Comet Lemmon, and other interesting Astro objects

Comet Lemmon

Skies were so-so these past couple of days. I checked to see if I could see Comet Lemmon from my home, and according to Stellarium it should be above my tree line for a short period of time (up until 7:30pm). Although not ideal due to the lightness of the western sky, it's my only option. Checking the situation at 6:00pm, there were numerous clouds in the area. But there were some breaks, and the sky was very clear in those breaks. 

Not to be one who gives up easily I decided to give it a try, especially since my telescope rig was already setup. I mounted my ZS61 wide field telescope with ASI533mc camera on my AP1100 mount. As soon as it was relatively dark (I couldn't wait 'till it was appropriately dark as the comet would be well below the trees by then) I started a sequence of subs: 40x60sec. Clouds interfered throughout most of the sequence (as did some Starlinks and planes!), so I only managed to get 5 good subs. So be it. 

Comet Lemmon - October 26, 2025
William Optics ZS61 - ASI533mc
5x60sec subs

Got my replacement RS232-USB cable to try connecting to my iOptron mount, but the mount still can't see my PC (most likely the motherboard on the mount is damaged). Nevertheless, I am planning on trying again to image from my church property this evening.

The North America Nebula - NGC7000

While testing out the ZS61, prior to my using it on comet Lemmon, I trained the scope on the North America Nebula (NGC7000). I have imaged this object in NB, but I thought it might be interesting to try the OSC camera and capture it in normal color.

The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) is a vast emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, named for its striking resemblance to the North American continent. Glowing in rich reds from ionized hydrogen gas, it spans over 50 light-years and lies about 2,500 light-years from Earth. This celestial cloud is a stellar nursery, where new stars are born amid intricate filaments and dark dust lanes that sculpt its iconic shape.

North America Nebula (NGC7000) - October 24, 2025
Willilam Optics ZS61 - ASI533mc _L-Quad Filter
40x180sec subs

Double Cluster in Perseus

Nestled between the stars of the constellation Perseus lies a breathtaking celestial pairing known as the Double Cluster—NGC 869 and NGC 884. These two open star clusters, visible to the naked eye under dark skies, dazzle with hundreds of young, blue-white stars that formed roughly 12.8 million years ago. Located about 7,500 light-years from Earth, they offer a stunning example of stellar nurseries in action. Their close proximity and shared origin make them a striking sight through binoculars or telescopes, glowing like twin jewels in the autumn sky.

Double Cluster in Perseus - October 5, 2025
William Optics ZS61 - ASI533mc
40x60sec Subs

I'll report on my attempt of capturing comet Lemmon this evening sometime tomorrow.