Forthimage – 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 currently President and Webmaster of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh and some of my pictures are displayed on their Flickr page. I also contribute data to the HOYS citizen science project, ExoClock and the BAA Mars section.
Mark Phillips
Recent posts
M51 Whirlpool Galaxy
Didn’t expect to get too much out of this because of the high wispy cloud and only got 9 subs, but not too bad.
| Object ID | M51 Canes Venatici |
| Details | Mag. 8.4 Size 11.2′ x 6.9′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 29x180s 10/50 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise AI |
Sun 2021-03-17AR2810
Quick single shot
| Object ID | Sun AR2810 |
| Details | 2021-03-17 12:07:27 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian Stopped down to 180mm (because of solar filter) Baader Solar Film Also still had IDAS P2 |
| Camera | QHY168C |
| Exposure(s) | 0.002s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | SiriL (demosaic and FITS -> TIF) Photoshop |
Sun 2021-02-26 AR2804
Quick single shot
| Object ID | Sun AR2804 |
| Details | 2021-02-26 11:27:39 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian Stopped down to 180mm (because of solar filter) Baader Solar Film Also still had IDAS P2 |
| Camera | QHY168C |
| Exposure(s) | 0.006s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | Nebulosity (demosaic and FITS -> TIF) Photoshop |
M95, M96
| Object ID | M95, M96 Leo |
| Details | 2021-02-14 Mag. 11.4 // 10.1 Size 3.1’x2.9′ // 7.6’x5.2′ |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C IDAS P2 |
| Exposure(s) | 15x240ss 2/20 gain/offset darks, flats, bias |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | APP, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
KELT-2Ab
First results using CMOS camera. Was an ExoClock ALERT.
A difficult and very large dataset (33 Gb). Results are inconclusive and need verification.
Helped debug HOPS v3.0 during the process.
| Object ID | KELT-2Ab |
| Details | Predicted: Rp/Rs 0.0722 ± 0.0018 DepthR 6.86 mmag Duration 5.18 hours |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC |
| Camera | QHY168C @-15°C Clear |
| Exposure(s) | 1176 x 17s |
| Capture | NINA |
| Processing | HOPS 3.0 |
Cone Nebula, Chrsitmas Tree Cluster NGC2264
| 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 |
M1 Crab Nebula tri-band
| Object ID | M1 Taurus |
| Details | 2021-02-16 Mag. 8.4 Size 420″x290″ |
| 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 |
NGC 3628 Hamburger Galaxy
| 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 |
M42 Ha with Telescope Live in Chile CHI-1
Free trial of Telescope Live using one-click imaging (basically piggybacking onto other observations). It’s really not the same as doing it yourself, with your own equipment, from you own garden, with all the challenges. But when the weather is dire – it’s fun! Advanced, full control of the telescopes costs A LOT more. though!
| Object ID | M42 Orion Nebula |
| Details | 2021-02-08 |
| Telescope | Planewave CDK24 https://help.telescope.live/hc/en-us/articles/360002557197-CHI-1-60cm-F6-5-Reflector Aperture: 610 mm (24 inches) Focal Length: 3962 mm F-ratio: 6.5 Mount: Mathis MI-1000/1250 |
| Camera | Model: FLI PL 9000 Pixel Size: 12 μm Pixel Array: 3056 x 3056 Pixel Resolution: 0.62 arcsec/pixel Cooling: -25 degrees |
| Exposure(s) | 6x30s Ha Calibrated |
| Capture | TelescopeLive |
| Processing | SiriL, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise AI |
Cave Nebula Sh2-155
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 |
M52 & Bubble Nebula
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 |
Moon features 2021-01-22
Several areas taken during daytime.
| Object ID | Moon Clavius sunrise Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, Arzachel, Albategnius Copernicus, Eratosthenes Plato, Alpine Valley |
| Details | 2020-01-22 14:00+UT 65.9% illuminated, 9.38 days |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian |
| Camera | ZWO ASI290MC |
| Exposure(s) | 120fps 90s .ser videos |
| Capture | FireCapture |
| Processing | AutoStakkert 3, Registax, Photoshop |
Sun 2021-01-22
Getting higher, still not totally over the dome lip yet.
| Object ID | Sun AR2797, AR2798 |
| Details | 2020-01-22 10:31 UT |
| Telescope | 250mm f4.8 Newtonian, MPCC Baader solar film |
| Camera | QHY168C |
| Exposure(s) | 0.5 ms single shot 60s 45fps avi |
| Capture | SharpCap |
| Processing | AutoStakkert 3, Registax, Photoshop |
NGC 1579 Northern Triffid
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 |