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 and webmaster of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh and some of my pictures are displayed on their Flickr page.
Mark
Recent posts
M51 with synth G
Green channel was very noisy with horrible LP gradients in it so synthesised G from R + B. Still noisy though.
| Object ID | M51 Whirlpool Galaxy |
| Details | Red channel 2020-02-15 Blue channel 2020-02-18 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 OO Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX@15C Baader RGB |
| Exposure(s) | 15x180s ea RB darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | SIRIL (first time) Photoshop |
WASP-104b
Submitted to ExoClock project.
| Object ID | WASP-104b ExoPlanet, Leo |
| Details | 2020-02-06 22:11:27 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 OO Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-15C |
| Exposure(s) | 237x50s 2×2 TR |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | HOlomon Photmetric software |
This fitting uses points with less scatter and is clearer to see.
Vesta occultation of HIP 14439
Well I didn’t manage the occultation because of really bad weather – very windy and sleet blowing into the dome and telescope tube.
Got an image just before occultation.
2020-02-11 21:45:13
2s exposure 1×1 TR filter
Heart of the Rosette NGC2244
Data taken for the HOYS project of NGC2244 in Hydrogen-Alpha. This was taken in strong moonlight but Ha images are much less affected. RGB was a non-starter with the Moon so strong.
| Object ID | NGC2244 Rosette Nebula HOYS 008 |
| Details | 2020-02-04 22:48:47 – 23:36:01 |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @15C |
| Exposure(s) | 10x300s Baader Ha bin 1×1, darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
Exoplanet observation by imagination
How do you observe Exoplanets when it’s cloudy? By imagination. I’m not an artist but I can use Photoshop, so here’s an Exoplanet “observation” by imagination. Just a bit of fun – and really not to scale – that would be boring!
FORTH-1b is the one closest to the star, far too hot for water and life, but FORTH-1c is in the Goldilocks zone, is about 1.2 times the Earth’s diameter and has a satellite. There are 2 gas giants further out.
WASP-36b
Second observation submitted to ExoClock project. Not such good data
| Object ID | WASP-36b ExoPlanet, Hydra |
| Details | 2020-01-18 21:56:26 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 OO Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-15C |
| Exposure(s) | 58x180s 2×2 TR |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | HOlomon Photmetric software |
Supernova SN 2020ue in NGC 4636
| Object ID | SN 2020ue NGC 4636 |
| Details | 2020-01-19 01:12:57 UT Muniwin gives mag. as 12.56 RA = 12 42 47 DEC = +2 39 35 FWHM = 2.77 pxl Sky = 1708.31 ADU Sky dev. = 50.19 ADU Net intensity = 94384.6 ADU Noise = 271.5 ADU S/N ratio = -25.4 dB Brightness = 12.5627 mag Error = 0.0031 mag |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 OO Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-15C |
| Exposure(s) | 5x120s 2×2 TR |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Muniwin |
WASP-43b
First observation submitted to ExoClock project.
| Object ID | WASP-43b ExoPlanet, Sextans |
| Details | 2020-01-18 00:10:30 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 OO Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX @-15C |
| Exposure(s) | 62x120s 2×2 TR |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | HOlomon Photmetric software |
Named in latest HOYS paper
Have been contributing to the HOYS (formerly known as HOYS-CAPS) project and they’ve just published a paper on V1490Cyg. I’m named along with the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh.
Exoplanet X0-2 b
Second attempt at an exoplanet. Dips in light curve caused by a moving dark patch in light train – possibly dust or condensation. Would be better data if not for that. Also target is over-saturated again.
| Object ID | Qatar-1 b |
| Details | 2019-12-30 20:58:17 – 00:32:05 UT Lynx RA (J2000): 07 48 07, DE (J2000): +50 13 33, V = 11.18 mag, dV = 0.0124 mag, duration = 162 minutes |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 216x50s TR 2×2 (probably oversaturated) darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, AstroImageJ Exoplanet Transit Database http://var2.astro.cz/ETD/etd.php?STARNAME=XO-2&PLANET=b |
| JD mid: | |
| HJD mid: | (helcor = 0.00491) |
| Duration: | minutes |
| Depth: | mag |
Qatar-1 b First Exoplanet
Been on my list to detect exoplanets for ages and finally got around to doing it. The data is messy and needs to be improved but it does fit the transit. Target star is over-saturated so never going to be good.
Top line shows curve before detrending – probably due to airmass changes. Quite serious clarity variations during session.
| Object ID | Qatar-1 b |
| Details | Draconis 2019-12-13 18:56:34 – 20:54:59 UT RA (J2000): 20 13 32, DE (J2000): +65 09 43 , V = 12.84 mag, dV = 0.0204 mag, duration = 96.7 minutes |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | Atik 460EX -15C |
| Exposure(s) | 58x120s TR 2×2 (probably oversaturated) darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity, AstroImageJ Exoplanet Transit Database http://var2.astro.cz/ETD/predict_detail.php?STARNAME=Qatar-1&PLANET=b&PER=&M= |
| JD mid: | |
| HJD mid: | (helcor = 0.00041) |
| Duration: | minutes |
| Depth: | mag |
M1 Crab Nebula HOO
First time for this one in narrowband, just Ha and OIII
| Object ID | M1 Crab Nebula, supernova remnant |
| Details | Size 420″ x 290″, Mag. 8.4 Taurus |
| 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 |
IC405 Flaming Star Nebula HOO
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 |
IC349 Barnard’s Merope Nebula
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 |
NGC 2024 Flame Nebula RGB
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 |
M92 RGB
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 |
IC410 Tadpoles in Hydrogen Alpha
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 |
Fish head nebula (IC1795)
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 |
M42 from 2012 reprocessed
Decided to reprocess this M42 from 2012 with AstroPixel Processor. It does have some good tools but I suspect my processing skills have got a little better too.
NGC 6992/6995 Eastern Veil (C33)
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 |