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 of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh and some of my pictures are displayed on their Flickr page.
Mark
Recent posts
Jupiter 2018-06-06
Pretty low down but Ok seeing
| Object ID | Jupiter |
| Details | 2018-06-06 21:19 UT |
| Telescope | 180mm Mak-Cass at f15 |
| Camera | DBK 21AU618.as UV/IR filter |
| Exposure(s) | 90s AVI at 60fps |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AutoStakkert, RegiStax and Lightroom |
Noctilucent Clouds
First sighting this year and one of the very earliest to appear on Twitter.
Venus at the bottom with Castor and Pollux above. ß Aurigae (Menkalinan) to the upper right.
| Object ID | Noctilucent Clouds |
| Details | 2018-06-01 22:52 UT, 22:53 UT |
| Telescope | Kit lens 27mm at f4 Fixed tripod |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | ISO 400 1.6s |
| Capture | In Camera |
| Processing | Lightroom |
Observatory build
Old observatory going away, new observatory with Pulsar 2.2m short height dome going up on new wooden walls. The whole thing will sit on top of the remnants of walls from an old WWII air raid shelter. Watch this space…
The old run-off roof one lasted about 10 years without any signs of moving in some very strong winds (the previous 2 had roofs blow off into the field!). It did however leak pretty badly at the corners.
Lunar First Light for new observatory
A quick First Light in broad daylight of the Moon through the Mak.
| Object ID | Moon |
| Details | 2018-05-23 18:52UT 8.34 days 68.3% |
| Telescope | 180mm Maksutov at f15 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | ISO 100, 1/100s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Processed in Lightroom |
3 Crescent Moons in a row
3 days from New Moon in a row.
| Object ID | New Moon |
| Details | 2018-05-16 20:39UT 1.41 days 2.8% 2018-05-17 20:53UT 2.42 days 8.1% 2018-05-18 21.13UT 3.43 days 15.9% |
| Telescope | C80ED at f7.5 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 1/60s, 1/100s, 1/50s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Processed in Lightroom |
Moon 1.41d 2.8pc illumination
The youngest Moon I have ever seen or imaged. Just 5 degrees above the horizon.
| Object ID | Moon |
| Details | 1.41 days 2.8% illumination 5 degrees altitude 2018-05-16 20:39 UT |
| Telescope | C80ED at f7.5 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 1/60s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Processed in Lightroom |
Three Moon shots
Various Moon shots over the past few months. With my equipment dismantled for the observatory rebuild, this all I can do for now. Still fun though.
| Object ID | Moon |
| Details | 3,26 days, 4.76 days, 8.35 days |
| Telescope | C80ED at f7.5 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 1/60s, 1/250s, 1/200s |
| Capture | In camera |
| Processing | Process in Lightroom |
Testing RC8 and 460EX on Mizar and Alcor
Just for test purposes but quite fun. Focus not spot on though.
| Object ID | Mizar and Alcor |
| Details | Double star(s) Ursa Major |
| Telescope | RC8 at f/8 |
| Camera | Atik 460EX (-15C) and SX filter wheel IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | RGB 6x10s each 2×2 darks, no flats or bias |
| Capture | APT, no guiding |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop |
Orion and Running Man nebulae
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 |
Rosette Nebula C49 and NGC 2244
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 |
Horsehead, Flame and Alnitak
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 |
Jupiter and Mars conjunction 2018-01-7
A very close conjunction.
| Object ID | Jupiter and Mars in conjunction |
| Details | A very close conjunction, less than 14′ between the two planets. Poor seeing and very low altitude <15degrees |
| Date/Time | 2018-01-7 05:47UT, Inset 06:03UT |
| Telescope | C80ED @ f7.5 |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 30s, inset 0.6s no darks, flats or bias |
| Capture | APT unguided |
| Processing | Processed in Photoshop |
M45 Pleiades
A new combination tonight.
| Object ID | M45, Pleiades |
| Details | Open Cluster, Taurus Mag. 1.6, Size 110′ |
| 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 unguided |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop |
Double Cluster in Perseus NGC 869 and 884
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 |
December 3 Supermoon
Not so different really 8.5% bigger in diameter.
C80ED f7.5 600D
100% and 99.9%
Supermoon rise
2017-12-03
C80ED f7.5 Canon 600D
Processed in Lightroom
Stargazing at East Fortune
What an amazing evening of stargazing we had on Saturday 18 Nov 2017 at the Museum of Flight for the #AstronomyDay! Here are some quick shots taken through the piggybacked telescope (80mm refractor) while visitors were viewing through the main telescope (200mm RC). Some were actually taken by the visitors.
All are single images, quick process, 20-30s unguided exposures using a Canon 600D at ISO 3200.
M57 (NGC 6720)
Another attempt at this object. Not been back to this for years.
Trying a new style of “data card” below:
| Object ID | M57 (NGC 6720) Ring Nebula |
| Details | Planetary Nebula, Lyra Mag 8.8, Size 1.4’x1.0′ |
| Date/Time | 2017-10-22 |
| Telescope | 200mm f8 RC |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D, IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | L 30x60s Darks ISO800 |
| Capture | APT, piggyback guiding with 70mm f/7 refractor |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop and Lightroom |
Astronomy Weekend 18-19 November 2017
Astronomy Weekend
Planetarium shows, virtual reality, solar observing and more
Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 November
Daytime activities 10:00–16:00
Stargazing 17:00–20:00
(weather dependent, booking required)
Free with museum admission
East Fortune Airfield
East Lothian EH39 5LF
www.nms.ac.uk/flight
Triton occultation event
Tonight at approx. 23:51 UT Neptune’s largest moon Triton will occult the 12th-magnitude star UCAC4 410-143659.
I need a bigger lightbucket with better resolution I think. This probably shows to the star to be occulted but Triton itself is hidden in the glare (just faintly vissible) of Neptune, overexposed to show up the star.
Caught some space junk while waiting too.
