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 |
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 |
Still mono Ha
| Object ID | Sh2 101 |
| Details | 2022-10-12 22:04:33 -UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10°C |
| Filters | Baader 7nm Ha |
| Exposure(s) | 18 x 300s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Taken over 2 nights: 10-11/08/2022. The old CCD still does a great job of Ha imaging.
| Object ID | Cygnus Wall in NGC 7000 |
| Details | 10 – 11/08/2022 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-10°C |
| Filters | Baader Ha |
| Exposure(s) | 4 panes each 10 x 300s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Strong Moonlight interfering but an unexpected clear night so all good. Nice sharp open cluster and 7129 is a HOYS object I image a lot.
Below is a less processed image showing the Moon gradients. By processing them out you definitely lose details.
| Object ID | NGC 7142 Open Cluster NGC 7129 Cepheus |
| Details | 2021-12-16 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC IDAS D3 |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 20 x 280s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP Photoshop |
Looking for more obscure objects again. This is a young star forming region, contains masers too. Very close to the Bubble Nebula but just across the constellation boundary in Cepheus. In the Perseus arm of the Milky Way.
| Object ID | NGC 7538 |
| Details | Open Cluster and Nebula Cepheus 2021-11-24 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Tri-band |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 28x300s d,f,b |
| 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 |
A star forming region I often image for the HOYS project. Bright moonlight but narrowband keeps most of it out of the image.
| Object ID | IC5070 Pelican Nebula |
| Details | Emission nebula Cygnus 2021-11-20 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Tri-band |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 30x300s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Contains a pillar
| Object ID | Sh2-86 with cluster NGC 6823 Vulpecula |
| Details | 2021-11-03 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC Altair Astro triband filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 18x300s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
A planetary nebula with a diameter of 1 ly and about 200 ly away (Wiki says 2800 but parallax says 15.7mas ~200ly). Another William Herschel discovery. You can see the central star is still quite bright but is now a cooler white dwarf. There’s a nice double star system just top right of the nebula, although I suspect from their parallaxes (2.13 mas and 1.97 mas) it’s not a binary system. The nebula is much closer with a parallax of 15.7 so not associated with the double star.
| Object ID | NGC 7008 |
| Details | Planetary Nebula Cygnus Mag. 12 Size 1.4’x1.1′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC IDAS D3 |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 7x180s d,f,b |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Horizontal banding sorted. Camera into USB 2 not 3, and not through a USB hub.
Not very happy with the processing.
| Object ID | Sh2-155 / C9 Cave Nebula |
| Details | 2021-09-02 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian Tri-band filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 20x300s darks, flats, dark-flats |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
One I often observe for HOYS but purely for imaging this time. Some horizontal banding noise from somewhere – to be resolved.
| Object ID | IC 1396, Elephant Trunk Nebula |
| Details | 2021-08-14 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian Tri-band filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 15x300s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
First DSO for a while
| Object ID | IC 5146 Cocoon Nebula, C19 |
| Details | 2021-08-13 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian Tri-band filter |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C |
| Exposure(s) | 15x300s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Strong moonlight
| Object ID | Cave Nebula Sh2-155 Cepheus |
| Details | 2021-01-23 Mag. 10.7 Size 50’x30′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C Tri-band |
| Exposure(s) | 15x300s 2/20 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Last one was narrowband, this attempt is full colour with the CMOS camera. Also first time using NINA for capture. Looks a great tool.
Replaced image after trying demo of Topaz de-noise – excellent.
| Object ID | Cygnus Wall Tail of NGC 7000 North America Nebula |
| Details | 2020-10-24 20:38- |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-10°C 2/20 gain/offset IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 25x180s darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz De-noise |
Bringing out the all the dusty, dark material leaves me with a horrible background.
| Object ID | Iris Nebula NGC 7023 / C4 |
| Details | 2020-09-19 Mag. 6.8 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @15°C 2/20 gain/offset IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 28x180s 10/50 darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
The Iris Nebula is a bright reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus. The designation NGC 7023 refers to the open cluster within the larger reflection nebula designated LBN 487. The nebula, which shines at magnitude +6.8, is illuminated by a magnitude +7.4 star designated SAO 19158.
Wikipedia
New camera testing. Different way of working with Gain and Offset needing to be chosen and probably using more shorter exposures than the CCD.
32Mb lights instead of 10Mb for the CCD means much longer processing in APP. Couldn’t use the flats as I moved the camera between flats and lights.
| Object ID | NGC6992 Eastern Veil Nebula |
| Details | Mag. 7, Size 3° |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 OO Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168c @-15°C Gain/Offset: 10/50 (unity) No filters |
| Exposure(s) | 30x60s lights 20x darks |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Imaged areas around this a lot for HOYs but never this actual part. First time back using the MPCC without the LP filter this time to avoid internal reflections. Stars are better at 3 corners but top right still off – probably focuser alignment.
| Object ID | IC1396 Elephant’s Trunk |
| Details | 2020-08-08 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-15°C Baader Ha, OIII filters |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s each Ha, OIII Darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Just Ha possible because of twilight and moonlight
| Object ID | NGC 6888 Crescent Nebula, C27 |
| Details | 2020-05-08 22:44 UT – Mag 7.4, size 18’x12′ Cygnus |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-15C |
| Exposure(s) | 15x300s Ha 1×1 darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Because sky conditions were very poor I went back to globulars as nebulosity can easily disappear in LP and fog. APP got rid of the massive gradients and LP quite well I think.
| Object ID | M92 (NGC6341) |
| Details | Size 14′, Mag. 6.3 Hercules |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x180s ea RGB 1×1 darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Could only fit part in the FOV
| Object ID | NGC 6992/6995 Eastern Veil, Caldwell 33 |
| Details | Size 60’ x 8′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -16C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x180s ea RGB 1×1 |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop |
Part of the North America nebula – the Central America part – seems to be known as the Cygnus Wall. Can only fit a small part of this object in my FOV.
| Object ID | NGC 7000, C20 |
| Details | Mag. 4 Size: 120′ x 100′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX, Baader filters -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s ea in Ha and OIII |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop Mapped HOO and moved to the blue end |
A by-product of doing HOYS-CAPS data for V1490Cyg in Tri-colour R, decided to make a stacked image out of it. 30 subs over 6 months.
At least 4 Herbig-Haro objects imaged in this and marked out in the greyscale version.
| Object ID | IC 5070 Pelican Nebula |
| Details | Cygnus Mag. 8, 60’x50′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX |
| Exposure(s) | 30x180s R |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | DSS, Nebulosity, Photoshop |
“Herbig–Haro (HH) objects are bright patches of nebulosity associated with newborn stars. They are formed when narrow jets of partially ionized gas ejected by said stars collide with nearby clouds of gas and dust at speeds of several hundred kilometers per second. Herbig–Haro objects are ubiquitous in star-forming regions, and several are often seen around a single star, aligned with its rotational axis. Most of them lie within about one parsec (3.26 light-years) of the source, although some have been observed several parsecs away. HH objects are transient phenomena that last around a few tens of thousands of years. They can change visibly over quite short timescales of a few years as they move rapidly away from their parent star into the gas clouds of interstellar space (the interstellar medium or ISM). Hubble Space Telescope observations have revealed the complex evolution of HH objects over the period of a few years, as parts of the nebula fade while others brighten as they collide with the clumpy material of the interstellar medium.”
Wikipedia
Sh2-155 is a diffuse nebula in the constellation Cepheus, within a larger nebula complex containing emission, reflection, and dark nebulosity. It is widely known as the Cave Nebula. Sh2 designation because it’s part of the Sharpless Catalog (1959) of 312 HII regions. About 2400 light years from Earth and a stellar nursery.
Narrowband filters really do cut through the murky, light polluted skies of Edinburgh so well. Obviously false colour, has to be for narrowband, but can’t decide which is the best so two different tone mappings: SII Ha OIII -> RGB and Ha OIII SII
| Object ID | Cave Nebula Sh2-155 / C9 |
| Details | Cepheus Mag. 7.7, 50′ x 30′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX |
| Exposure(s) | 10 x 180s each Ha OIII SII 2×2 |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | DSS, Nebulosity, Photoshop |
Been meaning to do this one for ages. Not easy because the background gas and dust can be easily lost in the light pollution and noise.
“The Iris Nebula, also known as NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4, is a bright reflection nebula and Caldwell object in the constellation Cepheus. NGC 7023 is actually the cluster within the nebula, LBN 487, and the nebula is lit by a magnitude +6.8 star, SAO 19158.”
Wikipedia
| Object ID | Iris Nebula NGC 7023 / C4 |
| Details | Cepheus Mag. 6.8, 18′ x 18′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX |
| Exposure(s) | 10 x 180s each RGB 1×1 |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
