetaries, C.R.O'Dell (1963) derived a distance of 1,740 parsecs or about 5,600 light years, increasing the actual size to 0.8 light year, or nearly 50,000 AU. It has a faint central star that is variable, with a magnitude range of 12 to 16.^[3] The central star is a bluish dwarf with a continuous spectrum and a computed temperature of about 75,000K. The nuclei of the planetary nebulae are among the hottest stars known.^[4]
NGC 7662 is a fairly popular planetary nebula for casual observers. A small refractor will reveal a star-like object with slight nebulosity. A 6 in. telescope with a magnification around 100x will reveal a slightly bluish disk. Telescopes of diameter 16" or greater may reveal slight color and brightness variations in the interior.

P103 Comet Hartley 2 from 10-9-10

2010-10-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the "video" I made of Comet Hartley taken 10-9-10.

M76 Little Dumbbell

2010-10-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here's last nights attempt at the Little Dumbbell. 60 each 1 minute images guided.

From Wikipedia:

The Little Dumbbell Nebula, also known as Messier 76, NGC 650/651, the Barbell Nebula, or the Cork Nebula ^[1], is a planetary nebula in the constellation Perseus. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included in Charles Messier's catalog of comet-like objects as number 76. It was first recognised as a planetary nebula in 1918 by the astronomer Heber Doust Curtis. However, there is some contention to this claim, as Isaac Roberts in 1891 did suggest that M76 might be similar to the Ring Nebula (M57), being instead as seen from the side view. ^[2] The structure is now classed as a bipolar planetary nebula (BPNe).^[3]
Distance to M76 is currently estimated as 780 parsecs or 2,500 light years ^[4], making the average dimensions about 0.378 pc. (1.23 ly.) across. ^[5]
The total nebula shines at the apparent magnitude of +10.1 with its central star or planetary nebula nucleus (PNN) at +15.9v (16.1B) magnitude.^[1] The UV-light from the PNN is expanding outer layers that form the present nebula, and has the surface temperature of about 88,400 K. The whole planetary nebula is approaching us at −19.1km.s^-1. ^[6]
The Little Dumbbell Nebula derives its common name from its resemblance to the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) in Vulpecula. It was originally thought to consist of two separate emission nebulae and was thus given two catalog numbers in the NGC 650 and 651. Some consider this object the faintest and hardest to see objects in Messier's list.

M110 galaxy

2010-09-26T09:53:00.001-07:00

Here's a 28 x 1 minute image of the M110 galaxy. Moon was almost full so it wiped out much of the detail.

Comet P/103 Hartley 2 Video

2010-09-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

Thought I would give this a shot. I took 16 images of the Hartley 2 comet tonight and made them into a video so you can detect the movement of the comet against the stars.

Jupiter

2010-09-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here's last nights attempt as Jupiter. Still need to work at the focus a little more but I definitely captured 2 of the bands.

Uranus

2010-09-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

I decided to do a little solar system imaging last night as the moon was so bright as to wipe out most everything else. Here's my attempt at Uranus.

M20 Trifid Nebula with great guiding!

2010-08-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

I've been busy getting the settings worked out in PHD since I changed from the 70mm guide scope to the 9x50 viewfinder setup.

I finally got it nailed down last night. I was able to catch a 10 minute single exposure guided with no star trails and nice round stars! (It's only taken a year to get the bugs worked out!)

The "test exposure" was of just a star field so nothing to really see.

I did manage to capture 3 each 2 minute images of M20 however. I would have taken more but I realized I was getting very close to the meridian and didn't want to take a chance of the scope doing a "flip".

Look at the little pin point stars...... I have never been able to get that precise of image before! I think I've finally got the bugs worked out!

Jupiter and 4 moons

2010-08-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

While playing with the new setup, I visually spotted Jupiter rising in East, so I captured about 30 1/2 second images with the gain turned down. You can easily see 4 of her moons.

This years Bubble Nebula

2010-08-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

With the 'dog house observatory' completed, now I have been focusing my attention towards longer exposures. I have the polar alignment pretty well dialed in and attempted some 5 minute exposures last night. I went pretty well (got three from the five I attempted). Still need to do some dialing in on PHD but I was happy with what I got. I also took some 2 minute exposures (8 stacked).

5 minute exposures:

2 minute exposures:

NGC6781

2010-08-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Image taken 8-9-10 (19 each 2 minute images) DSI IIc imager, SW 254N reflector with EQ5 pro mount. SSAG with 9x50 view finder for auto guiding. (Works Great!)

NGC 6781 is a nice representative of these cosmic bubbles. The planetary nebula lies a few thousand light-years away towards the constellation of Aquila (the Eagle) and is approximately two light-years across. Within NGC 6781, shells of gas blown off from the faint, but very hot, central star’s surface expand out into space. These shells shine under the harsh ultraviolet radiation from the progenitor star in intricate and beautiful patterns. The central star will steadily cool down and darken, eventually disappearing from view into cosmic oblivion.

Saturn Nebula - NGC7009

2010-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a closeup of the Saturn Nebula that I took last night:

From Wikipedia:

The Saturn Nebula (also known as NGC 7009) is a planetary nebula in the Aquarius constellation. It was discovered by William Herschel on September 7, 1782 using a telescope of his own design in the garden at his home in Datchet, England and was one of his earliest discoveries in his sky survey. The nebula was originally a low-mass star that transformed into a rather bright white dwarf star, magnitude 11.5. The Saturn Nebula gets its name from its superficial resemblance to the planet Saturn with its rings nearly edge-on to the observer. It was so named by Lord Rosse in the 1840s, when telescopes had improved to the point that its Saturn-like shape could be discerned. William Henry Smyth said that the Saturn Nebula is one of Struve's 9 "Rare Celestial Objects."
The Saturn Nebula is a very complex planetary nebula and contains many morphological and kinematical sub-systems in three dimensions. It includes a halo, jet-like streams, multiple shells, ansae, and small-scale filaments and knots. The ansae are expanding non-radially from the central star.^[2]
The distance to the Saturn nebula is not known very well because there are no reference stars in its neighborhood that have been detected and could be used to accurately gauge its distance. Therefore, any distance is somewhat suspect. Sabbadin et al. 2004 estimates it to be 5,200 light-years (1.6 kpc) distance from earth. In 1963, O'Dell estimated the distance to be 3,900 light-years (1.2 kpc) which gives an approximate diameter of 0.5 light years for the object as a whole.
The central star (a very hot bluish dwarf with a temperature of 55,000 K) from which the nebula is believed to originate has an absolute magnitude of +1.5 (which equates to about 20 suns luminosity and a visual magnitude of 11.5). This strong ultraviolet pounding from the central star is believed to create the characteristic fluorescent green tint of the nebula via the radiation of doubly ionized oxygen. The object overall has a visual magnitude of 8 and a radial velocity of 28 miles per second in approach.
The nebula can be spotted 1 degree west of the star Nu Aqarii. The middle central portion measures 25" X 17", whilst the outer shell extends to 30" X 26". It is a peculiarly beautiful object with a high surface brightness.

M17 Omega Nebula

2010-07-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

Here's this years attempt at M17. I'm much happier with the results this year from last. 36 images at 1 min each.

M20 Trifid Nebula first data

2010-07-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the 1st data I collected for the Trifid Nebula last night. My plan is to capture more data tonight (hopefully more of the bottom area) and mosaic the two images together. This will be my first attempt so we will see how it goes. I was actually able to capture 5 minute images last night with no star trails, however it over saturated the image so I went to 2 minute captures for this (15 good ones out of 25). I also caught a satellite in one of the images and saw it coming in Stellarium. That was kind of neat. (Update) After taking a look as some other images of Trifid, I decided I have probably captured about all I'm going to get so moved on to something different for tonight.

This years Dumbbell

2010-07-14T16:36:00.001-07:00

Here's this years attempt at M27 the Dumbbell Nebula. The autoguider is working much better now and therefore I can take nice long exposures without losing the framing. I still have a few more bugs to work out but it's much better than last year. Also the "dog house" is coming along nicely and was able to store the scope on the pier outside now, so setup times should be much better.

M16 Eagle Nebula

2010-06-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

I was able to capture guided 2 minute images of the Eagle Nebula tonight. Here's the results.

Just a note the dark "spire" in the middle of the photo is the "Pillars of Creation".

NGC6826 The Blinking Nebula

2010-06-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Finally had some clear skys tonight, so had a chance to fine tune the alignment of the mount to the new pier. Figured I would give it a quick test. Found the Blinking Nebula and snapped of 15 mins of images.

From Wikipedia:

NGC 6826 is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. It is commonly referred to as the "blinking planetary", although many other nebulae can exhibit such "blinking". When viewed through a small telescope, the brightness of the central star overwhelms the eye when viewed directly, obscuring the surrounding nebula. However, it can be viewed well in the peripheral vision (averted vision), which causes it to "blink" in and out of view as the observer's eye wanders.
A distinctive feature of this nebula are the two bright patches on either side, which are known as FLIERs, or Fast Low-Ionization Emission Regions. They appear to be relatively young, and moving outwards at supersonic speeds. According to Bruce Balick (University of Washington), "some of their observed characteristics suggest that they are like sparks flung outward from the central star late in the very recent past (a thousand years ago). Yet their shapes ... seem to suggest that they are stationary, and that material ejected from the star flows past them, scraping gas from their surfaces. Future Hubble observations will monitor any changes in the positions of FLIERs to resolve this issue. In either case, the formation of FLIERs cannot be easily explained by any models of stellar evolution.

M65

2010-06-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

While I was out doing some 'testing' of the software and mount I decided to try to image something. I was on the "other side' of the meridian (I normally shoot everything on the east side) and just picked something bright.
Here's my 1st attempt at M65. (only 5 images stacked / 30 seconds each).

NGC7023 The Iris Nebula

2010-05-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here's my first attempt at the Iris Nebula. Guiding and polar alignment are getting easier. 2 minute images (15 each) total 30 mins of data.

from Wikipedia:

The Iris Nebula, also NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4, is a bright reflection nebula and Caldwell object in the constellation Cepheus. NGC 7023 is actually the cluster within the nebula, LBN 487, and the nebula is lit by a magnitude +7 star, SAO 19158.^[1] It shines at magnitude +6.8. It is located near the Mira-type variable star T Cephei, and near the bright magnitude +3.23 variable star Beta Cephei (Alphirk). It lies 1,300 light-years away and is six light-years across.

M57 Ring Nebula

2010-05-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here's this years attempt at the Ring Nebula. I finally found the program to help get the polar alignment nailed down. "Alignmaster" does the trick and is easy to use. After about 5 minutes, the mount was ready to go. The autoguider only has to make minimal adjustments and I was able to get nice round stars. Took 40 minutes of data (40-1 minute images) captured with Nebulosity and minimum final processing in PS elements.

New Project

2010-05-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well,
I started my new 'project'. Planning on creating a permanent pier out of concrete. Then placing a decking around that. Once that portion is finishing, I'm going to make a "dog house" to enclose everything. So far the hole is dug. (only going to do this in little bits and pieces.)

I added the concrete to the hole and base. Also placed a 5 foot long piece of galvanized pipe in the middle and 4 pieces of re-bar. Will get an 8 inch diameter "Sonotube" for the upper portion of the pier, along with a top plate and pour that when funds become available.

Friday I built the forms for the "sonotube" to pour the upper portion of the pier. Got everything level and created a template to place the "j-bolts" to attach the top plate for the mount. Filled the tube with concrete and leveled the template with the "j-bolts" in place.

The concrete has set. I completed the drilling of the holes in the 1/2 thick aluminum plate I'm using for the top plate. I installed the mount and checked clearances for the weights. So far everything is moving right along. Next I have to do a polar alignment with the polar scope and then drill the hole in the top plate for a centering post for the az adjustment screws. I'm planning on doing that tonight (Sunday June 6th.)

I completed the flooring around the pier yesterday (6-20-10) (using "free" materials donated by friends of the observatory) Next step is to add the 4x4s that the "dog house" will roll on. (see casters in photo below) The casters are 330 pound weight rated so I know I won't max them out. Keep in mind this mount and scope are only used for imaging so the "floor" doesn't need to be very large. In fact it only has to accommodate the dog house.

6-30-10
Here's a shot of the "dog house" framed and the front door hung. This is with the house opened as though it was in use. Still have work to do but it is coming along.

Here's a different angle with the "dog house" in the closed position.

Blackeye Galaxy with Meteor

2010-05-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

During my imaging last night I discovered that I had captured a meteor in one of the images. I posted it on Astronomyforum.net and one of my friends there (Thanks Eric) did a final process and re-posted it. Here's the final shot.

M64 The Blackeye Galaxy

2010-05-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

I was attempting to capture a different area of the sky tonight but it was a little to low so I started looking for a different target. I spotted M64 and thought I would give it a shot. There weren't many bright stars in the area so didn't take the time to set up the autoguider. These are 15 second images (50 of them stacked).

From Wikipedia:
The Black Eye Galaxy (also called Sleeping Beauty Galaxy; designated Messier 64, M64, or NGC 4826) was discovered by Edward Pigott in March 1779, and independently by Johann Elert Bode in April of the same year, as well as by Charles Messier in 1780. It has a spectacular dark band of absorbing dust in front of the galaxy's bright nucleus, giving rise to its nicknames of the "Black Eye" or "Evil Eye" galaxy. M64 is well known among amateur astronomers because of its appearance in small telescopes. It is a spiral galaxy in the Coma Berenices constellation.

Antennae Galaxy

2010-05-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

Here's tonight's results. 25 images total exposure 50 mins.

From Wikipedia:

The Antennae Galaxies (also known as NGC 4038/NGC 4039) are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus. They were both discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in 1785.

The Ghost of Jupiter

2010-05-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

Here's one from tonight. 18 - 1 min images. SW254N EQ5P mount, DSI IIc imager, SSAG, captured with Nebulosity, final process in PS elements.

From Wikipedia:
NGC 3242 is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Hydra.
William Herschel discovered this planetary nebula on February 7, 1785, and cataloged it as H IV.27. John Herschel observed it from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, in the 1830s, and numbered it as h 3248, and included it in the 1864 General Catalogue as GC 2102; this became NGC 3242 in J. L. E. Dreyer's New General Catalogue of 1888.
This planetary nebula is most frequently called the Ghost of Jupiter, or Jupiter's Ghost, but it is also sometimes referred to as the Eye Nebula. It can be easily observed with amateur telescopes, and appears bluish green to most observers. Larger telescopes can distinguish the outer halo as well.^[2]

M83 The Southern Pinwheel

2010-05-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to get my autoguiding under control. However here's an attempt from last night. I was only able to get 7 good images from 15 takes (2 mins each). But still happy with the results.

from Wikipedia:
Pierre Mechain discovered M83 in 1752 at the Cape of Good Hope.^[6] Charles Messier added it to his catalogue of nebulous objects (now known as the Messier Catalogue) in March 1781.^[6]
On 16 June 2008 NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer project reported finding large numbers of new stars in the outer reaches of the galaxy. It had hitherto been thought that these areas lacked the materials necessary for star formation.^[7]

M63 The Sunflower Galaxy

2010-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

I was able to capture 90 second images last night after doing a "drift alignment" on the scope. Here's the results: (16 minutes, SW254N, EQ5pro, guided)

from Wikipedia:
The Sunflower Galaxy (also known as Messier 63, M63, or NGC 5055) is an Spiral galaxy in the Canes Venatici constellation. It is a Spiral galaxy, consisting of a central disc surrounded by many short spiral arm segments. The Sunflower Galaxy is part of the M51 Group, a group of galaxies that also includes the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51).
The Sunflower Galaxy was discovered by Pierre Méchain on June 14, 1779.^[3] The galaxy was then listed by Charles Messier as object 63 in the Messier Catalogue.
In the mid-1800s, Lord Rosse identified spiral structure within the galaxy, making this one of the first galaxies in which such structure was identified.^[3]

M104 Sombrero Galaxy

2010-04-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to try out my new Orion Starshoot autoguider. I had been attempting to use a Meade LPI for guiding and it just wasn't working out. Keep in mind I didn't have the best conditions last night. Clouds were passing and there was considerable humidity in the air. However I was able to capture great 1 minute images. Out of 20 taken I used 18. (lost tracking twice because of clouds.) What I really like is how "round" the stars in the background area. I hadn't really been able to do that with anything longer than 30 seconds. Here's the final image. (captured with Nebulosity, processed with Photoshop elements.) Skywatcher 254N newtonian, EQ5pro mount, Vixen 70mm guide scope, Starshoot guider and Meade DSI IIc imager.

from Wikipedia:
The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as M 104 or NGC 4594 ) is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It has a bright nucleus, an unusually large central bulge, and a prominent dust lane in its inclined disk. The dark dust lane and the bulge give this galaxy the appearance of a sombrero. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of +9.0, making it easily visible with amateur telescopes. The large bulge, the central supermassive black hole, and the dust lane all attract the attention of professional astronomers.

Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)

2010-03-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been attempting to use my Meade LPI as an autoguider. I had limited success last night (wind was gusting between 10 and 15 MPH). I was able to capture some 1 min exposures between the gusts. I took 30 but only about 8 came out. So here's the results.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194) is an interacting^[5] grand-design^[6] spiral galaxy located at a distance of approximately 23 million light-years in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is one of the most famous galaxies in the sky.^[7] The galaxy and its companion (NGC 5195) are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may even be seen with binoculars.^[8] The Whirlpool Galaxy is also a popular target for professional astronomers, who study it to further understanding of galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions.

Mars 2nd attempt

2010-02-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

I'm much happier with the 2nd attempt.

Latest M81 (Bodes Galaxy)

2010-02-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here's an image from last night. Finally was able to capture 60 second images (30 stacked). SW254N with EQ5 p (unguided) DSI IIc.

Mars

2010-01-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

Here's my 1st attempt at Mars. I neglected to find a star to focus on so it is a bit out of focus. However if you look closely you can see the polar ice cap (white area in the lower right). This was the first bit of "clear" weather we have had in a while so I took the opportunity. However the clouds were rolling in so I was pressed for time. Hopefully I will get another chance in the near future. Also we were at almost a full moon that was very close to Mars. Oh well we will try again!

Bubble Nebula NGC7635

2010-01-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Here's my 1st attempt at the Bubble Nebula. 20 each 45 sec images stacked.

(from Wikipedia)

NGC 7635, also called the Bubble Nebula and Sharpless 162, is a H II region[2] emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. It lies close to the direction of the open cluster Messier 52. The "bubble" is created by the stellar wind from a massive hot, 8.7[2] magnitude young central star, the 15 ± 5 M☉[4] SAO 20575 (BD+60 2522).[7] The nebula is near a giant molecular cloud which contains the expansion of the bubble nebula while itself being excited by the hot central star, causing it to glow.[7] It was discovered in 1787 by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel.[6] The star SAO 20575 or BD+602522 is thought to have a mass of 10-40 Solar masses.

M52 Open Cluster

2010-01-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of an Open Cluster of stars (M52).

New Andromeda

2010-01-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

I was able to capture about 20- 30 sec images of Andromedia last night. Here's the results. You can begin to see some dust trails on the edges.

Eskimo Nebula

2010-01-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

I got a couple hours clear sky before the moon came up tonight. Allowed me to test out the new guide scope (it works!) However the LPI imager isn't going to work out. Oh well save up my nickles and dimes and get a "starshoot" autoguider (maybe my birthday hint hint).
Since I had some darkness I shot for the Eskimo Nebula. Here's the results of 20 second images (18 stacked) final process in PS Elements. (click on image for a larger view)

(from Wikipedia)
The Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392), also known as the Clownface Nebula,[4] is a bipolar[2] double-shell[5] planetary nebula (PN). It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1787. The formation resembles a person's head surrounded by a parka hood. It is surrounded by gas that composed the outer layers of a Sun-like star. The visible inner filaments are ejected by strong wind of particles from the central star. The outer disk contains unusual light-year long orange filaments.

NGC 2392 lies more than 2,870 light-years away and is visible with a small telescope in the constellation of Gemini.

Blue Moon

2010-01-01T11:58:00.001-08:00

You've heard the saying "Once in a blue moon" well it happened last night. Every 19 years we are treated to a "Blue Moon" on New Years eve. A blue moon is when we have 2 full moons in the same month. I was going to attempt to see how well my new Vixen guide scope worked last night since we finally had clear sky's but the moon was soooooo bright that it pretty much wiped everything out. So I just shot the moon. The first 4 of these are using the SW254N and the Meade DSI the others are using the Vixen 70 mm guide scope with a Meade LPI. Hope you enjoy!

M78 The Reflection Nebula

2009-12-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here's last nights attempt at M78 (The Reflection Nebula). Seeing was very poor so with that in consideration this didn't come out too bad.

(below is from Wikipedia)

The nebula Messier 78 (also known as M 78 or NGC 2068) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included by Charles Messier in his catalog of comet-like objects that same year.

M78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula of a group of nebulae that include NGC 2064, NGC 2067 and NGC 2071. This group belongs to the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex and is about 1,600 light years distant from Earth. M78 is easily found in small telescopes as a hazy patch and involves two stars of 10th magnitude. These two stars, HD 38563A and HD 38563B, are responsible for making the cloud of dust in M78 visible by reflecting their light.

About 45 variable stars of the T Tauri type, young stars still in the process of formation as well as some 17 Herbig-Haro objects are known in M78.

M1 Crab Nebula

2009-12-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

Here's my 1st attempt at the Crab Nebula. I was only able to get 10 second images so I stacked 40 of the best ones. (click on image for a larger view)

The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. The nebula was first observed by John Bevis in 1731, and corresponds to a bright supernova recorded by Chinese and Arab astronomers in 1054. At X-ray and gamma-ray energies above 30 KeV, the Crab is generally the strongest persistent source in the sky, with measured flux extending to above 1012 eV. Located at a distance of about 6,500 light-years (2 kpc) from Earth, the nebula has a diameter of 11 ly (3.4 pc) and expands at a rate of about 1,500 kilometers per second.

At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar, a rotating neutron star, which emits pulses of radiation from gamma rays to radio waves with a spin rate of 30.2 times per second. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.

The nebula acts as a source of radiation for studying celestial bodies that occult it. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Sun's corona was mapped from observations of the Crab's radio waves passing through it, and more recently, the thickness of the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan was measured as it blocked out X-rays from the nebula.

Orion Nebula

2009-12-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

Lots of new "toys" to try out. Some worked some didn't. I now have a "game pad" that will control the telescope. I makes doing my star alignments much easier. Now using EQMOD and Stellarium / Stellarium scope exclusively to operate the mount. I attempt to make my own Auto guider using the 9x50 viewfinder and an old LPI imager however that didn't work out. So after messing around for an hour or so I was able to get some 10 second images. Anything more developed "star trails" So I opted for shooting Orion since it is now prevalent in the sky and bright enough. Here's last nights attempt. (40 each 10 second images stacked).

M71 & M92 Globular Clusters

2009-11-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to use Nebulosity software for my capture process. The moon was full tonight so couldn't capture any nebulas so went for clusters instead. Here's my 1st attempts for both (20 ea 30 second images stacked).

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Messier 71 (also known as M71 or NGC 6838) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagitta. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1746 and included by Charles Messier in his catalog of comet-like objects in 1780. It was also noted by Koehler at Dresden around 1775.

M71 is at a distance of about 12,000 light years away from Earth and spans some 27 light years across. The irregular variable star Z Sagittae is a member of this cluster.

M71 was long thought (until the 1970s) to be a densely packed open cluster and was classified as such by leading astronomers in the field of star cluster research due to its lacking a dense central compression , its stars having more "metals" than is usual for an ancient globular cluster, and further its lacking the RR Lyrae "cluster" variable stars that are common in most globulars. However, modern photometric photometry has detected a short "horizontal branch" in the H-R diagram of M71, which is characteristic of a globular cluster. The shortness of the branch explains the lacking of the RR Lyrae variables and is due to the globular's relatively young age of 9-10 billion years. The relative youth of this globular also explains the abundance of "metals" in its stars. Hence today, M71 is designated as a very loosely concentrated globular cluster, much like M68 in Hydra. M71 has a luminosity of around 13,200 suns.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Messier 92 (also known as M92 or NGC 6341) is a globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1777 and independently rediscovered by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781. M92 is at a distance of about 26,000 light-years away from Earth.

M92 is one of the brighter globular clusters in the northern hemisphere, but it is often overlooked by amateur astronomers because of its proximity to the even more spectacular Messier 13. It is visible to the naked eye under very good conditions. [2]

Trifid Nebula M20

2009-10-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

Well I splurged and bought Nebulosity V2.03. A astronomy photo stacking / editing program. I had taken photos of the Trifid Nebula last Sunday when we were in Borrego Springs and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get the photos to come out. After about 1/2 hour of work with Nebulosity here's the result.

M17 Omega Nebula

2009-10-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

We drove out to a great "Dark Sky" location in Borrego Springs, CA on Sunday and spent the night under a clear sky. Stayed at a great "Amateur Astronomer Friendly" Hotel / RV park called the "Palm Canyon Resort" http://www.palmcanyonresort.com/. I was only able to capture a few photos as we were busy showing others at the resort our telescope and the sites of the evening. However I was finally able to spot a few new objects that had evaded me from our home viewing site. (Omega Nebula M17, Trifid Nebula M20, Crab Nebula M1). Telescope worked well however I still keep having problems with my use of Stellarium as a main program. I'm sure it is "user error" so just have to keep working at it.

Special thanks to Shirley the resort manager for making our stay a very enjoyable one.

Here's one of the photos I have finished processing:
M17 Omega Nebula

M27 Dumb Bell Nebula after mount repairs.

2009-10-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

Had a really good night! I did a complete disassembly and rebuild of my EQ5 pro mount. Cleaned and re-greased all surfaces and adjusted motors and worm gears. It made a significant difference in the operation of the mount. Set up tonight and was able to get 30 second images. Pointed to M27 (dumbbell nebula) and took 20 exposures. Here's the result with very minor tweaks in "GIMP". (11-4-09) I updated this photo by removing some of the images that had "star trails" and re-stacking with final processing in Nebulosity. Here's the new version.

LCROSS attempt

2009-10-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Attempted to photograph LCROSS the other night. But had a few things working against me. I got to late of a start and it seems that non of the ground based amature telescopes had much luck catching it. Soooo.. Here's a photo of the moon from that night. (Note the is the north pole "Mare Friguris" region the moon not the location for the LCROSS impact.) Starting to get the hang of lunar imaging with the DSI IIc camera.

Wild Duck Cluster M 11

2009-09-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is another photo I took last nite:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wild Duck Cluster (also known as Messier 11, or NGC 6705) is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1681. Charles Messier included it in his catalogue in 1764.

The Wild Duck Cluster is one of the richest and most compact of the known open clusters, containing about 2900 stars. Its age has been estimated to about 220 million years. Its name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could represent a flying flock of ducks.

Eagle Nebula

2009-09-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

Well here's tonights projects. I was finally able to get dark and clear enough skys to get these photos.

SkyWatcher 10" reflector on EQ5 pro mount, Meade DSI IIc camera 20 images @ 15 secs per. Minor color corrections and sharpening with Photoshop elements.

The Eagle Nebula (catalogued as Messier 16 or M16, and as NGC 6611) is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-46. Its name derives from its shape which is resemblant of an eagle. It is the subject of a famous photograph by the Hubble Space Telescope, which shows pillars of star-forming gas and dust within the nebula.

Local Fires

2009-09-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts in the last few days. The fires in and around Los Angeles have been keeping our sky's filled with a light coating of smoke. Just enough to keep our light polluted sky filtered where I haven't attempted to set up the telescope. Planning on this weekend sometime.

Mt Wilson observatory has been threatened by the fires but so far the firefighters have been able to keep it safe. This actually sound pretty good as of this morning. If the winds stay away and the humidity stays up it may make it through this.

M8 Lagoon Nebula

2009-08-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here's my 1st attempt at M8. I found I'm just a wee bit out of focus so will try harder next time (need to make a "Hartmann Mask" for the new scope).

Sky-Watcher SW254N with EQ5 pro mount, Meade DSI IIc camera 20 images @ 15 sec each.

The Lagoon Nebula (catalogued as Messier 8 or M8, and as NGC 6523) is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. It is classified as an emission nebula and as an H II region.

The Lagoon Nebula was discovered by Guillaume Le Gentil in 1747 and is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the naked eye from mid-northern latitudes. Seen with binoculars, it appears as a distinct oval cloudlike patch with a definite core. A fragile star cluster appears superimposed on it.

My Telescope Setup

2009-08-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post some photos of my normal setup for the evening.

New Ring Nebula photo

2009-08-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was able to capture a new and better photo of the Ring Nebula last night. New Skywatcher telescope is working very well... Think I finally have everything dialed-in. Still learning the methods with the Meade DSI IIc camera so would hope photos will be getting better and better.

Sky-Watcher SW254N with EQ5 pro mount, Meade DSI IIc camera set on 15 sec Fits3P photos total of 30 images stacked. Very minor "tweeking" with Meade Image pro program.

M27 Dumb Bell Nebula

2009-08-16T10:07:00.001-07:00

M27 Dumb Bell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Messier 27, M 27, or NGC 6853) is a planetary nebula (PN) in the constellation Vulpecula, at a distance of about 1,360 light years.

This object was the first planetary nebula to be discovered; by Charles Messier in 1764. At its brightness of visual magnitude 7.5 and its diameter of about 8 arcminutes, it is easily visible in binoculars, and a popular observing target in amateur telescopes.

Sky-Watcher SW254N with EQ5 Pro

DSI IIc

Single 5 sec image

M57 Ring Nebula

2009-08-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Finally got the Sky-Watcher telescope aligned correctly. Here's 1st photo of M57.

The famously named "Ring Nebula" is located in the northern constellation of Lyra, and also catalogued as Messier 57, M57 or NGC 6720. It is one of the most prominent examples of the deep-sky objects called planetary nebulae (singular, planetary nebula), often abbreviated by astronomers as simply planetaries or PN.

Sky-Watcher SW254N with EQ5 pro
Meade DSI IIc
single 5 sec exposure.

Sky-Watcher 1st light

2009-08-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well I caught first light last night (Aug 8th, 2009). Set up went okay however I have a few modifications that I need to work on. I'm finding the alignment is a little difficult with this scope as I'm used to my Meade ETX. However once it is set up everything seems to work very well. Started off looking at the moon. Much more detail with the larger aperture scope (10" vs approx 4"). Played with the new lenses that came with the Sky-Watcher scope, but reverted back to my Celestron zoom lens as it appears to work very well with this scope. The moon filter works great to allow you to see without going blind from the bright glow from the moon. Moved over to Jupiter and was able to see the bands very clearly with 4 moons. Then just for the heck of it I pointed the scope to M13. Verryyy impressive (see photo). The photo doesn't do justice. It was like looking a a million points of light especially when zoomed into 9mm! Going to work on getting the finder scope aligned as it seems to be quite a ways off. Also going to add some quick release bolts to the tube clamps, I installed "Wilcox rings" yesterday. (will add photos when done).
So far very impressed!

Sky-Watcher 254N with EQ5 pro
Meade DSI-IIc camera

M13 Hercules Cluster Sky-Watcher 10" reflector with Meade DSI-IIc camera 5-15 sec images

New Telescope on the way!

2009-07-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

I sprung for a new telescope last week. It is shipping from the factory so would assume it should be here next week. A 10 inch Newtonian with a "go to" equatorial mount made by Sky-Watcher. I couldn't beat the price so went ahead and bought it. Hoping to catch "first light" next week. Will keep you posted.

Comet Lulin

2009-02-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

ETX70AT, DSI IIC

Here's the latest photo taken of the comet Lulin. Lulin will only be by the planet earth once so this is a special photo! Read below for more details!

Comet Lulin or Lulin's Comet (official designation C/2007 N3 (Lulin)) is a non-periodic comet. It was discovered by Ye Quanzhi and Lin Chi-Sheng from Lulin Observatory.^[1]^[2]^[6] It peaked in brightness and arrived at perigee for observers on Earth on February 24, 2009, at magnitude +5,^[7]^[2]^[8] and at 0.411 AU from Earth.^[3] The comet also appeared to pass near Saturn on February 23, and is predicted to pass near Regulus in Leo on February 26 and 27, 2009.^[2]^[6] It is expected to appear to pass near Comet Cardinal on May 12, 2009.^[9] It currently lies 0.412 AU from Earth, appearing at magnitude +5.2 in the constellation Leo.^[4]^[8] The comet became visible to the naked eye from dark-sky sites around February 7.^[10] It passed between Earth and the double star Zubenelgenubi on February 6, between Earth and Spica on February 15 and 16, between earth and Gamma Virginis on February 19 and is predicted to pass between Earth and the star cluster M44 around March 4 and 5.
Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2007_N3 for more info.

Saturn

2009-02-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

I noticed I didn't have a photo of Saturn. So I added one that I took back in June of 2008. It's a little out of focus and I was using my LPI imager to take the photo. I will try for a better one when Saturn is at a better angle to see the rings (probably in 2010.)

ETX70AT, Meade LPI

Latest Moon Photo

2009-02-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Latest Moon Photo taken with ETX70AT, DSI IIC and 3xbarlow.

On Friday 2-6-09 The Children's Imagination Workshop in Temecula is having a Astronomy night. This event is all about Galileo and will feature information about the moon. So I have been taking some new photos to present that night in case of rain. (right now it looks like it might!)

Double Cluster

2009-02-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

Double Cluster
(EXT70AT, DSI IIC)

The Double Cluster is the common name for the naked-eye open clusters NGC 884 and NGC 869, which are close together in the constellation Perseus. NGC 884 and NGC 869 are at distances of 7600 and 6800 light-years away, respectively, so they are close to one another in space as well.

They are relatively young clusters, with NGC 869 5.6 million years and NGC 884 at 3.2 million years according to the 2000 Sky Catalogue. In comparison, the Pleiades have an estimated age ranging from 75 million years to 150 million years.

They are also blueshifted, with NGC 869 approaching Earth at a speed of 22 km/s and NGC 884 approaching at a similar speed of 21 km/s. Their hottest main sequence stars are of spectral type B0.

For more information visit wikipedia.org

Crescent Venus

2009-02-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

This photo of Venus shows the "crescent" shape because of it's location in relationship to the sun.
(ETX70AT, DSI IIC)

Venus (pronounced en-us-Venus.ogg /ˈviːnəs/ (help·info)) is the second-closest planet to the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love. It is the brightest natural object in the night sky, except for the Moon, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6. Because Venus is an inferior planet from Earth, it never appears to venture far from the Sun: its elongation reaches a maximum of 47.8°. Venus reaches its maximum brightness shortly before sunrise or shortly after sunset, for which reason it is often called the Morning Star or the Evening Star.

For more information visit Wikipedia.org

Moon

2009-01-31T08:02:00.000-08:00

Moon (waxing cresent)
ETX70AT, DSI IIC

The Moon (Latin: Luna) is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest natural satellite in the Solar System.

The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384,403 km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The Moon's diameter is 3,474 km,^[6] a little more than a quarter of that of the Earth. Thus, the Moon's volume is about 2 percent that of Earth; the pull of gravity at its surface is about 17 percent that at the Earth's surface. The Moon makes a complete orbit around the Earth every 27.3 days (the orbital period), and the periodic variations in the geometry of the Earth–Moon–Sun system are responsible for the lunar phases that repeat every 29.5 days (the synodic period).

The Moon is the only celestial body to which humans have travelled and upon which humans have performed a manned moon landing. The first artificial object to pass near the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 1, the first artificial object to impact the lunar surface was Luna 2, and the first photographs of the normally occluded far side of the Moon were made by Luna 3, all in 1959. The first spacecraft to perform a successful lunar soft landing was Luna 9; this was soon followed with the first successful lunar soft landing by Surveyor 1 and the first unmanned vehicle to orbit the Moon by Luna 10, all in 1966.^[6] The United States (U.S.) Apollo program achieved the only manned missions to date, resulting in six landings between 1969 and 1972. Human exploration of the Moon ceased with the conclusion of the Apollo program, although a few robotic landers and orbiters have been sent to the Moon since that time. Several countries have announced plans to return humans to the surface of the Moon in the 2020s.

For more information visit Wikipedia.org

Uranus

2009-01-31T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo I took last night:
EXT70AT, DSI IIC

Uranus ( /ˈjʊərənəs/ (help·info) or /jʊˈreɪnəs/ (help·info)^[12]) is the seventh planet from the Sun and the third-largest and fourth most massive planet in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky (Uranus, Οὐρανός), the father of Kronos (Saturn) and grandfather of Zeus (Jupiter). Though it is visible to the naked eye like the five classical planets, it was never recognized as a planet by ancient observers because of its dimness and slow orbit.^[13] Sir William Herschel announced its discovery on March 13, 1781, expanding the known boundaries of the solar system for the first time in modern history. This was also the first discovery of a planet made using a telescope. (from Wikipedia)

Bode's Galaxy

2009-01-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

Bode's Galaxy
(ETX70AT, DSI IIC)

Messier 81 (also known as NGC 3031 or Bode's Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. M81 is one of the most striking examples of a grand design spiral galaxy, with near perfect arms spiraling into the very center. Because of its proximity to Earth, its large size, and its active galactic nucleus (which may harbor a supermassive black hole) Messier 81 is a popular galaxy to study in professional astronomy research. The galaxy's large size and relatively low apparent magnitude (lower magnitude implies higher brightness) also make it a popular target for amateur astronomy observations.[6]
Visit Wikipedia.org for more information.

Orion Nebula

2008-12-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

New Photo: Great Orion Nebula
ETX70AT, DSI IIC

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south^[b] of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of 1,270±76 light years^[2] and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. Older texts frequently referred to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula. Yet older, astrological texts refer to it as Ensis (Latin for "sword"), which was also the name given to the star Eta Orionis, which can be seen close to the nebula from Earth.^[5]
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Planets Align

2008-12-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

Took this photo with our digital camera mounted on a tripod. Moon, Jupiter and Venus all lined up. 12/1/08 6:00 pm PST.

1st Light photo

2008-11-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well,

I got a new "toy" today. Bought a Meade DSI II color CCD camera for the telescope. Here's my "first light" photo of the Andromeda Galaxy.

ETX70AT, DSI IIC

New Jupiter photo

2008-10-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

I used 2 photos to make this. Since the moons of Jupiter are fainter than Jupiter itself, it is impossible to capture the bands of Jupiter along with the moons. So I took 2 photos one with the contrast turned way down to capture Jupiter in all her glory and another with the contrast turned up to capture the moons. If you look close you can see 5 moons.

ETX70AT, LPI