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 |
Using new techniques. Looks a bit nicer now.
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 |
It’s been a while since I did any of this sort of image processing.
| Object ID | NGC 5248 C45 Spiral galaxy Bootes Mag 10.2 |
| Details | 2023-04-20 21:20 – 22:21 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | ATIK 460EX @-10°C |
| Filters | V |
| Exposure(s) | 20 x 180s s f b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Taken to confirm that there was NOT a supernova for an ASE member
| Object ID | C29 NGC 5005 |
| Details | 2022-03-23 22:06 – 22:34 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian R filter |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10 °C |
| Exposure(s) | 10 x 180s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, ASTAP |
A grand design spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, 55 million light years away and part of the Virgo cluster.
V and R filters used
| Object ID | M100, NGC 4321 Coma Berenices 7.4′ x 6.3′ Mag. 9.5 |
| Details | 2022-03-20 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian R, V filters |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10 °C |
| Exposure(s) | 20 x 180s V 20 x 180s R d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Just imaged and V and R filters because of strong Moonlight.
| Object ID | NGC 2403, C7 Camelopardalis 21.9′ x 12.3′ Mag. 8.9 |
| Details | 2022-03-17 |
| Telescope | 240mm f4.8 Newtonian R, V filters |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10 °C |
| Exposure(s) | 30 x 180s V 9 x 180s R d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
| Object ID | NGC 891 / Caldwell 23 |
| Details | 2022-01-03 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Altair Astro Tri-band filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 15x300s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Cepheus near the border with Cygnus. Bright Moonlight causing some background gradients.
NGC 6939, discovered by William Herschel of course, is quite old for an Open Cluster, between 1 and 1.3 billion years. It also lies about 400 parsecs above the galactic plane, a little unusual for Open Clusters as they are usually within the plane of the galaxy, hence the alternative name of Galactic Clusters.
NGC 6946 (also discovered by William Herschel) is about 25 million light years away and resides in the Virgo Supercluster. It’s known as the Fireworks Galaxy because it seems to be a hive of supernovae; ten have been observed in the 20th and 21st centuries alone. This is about 10 times the rate observed in our own galaxy, even though the Milky Way has twice as many stars. In fact more supernovae have been observed in this galaxy than any other.
During 2009, a bright star within NGC 6946 flared up over several months to become over one million times as bright as the Sun. Shortly thereafter it faded rapidly. Observations with the Hubble Space Telescope suggest that the star did not survive, although there remains some infrared emission from its position. This is thought to come from debris falling onto a black hole that formed when the star died. This potential black hole-forming star is designated N6946-BH1. The progenitor is believed to have been a yellow hypergiant star. Wikipedia
| Object ID | NGC6939 & NGC 6946 / C12 Fireworks Galaxy |
| Details | Galaxy and Open Cluster Cepheus 2021-11-20 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Tri-band |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 25x300s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Stephan’s Quintet is to the left, consisting of 4 related galaxies and NGC 7320 which is a foreground galaxy. Their brightness’s range from +14.6 to +15.7.
NGC 7318B is colliding with gas in the group, producing a huge shock wave bigger than the Milky Way, spreading through the medium between the galaxies, heating the gas to millions of degrees, emitting X-rays.
A sixth galaxy, NGC 7320C appears to be connected by a tidal tail (just visible) to NGC 7319.
NGC 7331 or Caldwell 30 (to the right) is similar in size and structure to the Milky Way, 40M light years away. A discovery by William Herschel in 1784. It is the main body in the NGC 7331 Group, which contains unbarred spirals NGC 7335 and 7336, the barred spiral galaxy NGC 7337 and the elliptical galaxy NGC 7340. These other galaxies are all much further away (~300M ly), so not related to NGC 7331.
| Object ID | Stephan’s Quintet and NGC 7331/C30 |
| Details | Galaxy Cluster Pegasus 2021-11-03 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC IDAS D3 |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 15x180s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Only a small window available to take this. Narrowband brings out the emission regions and clusters well I think.
| Object ID | M33 Triangulum Galaxy |
| Details | 2021-10-09 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian Tri-band filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 14x300s darks, flats, dark-flats |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Test to see if imaging M31 in tri-band is worth it. Yes! Detail in there that I haven’t seen in other images I’ve taken. Planning a 6 pane mosaic of the galaxy.
| Object ID | M31 Andromeda Galaxy |
| Details | 2021-09-07 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian Tri-band filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s darks, flats, dark-flats |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Added more data to this one but still very tricky. More horrible gradients to deal with. The IDAS P2 LP filter is no longer doing it’s job with the change in LP sources round here. Have now bought the IDAS D3 to see if that is any better as it deals more with LED lighting.
| Object ID | C3 NGC 4236 Draco |
| Details | Mag. 10.5 Size 121′.9 × 7′.2 2021-04-12 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 20x180s, 25x300s 10/50 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Another go a this for the ASE Caldwell Project. A really tricky one this. Hidden in the dust from our own galaxy, this would actually be naked eye brightness if not obscured. From two sets of data but still challenging.
| Object ID | C4 NGC7023 Iris Nebula |
| Details | Mag. 9.1 Size 21.4′ x 20.9′ 2021-04-11 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 25 x 240s, 14x180s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
Windy but guiding was excellent, <0.5″
| Object ID | M81 Bode’s Galaxy |
| Details | Mag. 6.9 2021-04-08 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 25 x 240s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
Stormy night with only 9 subs rescued
| Object ID | M63 Sunflower Galaxy |
| Details | Mag. 9.3 Size 12.6′ x 7.2′ 2021-04-05 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 9 x 240s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
One for the ASE Caldwell Project
| Object ID | NGC 4631 Whale Galaxy |
| Details | Mag. 9.8 Size 15.5′ x 2.7′ 2021-04-03 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 30 x 240s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
For the ASE Caldwell project. Loads of galaxies in this image.
| Object ID | NGC 457 C13 Owl Cluster |
| Details | Mag. 11.6 2021-03-30 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 20x180s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
Another tricky one. Needs to be much deeper and more subs.
| Object ID | C5 IC 342 Hidden Galaxy Camelopardalis |
| Details | Mag. 9.1 Size 21′.4 × 20′.9 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 14x180s 10/50 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Pretty tricky one this
| Object ID | C3 NGC 4236 Draco |
| Details | Mag. 10.5 Size 121′.9 × 7′.2 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 20x180s 10/50 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
| Object ID | M101 Ursa Major |
| Details | Mag. 7.8 Size 28′.8 × 26′.9 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 30x180s 10/50 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Didn’t expect to get too much out of this because of the high wispy cloud and only got 9 subs, but not too bad.
| Object ID | M51 Canes Venatici |
| Details | Mag. 8.4 Size 11.2′ x 6.9′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 29x180s 10/50 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
| Object ID | M95, M96 Leo |
| Details | 2021-02-14 Mag. 11.4 // 10.1 Size 3.1’x2.9′ // 7.6’x5.2′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 15x240ss 2/20 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
| Object ID | NGC 3628 Hamburger Galaxy Leo |
| Details | 2021-02-15 Mag. 10.4 Size 15′ x 3.6′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 12x240s 2/20 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
