Another Ha mono image but not a mosaic this time. M52 visible bottom left.
| Object ID | NGC 7635 Bubble Nebula |
| Details | 2025-08-26 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | AA IMX571 mono @-5C |
| Filters | Baader Ha filter |
| Exposure(s) | 7 x 180s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
No real reason for doing this, just a nice open cluster in Cassiopeia and thought I’d do some photometry on some of the cluster stars using ASTAP, which I did. I chose a Be star (2MASS J01154089+5849021 / Cl* NGC 436 BOD 54) but nothing revealed on that, or any of the other stars I chose. But then again it would have been lucky!
| Object ID | NGC 436 |
| Details | 2023-02-22 22:15 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10°C |
| Filters | V photometric |
| Exposure(s) | 20 x 180s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, ASTAP |
Clouds stopped more frames. Inverted looks less noisy and better.
| Object ID | IC 63 & IC 59 Ghosts of Cassiopeia |
| Details | 2022-10-02 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10°C |
| Filters | Baader Ha |
| Exposure(s) | 6 x 300s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Ha view of this interesting star forming region at the heart of the Heart Nebula. Various designations for the open cluster including Melotte 15 and IC 1805. The emissions from the Heart Nebula are driven by radiation from the young stars in this cluster.
| Object ID | Collinder 26 IC 1805 Melotte 15 |
| Details | 2022-09-26 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10°C |
| Filters | Baader Ha |
| Exposure(s) | 20 x 300s 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 |
A reflection nebula in Perseus. No. 1 on the HOYS target list. Tricky one to process because of all the dust around which is easy to lose in the background. As always, more subs would help.
| Object ID | NGC 1333 |
| Details | 2022-01-04 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC IDAS D3 |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 20x240s darks, flats, bias |
| 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 |
Homebrew false colour palette to help bring out the different regions. Interesting “pillars of creation” shown in the inset. Not the famous ones in the Eagle Nebula, but this object, along with the Elephant trunk nebula, also have similar features. A young star forming region in Cepheus, contains Sh2-171 and cluster Berkley 59.
It contains one of the hottest known local stars (marked) BD+66°1673, a O5V eclipsing binary. This star illuminates much of this nebula and forms the “pillars”. It is 45,000K and 100,000 time more luminous than the Sun.
| Object ID | NGC 7822, Sh2-171, Berkeley 59 |
| Details | Emission nebula Cygnus 2021-12-05 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Tri-band |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 20x300s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Another Sh2 object. Clouds stopped imaging so only 8 captured.
| Object ID | SH2-237 (left-fly) IC 417 (right-spider) Spider and Fly nebulae |
| Details | Nebulae, Auriga 2021-12-01 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Tri-band |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 8x300s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
An obscure one in Perseus. The larger is open cluster inside an emission nebula NGC 1624, also known as emission nebula Sh2-212, the smaller Sh2-211. Now known as the Tribble Nebulae after “Star Trek: The Trouble with Tribbles”. The dark patch top right is the dark nebula Barnard 20.
| Object ID | The Tribble Nebulae NGC1624/Sh2-212 and Sh2-211 Dark nebula Barnard 20 |
| Details | Open Clusters Emission nebulae Perseus 2021-11-12 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Tri-band |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 15x300s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Revisiting an old friend. Two rich open clusters at similar distances from us of 7,500 light years.
| Object ID | Double Cluster NGC 869 and NGC 884 / C14 |
| Details | Open Clusters Perseus 2021-11-12 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC IDAS D3 |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 20x180s 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 |
Looks ordinary but lots of interest in there if you dig a bit deeper – obviously not all associated with the cluster but just in the fov. Includes a fair number of galaxies, spectroscopic binaries, X ray sources, galaxy groups, radio sources, ir sources, stars with high proper motions. The cluster itself contains about 258 stars, mostly low mass in the main sequence or red giant stage. About 1300 ly away and just on the edge of naked eye visibility at mag. 5.7.
| Object ID | NGC 752 / C28 |
| Details | Open Cluster Andromeda Mag.5.7 Size 75′ 2021-11-01 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC IDAS D3 |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x180s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Well the Soul Nebula Mosaic anyway. 5 panes in the end. First 4 panes (see below) should have done it but I suspect platesolving failed and I had to do another pane the next night. APP is brilliant at stitching together and blending in panes – even from different sessions.
| Object ID | IC 1848 Soul Nebula |
| Details | Size 150′ x 75′ 2021-04-01 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C Tri-band filter |
| Exposure(s) | 9x300s per pane darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
Strong moonlight
| Object ID | M52 and NGC 7635 Cassiopeia |
| Details | 2021-01-23 Mag. 6.9, 10.0 Size 13′, 15’x8′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C Tri-band |
| Exposure(s) | 20x300s 2/20 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Too few frames. Noisy background
| Object ID | NGC 1579 Perseus |
| Details | Mag. 5.9 Size 12′ x 8′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 17x240s 10/50 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
An unexpected clear night when forecast said not. Poor transparency and needed longer exposures than the sky conditions could take.
| Object ID | Flaming Star Nebula IC 405 Auriga |
| Details | 2020-10-28 20:29- |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-10°C 2/20 gain/offset IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 30x180s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
This is a bit of a weird looking one! Stars to the left aren’t good shapes – probably combination of optical alignment, focus and collimation. Stars are over-processed too – should have been so much better.
| Object ID | IC1695 Fish head nebula (part of the Heart nebula) |
| Details | Size 12’x12′ Cassiopeia |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 20x300s ea Ha, OIII 2×2 darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop Processed SHO with synthetic SII |
Few things wrong. Poor seeing, bloated stars, gusty wind,…
| Object ID | NGC 281 Pacman nebula (IC11) Mag. 10, Size 35′ H II region emission nebula Contains open cluster NGC 1590 Cassiopeia |
| Details | 2018-10-10 Poor seeing and transparency |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guided |
| Camera | Atik 460EX, Baader RGB filters |
| Exposure(s) | 15 x 120s each colour darks, flats |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity 4, Photoshop |
Best night for ages.
| Object ID | NGC 281 Pacman nebula (IC11) Mag. 10, Size 35′ H II region emission nebula Contains open cluster NGC 1590 Cassiopeia |
| Details | 2018-10-06 22:03-23:41 UT No moonlight and good transparency |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guided |
| Camera | Atik 460EX, Baader 7nm Ha filter |
| Exposure(s) | 19 x 300s darks, flats |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity 4, Photoshop |
NGC 281, IC 11 or Sh2-184 is a bright emission nebula and part of an H II region in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way’s Perseus Spiral Arm. This 20×30 arcmin sized nebulosity is also associated with open cluster IC 1590, several Bok globules and the multiple star, B 1. It collectively forms Sh2-184,[3] spanning over a larger area of 40 arcmin.[4] A recent distance from radio parallaxes of water masers at 22 GHz made during 2014 is estimated it lies 2.82±0.20 kpc. (9200 ly.) from us.[5] Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character.
E. E. Barnard discovered this nebula in August 1883, who described it as “a large faint nebula, very diffuse.” Multiple star ‘B 1’ or β 1 was later discovered by S. W. Burnham, whose bright component is identified as the highly luminous O6 spectral class star, HD 5005 or HIP 4121. It consists of an 8th-magnitude primary with four companions at distances between 1.4 and 15.7 arcsec. There has been no appreciable change in this quintuple system since the first measures were made in 1875.
Wikipedia
Added 18 frames of Ha. Much more detail and less noise.
| Object ID | NGC 7635 Bubble nebula (C11) Mag. 10, Size 15’x8′ H II region emission nebula Cassiopeia |
| Details | 2018-09-23 21:15-23:07 UT Bright moonlight |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guided |
| Camera | Atik 460EX, Baader 7nm Ha filter |
| Exposure(s) | 18 x 300s darks, flats |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity 4, Photoshop |
I did take some RGB colour but as you can see below there is a huge dust mark in it. Normally not a problem as flats will remove it. But when I went to create flats, the dust had disappeared so very difficult to remove. Unless it’s not dust but an out of focus reflection of the bright star? If it is I’ve never seen anything like it in my images before.
One of my favourite objects. Trying to do this over a series of nights. Ha first of all then add colour channels. Only 2x300s exposures in Ha so far.
| Object ID | NGC 7635 Bubble nebula (C11) Mag. 10, Size 15’x8′ H II region emission nebula Cassiopeia |
| Details | 2018-09-22 21:40-21:45 UT Bright moonlight |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guided |
| Camera | Atik 460EX, Baader 7nm Ha filter |
| Exposure(s) | 2 x 300s darks, flats |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity 4, Photoshop |
Heavy processing to remove moonlight background. First entry in the SAA 100 catalog.
| Object ID | NGC 752 Open Cluster, Andromeda Mag. 5.7, size 50′ |
| Details | 2018-09-21 Bright 90% Moon |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guided |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 10x40s, ISO 800, darks, flats |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
Nebula, Star Cluster, Open Cluster, HII Region, Cassiopeia
Mag. 7, Size 48′
2015-10-02
200mm f8 RC, piggyback guiding C80ED
L 10×300 2×2, RGB 10×240 3×3
BPM, flats
Atik 460EX (-10C), LRGB filters, IDAS P2 LPR filter
Captured in APT, Processed in Nebulosity3, PS CC, LightRoom
Very bad focus and some field rotation.
First real LRGB image with the new 460EX. Still need to improve processing. I have some Ha from previous night to add in too but not sure how to do it.
Emission nebula, Cassiopeia
Mag. 10 Size 15’x8′
2014-10-12
200mm f5 newtonian, piggyback guiding C80ED
L: 5×180 (1×1) RGB 5×120 (2×2) each
Atik 460EX (-15C), LRGB filters, MPCC, Lumicon DS filter
Captured in APT, Processed in Nebulosity, PS CC
