The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) - Aug/Sep 2023 EdgeHD-11 / ASI2600mm Pro Hubble Palette (HOO) - total integration time: 14h 15m |
M27 - RGB EdgeHD-11 / ASI2600mm Pro 20x60sec - total integration time: 1hr |
The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) - Aug/Sep 2023 EdgeHD-11 / ASI2600mm Pro Hubble Palette (HOO) - total integration time: 14h 15m |
M27 - RGB EdgeHD-11 / ASI2600mm Pro 20x60sec - total integration time: 1hr |
The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 as taken at Vermilion, OH. The front moved out of the area but left behind some high, thin clouds, which did not prevent the viewing of this fantastic eclipse, but did prevent me from capturing the full span of the sun's corona. This composite photo shows the eclipse at mid-eclipse (center). The top left image shows the lunar limb just after 2nd contact with the bottom right showing the other side just before 3rd contact. The view with the naked eye was awesome. I did not see the solar prominences with the eye during the 2017 eclipse. The southern prominence in this display was outstanding - looking to the eye as an electrical storm blasting out from the sun. Photos just don't do justice to the sharpness and clarity that was evident while enjoying this celestial event.
Photos were taken with my William Optics GT102 and Canon 50D body mounted on an iOptron iEQ30 mount. Everything was checked out the Sunday before the event. I had created a script (or plan as APT calls it) to run the sequence of exposures bracketing up to 3 stops either side of nominal exposure. I wanted to spend most of my time observing the eclipse with photography a second priority. I missed capturing the diamond ring during the 2017 event when I forgot to remove the solar filter. I missed it this year since I didn't start the plan on time. Everything was ready to go, I had worked out the specific times for each exposure provided I started the plan 30 seconds before 2nd contact. At precisely 15:12:15 I pressed the 'start' button and ... nothing. Tried again - nothing. Finally I realized that I still had the camera set for live view (as I was using that to capture the partial phases and make sure focus was maintained). Argh, I quickly turned live view off and started the plan. But now the sequence was late by about 30 seconds or so. Next time (if I'm still around for next time) I'll have multiple plans that can be started at later times in the event that the first one fails.
This was a real joy to experience and I was very happy with the results. A total eclipse is one of those astronomical events that simply can't be missed if at all possible.
Exploded views of lunar limb showing the solar prominences:
The sizes of these solar prominences are huge. In the image below the Earth is shown next to the southern prominence for comparison.
Details on the image capture
HDR Combination of 1/30, 1/60 and 1/125 seconds with ISO400.
Top Left: 3:13:34 EDT
Center: 3:15:04 EDT
Bottom Right: 3:16:32 EDT
We arrived at Vermilion OH on Saturday, late afternoon, to our rental house which had a great backyard for viewing the eclipse.
Equipment was set up and tested on Sunday. I had written a script for APT to automatically run the series of exposures varying the duration based on time in order to capture Bailey's Beads and maybe the Diamond Ring. Weather forecast was promising only high level clouds during the event.
Monday morning the scope/equipment was set up outside and tested one more time. The script would require me to start it precisely at 15:12:15 in order to maintain the order of exposures. I spent the partial phase time making sure the focus was good. After capturing a number of photos of the partial phase the time of second contact (start of the total phase) was getting close.
At precisely 15:12:15 I pressed the start button to run the script. Nothing. I pressed it again. Still, nothing! I then realized that I was still in Live-Mode (which prevents the script from running). I quickly turned off Live-Mode, started the script and ran back to the telescope to remove the filter. I knew that getting the Diamond Ring and Bailey's Beads was probably not going to happen as the script was now off-sequence. But I didn't want to miss out on at least seeing them with the naked eye.
Although the clouds probably masked the outer corona as it didn't appear to extend very far, the view of the coronal ring with all those red prominences was a sight to see. The ring was bright. Brighter than the one during the 2017 eclipse. And the prominence at the bottom of the sun was absolutely stunning. It almost looked like a blazing red fire igniting the base of the moon.
As expected, initial review of the photos showed a good number of images capturing the total phase in various durations but only one photo got a hint of Bailey's Beads. I'll take it! I will spend the next few days processing the images. Probably not surprising was the fact that the view through binoculars (and naked eye) seemed crisper and more colorful than the photos - at least, the unprocessed ones. Total solar eclipses are definitely meant to be seen live!
Here is a single, unprocessed photo of the eclipse. All images were taken with my William Optics GT102 telescope and Canon 50D camera mounted on an iOptron eq30 Pro.
So I finally got around to capturing the periodic comet 12P/Pons Brooks.
Since I was not able to capture this comet from my permanent telescope at my home (too low to get above the tree line) I decided to get my portable scope upgraded (GT102 on iEQ30) and take a short trip to my home church in Westminster. There I was able to capture 32 subs using my ASI533 OSC. I stuck with just 60sec subs as the western sky here in Westminster at this time has a lot of aircraft traffic and even StarLink trails due to the early evening time frame. I took 70 subs and ended up with only 32 at the end. Had I gone with the 120 sec exposure rate I probably wouldn't have had a single sub with a trail!
Comet 12P/Pons Brooks - March 21, 2024 GT102 Telescope / ASI533mc Camera 32 x 60 sec subs |
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a Halley-type periodic comet. It was first discovered by Jean-Louis Pons on July 12, 1812, and later independently rediscovered by William Robert Brooks in 1883. This comet has an orbital period of about 71.3 years. Note: So, if I didn't capture it now, I don't think I will have another opportunity :)
During its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion), comet 12P/Pons-Brooks comes within approximately 0.78 astronomical units (AU) (72.5 million miles) of the Sun. At its furthest point (aphelion), it is located at a distance of about 17.2 AU (1.6 billion miles). Interestingly, this comet is also associated with the κ-Draconids meteor shower.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is expected to reach its maximum brightness, potentially becoming visible to the naked eye during the month of April. Coincidentally, its closest approach occurs just a few days before a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
NGC 1491 - Celestron EdgeHD 11"; ZWO ASI2600mm, Nov 3-8, 2023 Total integration time: 16.5 hours |
Odysseus Spacecraft Completes First U.S. Moon Landing Since 1972 © Provided by The Wall Street Journal |
I was checking out my latest images that I have been working on and realized that I haven't posted here in months! Sometimes you just get so busy that things drop off your list and this was one of them. I had a fairly large number of image runs that I only recently had the time to process. So, time to post my new image captures in the order I processed them, not by date.
Heart Nebula - Nov 19-20, 2023 William Optics ZS-61; ZWO ASI1600mm; SHO Palette Integration Time: 6h40m |
The Heart Nebula, also known as IC 1805 or Sharpless 2-190, is an emission nebula located in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. It is situated in the constellation Cassiopeia, approximately 7,500 light years away from Earth, and is part of a complex of nebulae that includes the Soul Nebula (IC 1848). The Heart Nebula gets its name due to its resemblance to a human heart shape. The nebula is approximately 150 arcminutes in size, which is equivalent to 3 times the diameter of the full moon. Emission nebulae are clouds of ionized gas, primarily hydrogen, that emit light of various colors, and in the case of the Heart Nebula, the vibrant red color is produced by ionized hydrogen gas that is interacting with ultraviolet light from nearby hot, young stars (the open cluster, Melotte 15). The nebula is a region of active star formation, and the intense radiation from these young stars causes the surrounding gas to glow. This image was taken in the SHO, or Hubble palette, where the hydrogen gas appears red and the ionized oxygen and sulfur gases, are responsible for the rich blue and orange.
Core of the Heart Nebula - Nov and Dec, 2022 Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette Integration Time: 17h20m |
This image shows the beautiful detail rather deep within the Heart Nebula centered on the open cluster, Melotte 15 -- hence the 'Heart of the Heart'. Taken in the SHO, or Hubble palette, where the hydrogen gas appears red and the ionized oxygen and sulfur gases, are responsible for the rich blue and orange. RGB stars were added in after the starless NB image was processed.
Silver Sliver Galaxy - Nov 11 and 12, 2023 Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm Integration Time: 10h |
The only galaxy in the group, NGC 891 (also known as Caldwell 23, the Silver Sliver Galaxy, and the Outer Limits Galaxy) is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 group of galaxies in the Local Supercluster. It has an H II nucleus. (wiki)
I remember this galaxy from my days in grade school back in the '60s when I was a avid watcher of the the original Outer Limits series. This was one of the DSO's featured during the ending credits along with the wonderfully eerie music (Dominic Carmen Frontiere).
Lower's Nebula (Sh2-261) - Nov 11 and 12, 2023 William Optics GT-102; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette Integration Time: 16h |
Lower's Nebula, also known as Sharpless 261 (Sh2-261), is a hydrogen emission region located in the constellation Orion. It's located on the edge of the Milky Way, between the Orion and Perseus arms, and is about 3,300 light years away.
Horsehead Nebula and Surrounding Region - Jan 11, 2024 William Optics ZS-61; ZWO ASI1600mm; Ha only Integration Time: 5h5m |
It wouldn't be a winter season without capturing either the Horsehead or Orion Nebula (or both). This year I did the Horsehead. I have the HaRGB (full color) version completed as well but I really liked the Ha only version as I was processing the image - it has such a dark, almost ominous, appearance. The actual 'horse' in this wide field image can be seen in the center of the image.
California Nebula - Nov 24, 2023, Jan 2,4, 2024 William Optics ZS61; ZWO ASI1600mm; Ha, Sii and RGB Stars Integration Time: 9h |
The California Nebula (NGC 1499/Sh2-220) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus, and its name comes from the fact that it resembles the US State of California. Although it is about 2.5° long, it is not easy to see as it is very dim. However, in Hα light it stands out quite well. It lies at a distance of about 1,000 light years from Earth.
This image was created combining Hα and Sii along with RGB stars. I found no appreciable signal in the Oiii band, which could have been the result of poor sky conditions, and so I decided not to spend the time to capture that wavelength.
Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101) - 8/10,11,31 and 9/1,2 2023 Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette Integration Time: 14h45m |
The Tulip Nebula, also known as Sh2-101, is a large emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. It's named for its distinctive shape, which resembles a tulip when viewed from certain angles. The nebula is approximately 70 light-years across and lies about 6,000 light-years away from Earth.
The Tulip Nebula is primarily composed of ionized hydrogen gas, which emits light in the characteristic red color associated with hydrogen-alpha emission. It's a region of active star formation, with hot, young stars embedded within it. These stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation that ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow.
The Tulip Nebula is also characterized by dark dust lanes, which are regions of dense interstellar dust that block the light from background stars. These dust lanes often trace the intricate structure of the nebula and are indicative of areas where new stars may be forming.
Taken through Ha, Oiii and Sii filters, and then overlaid with RGB stars. I mixed both 300 and 600 second exposures to help bring out some of the faint Oiii signal, but some additional blue light stretching was still necessary to get the result I was looking for. The NB mix is the traditional SHO palette.
Nothing new to show in my astrophotography endeavors. With a rare string of clear nights here in Maryland I imaged two new objects, but simply haven't had the time to process them yet. Stay tuned and check back as I plan to have them completed in the next week or so.
The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. Credit: NASA |
As for other news ... the OSIRIS-REx mission has just completed NASA’s first sample-return mission from a near-Earth asteroid (NEA). The samples arrived at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) near Salt Lake City, where a team of engineers arrived by helicopter to retrieve the sample capsule. All went well and the initial examination of the sample shows some dust and dirt. Now we need to wait until the analysis phase starts and provides data on the composition of the material. See Universe Today for more details on the mission and the return of the sample. Exciting times for sure.
The James Webb telescope sees baby galaxies at the distant edges of the universe and finds they contain very little heavy elements just as the Big Bang predicts. There was a lot of talk over the past weeks about far distant galaxies imaged by JWST appearing too mature for their age. It seemed that something might be seriously flawed in our theory of galactic evolution. But the new spectroscopic data coming in clearly shows the lack of heavy elements as would be expected for galaxies formed in the early years of the universe.
The Pragyaan rover captured this image of the Vikram Lander on August 30th, before lunar night enshrouded it in its frigid darkness. Image Credit: ISRO. |
The Chandrayaan-3 lander was the first spacecraft to land in the rugged terrain of the Moon's south pole region. It is here where deep craters that never see sunlight might hold reservoir of water and therefore would be an ideal location for manned lunar bases. See complete story at Universe Today.
Today I present the Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635, taken over six nights, from July 17 to August 22, with my EdgeHD11 scope and ASI2600mm camera. The best images (those that are very noise free) require a long amount of integration time. I rarely spend multiple nights to get one image with the rarity of clear nights here in Maryland, but I wanted an image that would really stand out.
The Bubble Nebula - July/August 2023 EdgeHD11 OTA with ASI2600mm Camera 29.5 hours integration time (NB and RGB Filters) |
The Bubble Nebula is 7 light-years across and resides 7,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. The "bubble" is created by the stellar wind from a massively hot young central star. The nebula lies near a giant molecular cloud in space (which can be seen across the image as the yellowish-red cloud). The bubble nebula itself is being excited by that hot central star (just to the right of the center of the bubble), causing it to glow. It was discovered in November 1787 by William Herschel.
Here is the Hubble telescope image of the same object for comparison.
Bubble from Hubble |
M13 - May 9, 2023 EdgeHD11/ASI533MC - 77×120″ subs |
M3 - May 10, 2023 EdgeHD11/ASI533MC - 110×120″ |
Test capture of C11 (Bubble Nebula) EdgeHD11/ASI2600mm 28x600sec Ha |
Getting around to completing the postprocessing of a number of astro objects in my backlog. Part of my backlog of image runs, this image con...