Forthimage – Amateur Astronomy from Edinburgh
This website is an observing log and a place where I can post my images and observations. You can find more information about the equipment I use on the About/Equipment page as well as papers I am co-author of.
Having imaged many of the obvious objects I find it more satisfying now to contribute data to various projects.
I am currently President and Webmaster of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh and some of my pictures are displayed on their Flickr page.
I contribute data to the HOYS citizen science project, ExoClock, BAA Mars, Solar and VSS sections, AAVSO, GOSA, GMN, UKMON, as well as others. You can now see my meteor camera data on the Meteor Camera page.
Mark
Recent posts
12P/Pons-Brooks 2023-12-02 ASERO
Interesting structure and outbursts. Imaged from the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh’s remote telescope in Trevinca, Spain.
| Object ID | 12P/Pons-Brooks |
| Details | 2023-12-02 18:56 – 19:02 UT mag. 8.85, coma 7.3′ tail 10′, PA 34° |
| Telescope | Askar 94 mm f/4.4 Triplet Apo JTW Trident P75 mount |
| Camera | ToupTek Colour IMX571 |
| Filters | Optolong L |
| Exposure(s) | 11 x 30s exposures |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | Processed in APP and PS |
M45 ASERO
More nebulosity and dust than I can ever get from Edinburgh. It was also chosen as the BAA’s Deep Sky Picture of the Month
| Object ID | M45 Pleiades |
| Details | 19/20 November 2023 |
| Telescope | Sharpstar 94 mm f/4.4 Triplet Apo JTW Trident P75 mount |
| Camera | ToupTek Colour IMX571 |
| Filters | Optolong L |
| Exposure(s) | 509 x 60s exposures |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | Processed in Siril and PS |
12P/Pons-Brooks 2023-11-19 ASERO
Interesting structure and outbursts. Imaged from the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh’s remote telescope in Trevinca, Spain. Extreme stretch to show the kink in the developing tail.
| Object ID | 12P/Pons-Brooks |
| Details | 2023-11-19 18:46 – 19:10 UT mag. 9.0, coma 4.7′ tail 18′, PA 44° |
| Telescope | Sharpstar 94 mm f/4.4 Triplet Apo JTW Trident P75 mount |
| Camera | ToupTek Colour IMX571 |
| Filters | Optolong L |
| Exposure(s) | 9 x 180s exposures |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | Processed in APP and PS |
Jupiter 2023-11-14 22:37
Not great seeing.
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-11-14 22:37 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 4 x 90s 120 fps .ser 35% frames |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop, 1.5x drizzle Derotated in WinJUPOS |
Jupiter 2023-11-08
Not great seeing.
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-11-08 22:07 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 90s 100 fps .ser 30% frames |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop, 1.5x drizzle |
Jupiter 2023-10-21
Not great seeing after all the storms and high wind but something. Io to the left, about to do a shadow transit later.
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-10-21 21:49 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 90s 100 fps .ser 30% frames |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop, 1.5x drizzle |
Saturn and Uranus 2023-10-16
Saturn is still too low to be sharp and Uranus is little more than a coloured blob.
| Object ID | Saturn Uranus |
| Details | 2023-10-16 19:48 UT 2023-10-16 21:18 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 180s 83 fps .ser 20% frames 300s 27 fps .ser 30% frames |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop, 1.5x drizzle AS3!, Registax, Photoshop, 3.0x drizzle |
Jupiter 2023-10-15
Io reappearing from behind Jupiter. Probably the most detailed image I’ve ever made of Jupiter?
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-10-15 22:26 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 120s 105 fps .ser 45% frames |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop, 1.5x drizzle |
Jupiter & Io shadow transit 2023-10-14
14 videos processed to make this. Image below is de-rotated by Winjupos.
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-10-14 22:13 – 23:05 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 14x 90s 105 fps .ser 30% frames |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop 1.5x drizzle |
Jupiter 2023-10-13
Lots of interest around the GRS
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-10-13 22:49 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 90s 105 fps .ser |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, AstroSurface, Photoshop 1.5x drizzle |
Jupiter 2023-09-29
Nice to see the GRS. Always makes Jupiter more interesting
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-09-29 21:29 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 90s 118fps .ser |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop / AS3!, AstroSurface, 1.5x resize |
Jupiter 2023-09-27
Higher altitude middle of the night makes a difference
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-09-27 01:19 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 90s 118fps .ser |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop / AS3!, AStroSurface |
Inage below is using the usual Registax / PS method. Banner image is using AstroSurface only for the first time, including 1.25x resize.
Sporadic meteor composition from UK006E
Nothing special, just a nice composition with Jupiter, the Pleiades and Hyades.
20230917_004143.396_UK
Saturn 2023-09-12
Better seeing and colours now.
| Object ID | Saturn |
| Details | 2023-09-12 21:13 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 3x Tal Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 180s 70fps .ser |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop |
Saturn 2023-09-11
Better seeing.
| Object ID | Saturn |
| Details | 2023-09-11 21:50 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 3x Tal Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 180s 70fps .ser |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop |
Jupiter 2023-09-04
Firs of the season
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2023-09-04 23:18 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian 2x 2″ ES Barlow |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Filters | UV/IR |
| Exposure(s) | 90s 100fps .ser |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AS3!, Registax, Photoshop |
M31 using ASERO
Using the ASE’s new facility at Trevinca Skies in Spain that I set up.
| Object ID | M31 Andromeda Galaxy |
| Details | 2023-07-30 |
| Telescope | Sharpstar 94EDPH f4.4 JTW Trident P75 mount |
| Camera | ToupTek 2600 colour |
| Filters | L |
| Exposure(s) | ~80 x 120s subs |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | Final in Photoshop |
Sadr region using ASERO
Using the ASE’s new facility at Trevinca Skies in Spain that I set up.
| Object ID | Sadr region of Cygnus |
| Details | 2023-08-24 |
| Telescope | 94EDPH f4.4 JTW Trident P75 mount |
| Camera | ToupTek 2600 colour |
| Filters | L-eNhance |
| Exposure(s) | 60 x 180s subs for each of 2-pane mosaic |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | Final in Photoshop |
Iris Nebula using ASERO
Using the ASE’s new facility at Trevinca Skies in Spain that I set up.
| Object ID | LBN 487 Iris Nebula |
| Details | 2023-08-08 |
| Telescope | 94EDPH f4.4 JTW Trident P75 mount |
| Camera | ToupTek 2600 colour |
| Filters | L |
| Exposure(s) | 300 of 354 60s subs |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Reprocess of old M101 data
Using new techniques. Looks a bit nicer now.
Sun in July 2023
250mm f4.8 Newtonian
QHY168C
FireCapture
ASI3!, Registax, Photoshop
A few minor changes over 5 hours of time
6 days in June 2023
250mm f4.8 Newtonian
QHY168C
FireCapture
AS3!, Registax, Photoshop
Sun in June 2023
Banner image 2023-06-03
250mm f4.8 Newtonian
QHY168C
FireCapture
ASI3!, Registax, Photoshop
Bolide captured with UK007J
Not detected by RMS software
M101 and SN 2023ivx
Closest and brightest supernova for over a decade. Using a Triband filter to reduce twilight glare. ASTAP measurement gives me a supernova mag. of 11.3.
| Object ID | M101 Supernova 2023ivx |
| Details | 2023-05-24 32:15 UT (mid) |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-10°C |
| Filters | Altair triband |
| Exposure(s) | 10 x 300s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |