Amateur Astronomy from Edinburgh
This website is a place where I can post my images purely for the fun of it. You can find more information about the equipment I use on the About/Equipment page.
To give me something to aim for, I have set up pages to get as many Messier and Lunar 100 objects as I can. The Deep Sky page is for objects not in Messier’s catalogue and includes some more recent lists such as the Caldwell and Finest NGC catalogues.
Light pollution is a serious problem for amateur astronomy here on the edge of Edinburgh, Scotland, so this is a battle of photons vs sodium! Please come back and visit as the site develops, I make lots of mistakes, the weather gets worse and the skies get brighter.
I am a member of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh and some of my pictures are displayed on their Flickr page.
Mark
Recent posts
M40 (Winnecke 4)
Messier 40, also known as Winnecke 4. Basically it’s a double star, and an optical double at that!
It was discovered by Messier while he was looking for a nebula reported in the area by Johannes Hevelius. He couldn’t find it so he catalogued this double star instead. Most have been a slow night or something…
And why did I bother imaging it? Well it was in the only patch of clear sky there was and I only had a few minutes before it clouded over. Still, it’s another Messier object to add to my list 🙂
| Object ID | M40 / Winnecke 4 Double star, Ursa Major Mag. 8.4, Size 0.8′ |
| Details | 2018-09-14 through gaps in cloud |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 5x20s darks, flats |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity 4, Photoshop |
M103 (NGC 581)
Tighter open cluster, quite remote at 8,000 light years away.
| Object ID | M103 (NGC 581) Open cluster Cassiopeia Mag. 7.4, Size 6′ |
| Details | 2018-09-08 Not very transparent. |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guiding c80ED, ASI 290MC |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 10x60s, darks and flats |
| Capture | APT, PHD |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
M39 (NGC 7092)
Nice wide open cluster with a deep Milky Way background too.
| Object ID | M39 (NGC 7092) Open cluster Cygnus Mag. 4.6, Size 32′ |
| Details | 2018-09-08 Not very transparent. |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guiding c80ED, ASI 290MC |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 10x60s, darks and flats |
| Capture | APT, PHD |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
M15
First proper imaging session of the season. New mount (EQ6-R) is guiding well with an RMS error of about 0.6″, Coma corrector is working well too. Stars are sharp right to the edges.
| Object ID | M15 (NGC 7078) |
| Details | 2018-09-08 Not very transparent and the remnants of twilight too. |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guiding c80ED, ASI 290MC |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 10x60s, darks and flats |
| Capture | APT, PHD |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
Albireo – now it’s officially NOT a binary
Everyone’s favourite double star is now officially not a binary system according to the latest GAIA data release. This is just to show that I don’t care – it’s still the best.
| Object ID | Albireo, Beta 1,2 Cygni |
| Details | 2018-08-23 20:57 – 21:00 UT |
| Telescope | 200mm Newtonian f5 |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC, IR/UV block |
| Exposure(s) | 21 x 5s with 5s delay between |
| Capture | SharpCap 3.1 |
| Processing | Nebulosity 3, Photoshop |
Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner brightening and tail developing
Tail starting to develop and definitely getting brighter
| Object ID | 21P/Giacobini-Zinner |
| Details | 2018-08-16 22:09:30 – 22:23:23 UT |
| Telescope | 200mm Newtonian f5 |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Exposure(s) | 20 x 15s, 30s delay between exposures |
| Capture | SharpCap |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
Comet 21P/Giacobin-Zinner animation
Moving through the constellation of Cassiopeia
| Object ID | 21P/Giacobini-Zinner |
| Details | 2018-08-03 22:12 – 22:25 UT Approx. mag. 9 |
| Telescope | 200mm Newtonian f5 |
| Camera | ZWO ASI 290MC |
| Exposure(s) | 20 x 10s exposures, 30seconds apart |
| Capture | SharpCap |
| Processing | Photoshop |
Saturn 1 day after opposition – infrared
Very low and in the trees but just managed to image it – just…
| Object ID | Saturn |
| Details | 2018-06-28 23:31 UT and 23:45 UT Seeing III / V but very low altitude |
| Telescope | 200mm Newtonian @f5 and @f10 |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC Infrared pass filter |
| Exposure(s) | 60s 30fps AVI and 90s 30fps AVI |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AutoStakkert3 (beta), Registax 6, Photoshop |
Lunar Mosaic in infrared 11.06 days
That annoying moment when you realise you’ve missed a tiny bit from the mosaic. Always better to overlap the frames more for safety. I though I was!
| Object ID | Lunar mosaic 7 frames |
| Details | 2018-06-24 21:07 – 21:16 UT Low down and seeing II (I-V) |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC ZWO Infrared pass filter |
| Exposure(s) | 7 x 60s AVIs, 20% stack |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AutoStakkert, Photoshop |
6 pane lunar mosaic
Mosaics are simple using the new camera.
| Object ID | Lunar mosiac, 6 panes |
| Details | 2018-06-20 22:14 – 22:22 UT 7.15 days 55.9% illumination Seeing: II (I-V) |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MCÂ unfiltered |
| Exposure(s) | 6 x 60s AVIs at 20fps |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AutoStakkert and Photoshop |
Amazing NLC display over Edinburgh
One of the best I’ve seen. Almost overhead too.
| Object ID | Noctilucent Clouds |
| Details | 2018-06-18 23:12 UT |
| Telescope | – |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 1.6s @ f3.5 ISO 400 |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Lightroom |
Infrared Lunar mosaic
Put the 200P back on the mount to use with ZWO camera. Seems like a good combination – I’d forgotten what a nice telescope it is. I didn’t plan to do a full mosaic but didn’t realise just how close I was.
| Object ID | 7 frame incomplete lunar mosaic 5.12 days 33.6% illumination |
| Details | 2018-06-18 20:24 – 20:41 UT Poor seeing (over neighbour’s chimney smoke) and gusty conditions which shook the telescope occasionally. |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian |
| Camera | ZWO ASI 290MC ZWO infrared pass filter |
| Exposure(s) | 7 x 60s AVI @ 20fps |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AutoStakkert, Photoshop |
Sunspots 2018-06-13
The Sun has been very featurless for a while now but this just beginning to appear round the limb.
Poor seeing but testing out the new ZWO ASI 290MC. Getting a frame rate of almost 100 fps. Heavy processing required to get anything out of the turbulence. No matter how fast the frame rate, or how sensitive the camera, if the seeing is bad you still won’t get much.
| Object ID | Sunspots |
| Details | 2018-06-13 09:58:05 UT Poor seeing: I-II (I-V) |
| Telescope | 180mm Mak-Cass at f15 Baader solar film – gives blue colour |
| Camera | ZWO ASI 290MC |
| Exposure(s) | 60s video at 97 fps ROI 800×500 |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | Photoshop CC |
Jupiter 2018-06-06
Pretty low down but Ok seeing
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2018-06-06 21:19 UT |
| Telescope | 180mm Mak-Cass at f15 |
| Camera | DBK 21AU618.as UV/IR filter |
| Exposure(s) | 90s AVI at 60fps |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AutoStakkert, RegiStax and Lightroom |
Noctilucent Clouds
First sighting this year and one of the very earliest to appear on Twitter.
Venus at the bottom with Castor and Pollux above. Ăź Aurigae (Menkalinan) to the upper right.
| Object ID | Noctilucent Clouds |
| Details | 2018-06-01 22:52 UT, 22:53 UT |
| Telescope | Kit lens 27mm at f4 Fixed tripod |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | ISO 400 1.6s |
| Capture | In Camera |
| Processing | Lightroom |
Observatory build
Old observatory going away, new observatory with Pulsar 2.2m short height dome going up on new wooden walls. The whole thing will sit on top of the remnants of walls from an old WWII air raid shelter. Watch this space…
The old run-off roof one lasted about 10 years without any signs of moving in some very strong winds (the previous 2 had roofs blow off into the field!). It did however leak pretty badly at the corners.
Lunar First Light for new observatory
A quick First Light in broad daylight of the Moon through the Mak.
| Object ID | Moon |
| Details | 2018-05-23 18:52UT 8.34 days 68.3% |
| Telescope | 180mm Maksutov at f15 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | ISO 100, 1/100s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Processed in Lightroom |
3 Crescent Moons in a row
3 days from New Moon in a row.
| Object ID | New Moon |
| Details | 2018-05-16 20:39UT 1.41 days 2.8% 2018-05-17 20:53UT 2.42 days 8.1% 2018-05-18 21.13UT 3.43 days 15.9% |
| Telescope | C80ED at f7.5 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 1/60s, 1/100s, 1/50s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Processed in Lightroom |
Moon 1.41d 2.8pc illumination
The youngest Moon I have ever seen or imaged. Just 5 degrees above the horizon.
| Object ID | Moon |
| Details | 1.41 days 2.8% illumination 5 degrees altitude 2018-05-16 20:39 UT |
| Telescope | C80ED at f7.5 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 1/60s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Processed in Lightroom |
Three Moon shots
Various Moon shots over the past few months. With my equipment dismantled for the observatory rebuild, this all I can do for now. Still fun though.
| Object ID | Moon |
| Details | 3,26 days, 4.76 days, 8.35 days |
| Telescope | C80ED at f7.5 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 1/60s, 1/250s, 1/200s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Process in Lightroom |
