Taken with the new larger scope in Spain with ASERO. Coma corrector spacing still not right so some star elongation, partially sorted in PS
| Object ID | IC 434 Horsehead Nebula |
| Details | 2024-02-03 20:08 – |
| Telescope | 300mm f4 ONTC Newtonian Murrell telescope |
| Camera | Touptek IMX571 mono |
| Filters | Baader Ha |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, PS |
More Tribbles… from left to right:
IC 2162, Sh 2-257 and Sh 2-254
Sh 2-256 is just below the middle one and Sh 2-258 is faintly to the left of the left-hand one.
| Object ID | Nebulae Orion |
| Details | 2022-01-03 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC IDAS D3 |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 15 x 300s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP Photoshop |
Another Tribble visible in this one. As well as the main Sh2-157 nebula, there are other interesting objects in this picture:
Open Cluster NGC 7510
Open Cluster Cl Mrk 50
And the Tribble is LBN 111.14.00.72
| Object ID | Sh2 157 part of Lobster Claws NGC 7510 Cl Mrk 50 LBN 111.14.00.72 |
| Details | 2021-12-10 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Altair Astro Tri-band filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 25x300s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
| Object ID | NGC 2264 Monoceros |
| Details | 2021-02-16 Mag. 3.9 Size 20′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C Tri-band |
| Exposure(s) | 13x300s 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 |
Very poor transparency with high, thin cloud.
| Object ID | Ghosts of Cassiopeia IC 59 & IC 63 |
| Details | 2021-01-08 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C AA Tri-band filter |
| Exposure(s) | 20x600s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Very poor transparency with high, thin cloud.
| Object ID | NGC1893 Tadpoles Nebula Auriga |
| Details | 2021-01-08 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 20x240s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Problems with ice of dew somewhere, had to heavily crop this to remove rings and artefacts. Strange colouring also part of the problem. Not great!
| Object ID | NGC2264 |
| Details | 2020-12-21 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 30x180s darks, flats, dark-flats |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
The annual M42 this year is a mosaic with the Running Man. APP dealt with the gradients really well after messing with the Normalisation and Integration parameters.
| Object ID | M42, NGC 1977 |
| Details | 2020-12-19 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4. Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168c @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 10x180s each pane, 2/10 Darks, flats, dark-flats |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Reminder:
Mosaics in APP – defaults unless otherwise stated
1. Load – all as normal – you don’t need to use separate sessions for each frame if you did it all at the same time
2. Calibrate as normal
3. Analyse stars – I needed to increase from 500 or it wouldn’t work – went 1400 – might have been the subject but I suspect it helps to stitch the mosaic together
4. Register – Registration mode – mosaic, use dynamic distortion model, uncheck same camera and optics (will be suggested if you don’t)
Scale stop = 1 (for a 10% mosaic overlap)
5. Normalize – Mode – advanced – neutralize background
LNC degree – 2nd degree, iterations 3
6. Integrate – Enable MBB – 10% because I did 10% overlap in the mosaic
INTEGRATE – and if you’re lucky it all works
Testing out and configuring replacement laptop after old one got washed away in observatory leak! Took a few frames of the Running Man nebula. Topaz is great for removing noise in images with too few frames. This only had 4 frames and once stretched was very noisy. Looks great after Topaz-ing.
| Object ID | NGC1977 Running Man Nebula Orion |
| Details | 2020-12-16 23:18UT Poor seeing, guiding 0.8″ and a little windy |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC, IDAS P2 |
| Camera | QHY 168C @15°C Gain/offset 2/20 |
| Exposure(s) | 5x180s 1×1 darks, bias only – so a little vignetting, removed in processing |
| Capture | N.I.N.A. PHD2 |
| Processing | SiriL, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Done in RGB before, narrowband this time.
| Object ID | Medusa nebula PK205+14.1, Abell 21, Sharpless 2-274 |
| Details | Planetary nebula, Gemini Surface brightness about 16 20-04-13 22:06 UT -> |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-15C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s each Ha, OIII |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Never noticed this one before. Very close to the pole so easy guiding as nothing moves very much round there.
| Object ID | NGC188, Caldwell 1 Open Cluster, Cepheus Mag. 10 Size 11′ |
| Details | 2020-04-06 22:42 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 OO Newtonian |
| Camera | ATIK 460EX @-15C |
| Exposure(s) | 3x180s 1×1 TR, 2x180s 1×1 TG, TB Darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Still a work in progress. APP is great for doing these sorts of mosaics.
5000 pixel size reduced to 2000 for this.
| Object ID | NGC2244/2237 Rosette Nebula Monoceros |
| Details | 6 sessions over Jan – March 2020 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX Baader 7nm Ha filter |
| Exposure(s) | Nominally 6 x 15 x 300s but probably fewer since some will be discarded |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Been trying to do this one for a while and finally got it.
| Object ID | IC405 Flaming Star Nebula, Caldwell 31 |
| Details | Size 37’x10′, Mag. 6.0 Auriga |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s Ha and OII 2×2 darks, flats, bias mapped HOO |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Thought I’d try and get the Merope Nebula as the whole Pleiades don’t fit in my FOV. But saw a flaw beneath Merope which turned out to be another nebula.
| Object ID | IC349 Barnard’s Merope Nebula |
| Details | Size 0.5′, Mag. 13 Taurus |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 3x180s ea RGB 1×1 darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Wasn’t expecting it to be clear so this is a bonus. Only managed 5 of each colour though so quite noisy and Alnitak overpowers eveything.
| Object ID | NGC 2024 Flame Nebula |
| Details | Size 30’x30′, Mag. 10 Orion |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 5x180s ea RGB 1×1 darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
The two tadpoles are about 10 light years long and places of star formation.
| Object ID | IC410 Tadpoles |
| Details | Size 50’x50′, Mag. 7.5 Auriga |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s Ha 2×2 darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Some guiding problems so couldn’t use all subs.
| Object ID | NGC 2174 Monkey Head nebula Mag. 6.8, Size 40′ Orion |
| Details | 2019-01-31 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-20C Baader Ha, OIII, SII filters |
| Exposure(s) | 8x300s 2×2 each Darks |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop SHO colour mapping |
After a HOYS-CAPS session added narrowband. Rat’s head in there?
No more MPCC and stars are much sharper at the edges.
| Object ID | NGC 2264, Christmas Tree Cluster |
| Details | 2019-01-29 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-20C Baader Ha, OIII, SII filters |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s 2×2 each Darks |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop SHO colour mapping |
First real narrowband image. Strange reflections of the primary, secondary and spider in Ha and OIII images, as well as flats.
Mappings were OHS and HOS. SII didn’t add much to either image but object is strong in Ha and OIII.
| Object ID | B33 in IC343 |
| Details | 2019-01-13 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Guided PHD2 |
| Camera | Atik 460EX Baader Ha, OIII, SII filters |
| Exposure(s) | 15x200s 2×2 each filter 15 each of darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity and Photoshop Colour mapping: OHS: OIII, Ha, SII HOS: Ha, OIII, SII. |
A chance find, discovered on the way to finding comet 46P. Telescope was unbalanced so guiding was poor. Very noisy image so no real details. Would like to do more with this.
| Object ID | NGC 1514 Crystal Ball Nebula, Taurus |
| Details | Mag 9.43 Size 2.2′ 2018-12-04 Poor transparency |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC, IDAS P2 LPR |
| Camera | Atik 460EX Baader RGB filters |
| Exposure(s) | 5x60s 2×2 each RGB Darks |
| Capture | APT Guiding PHD2 |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
NGC 1514 is a planetary nebula that was discovered by William Herschel on November 13, 1790, describing it “A most singular phaenomenon” and forcing him to rethink his ideas on the construction of the heavens. Up until this point Herschel was convinced that all nebulae consisted of masses of stars too remote to resolve, but now here was a single star “surrounded with a faintly luminous atmosphere.” He went on to conclude “Our judgement I may venture to say, will be, that the nebulosity about the star is not of a starry nature”.
It has since been conjectured that the nebula in fact envelops a tightly orbiting double star with a period of up to 10 days. Gas is presumably expanding away from the larger star of the pair.
Wikipedia
Red channel has poor focus.
| Object ID | M42,43 and Sh2-279 |
| Details | Nebulae, Orion Mag. 4 Size 65’x60′ |
| Telescope | C80ED @ f5.6 (x0.75 reducer) |
| Camera | Atik 460EX (-15C) and SX filter wheel IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | L 10x60s 1×1, RGB 10x60s each 2×2 darks, no flats or bias |
| Capture | APT, finder guiding with PHD2 |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop and Lightroom |
Had to discard the L channel as underexposed.
| Object ID | C49 Rosette Nebula and NGC 2244 |
| Details | Nebula and Open Cluster, Monoceros Mag. 9 Size 1.3 degrees |
| Telescope | C80ED @ f5.6 (x0.75 reducer) |
| Camera | Atik 460EX (-15C) and SX filter wheel IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | RGB 10x60s each 2×2 darks, no flats or bias |
| Capture | APT, finder guiding with PHD2 |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop and Lightroom |
First for a while. Far too few subs and poor focusing. Big reflection of Alnitak too.
Processed (very harshly to get anything out of it) in Nebulosity 3, Photoshop and Lightroom. Noise reduction very heavily used!
| Object ID | NGC 2024 Flame nebula, Barnard 22 Horsehead nebula |
| Details | Nebula and Dark Nebula, Orion Mag. 2 Size 30′, 8’x6′ |
| Telescope | C80ED @ f5.6 (x0.75 reducer) |
| Camera | Atik 460EX (-15C) and SX filter wheel IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | L 2x60s 1×1, RGB 2x60s each 2×2 darks, no flats or bias |
| Capture | APT unguided |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop and Lightroom |
First image using the C80ED for a long time.
| Object ID | Caldwell 14, NGC 869 and 884 |
| Details | Open Clusters, Perseus |
| Date/Time | 2017-12-10 19:41 – 20:01 UT |
| Telescope | C80ED @ f7.5 IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 30x30s lights, 10x30s darks ISO 1600 |
| Capture | APT, unguided |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop and Lightroom |
