Our Beautiful Universe - Photos and Videos

[timmdeeg]

Eastern Veil Nebula (Caldwell 34), pulled from my back patio, Aug-Sept 2024. If you ignore the "tail" and concentrate on the "Head" of the Eastern Veil Nebula, that smaller section is sometimes called the "Bat Nebula"* (NGC 6995; upper, and slightly to the left in the image). I posted an image of the Bat Nebula a couple of years ago using a different setup. The image here is a larger field of view showing the whole Eastern Veil Nebula.

*(Not to be confused with the Flying Bat Nebula [Sh 2-129] or the Cosmic Bat Nebula [LDN 43]. Those are different nebulae.)

The Eastern Veil Nebula is part of an even larger structure (not shown in its entirety in the image) called The Cygnus Loop (Sharpless 103).

View attachment 353349

Equipment:
Explore Scientific 80ED-FCD100
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Orion Field Flattener for Short Refractors
Off-axis guider (OAG) with guide camera
Baader 3.5/4nm Ultra-Narrowband filter set
ZWO ASI2600MM-Pro main camera

Software:
N.I.N.A.
PHD2 guiding
PixInsight with RC-Astro plugins

Acquisition/Integration:
Location: San Diego, USA
Bortle class 7 (maybe 8 ) skies
All subframes binned 1x1
Stacked using the drizzle algorithm
SHO mapping
SII: 80×480s = 10.67 hrs
Hα: 91×480s = 12.13 hrs
Oiii: 87×480s = 11.60 hrs
Total integration time: 34.40 hours.

Your Eastern Veil nebula with such rich details and faint nebula outside is really amazing! It's long exposure but its surprising that this is possible at all with bortle class 7/8.

Here for comparison the Eastern Veil nebula with total integration time 1h 27'. There are not even traces of such faint details your image shows.

SQM 20, bortle class 4/5

Date: Sept. 2022
Location: Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, Germany
TS-Optics UNC 200 mm f/4 Newton-Teleskop
Skywatcher HEQ-5 Pro SynScan GoTo
Guiding: StarAid Revolution B
Kamera: Sony A7III modifiziert
GPU 2" Newton Koma Korrektor
Filter: Optolong L-Enhance

 

[collinsmark]

Your Eastern Veil nebula with such rich details and faint nebula outside is really amazing! It's long exposure but its surprising that this is possible at all with bortle class 7/8.

Here for comparison the Eastern Veil nebula with total integration time 1h 27'. There are not even traces of such faint details your image shows.

SQM 20, bortle class 4/5
View attachment 353456
Date: Sept. 2022
Location: Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, Germany
TS-Optics UNC 200 mm f/4 Newton-Teleskop
Skywatcher HEQ-5 Pro SynScan GoTo
Guiding: StarAid Revolution B
Kamera: Sony A7III modifiziert
GPU 2" Newton Koma Korrektor
Filter: Optolong L-Enhance

Thanks! Your image is great too!

My image was shot using narrowband filters and a monochrome camera. The mount (Sky Watcher EQ6-R Pro) is quite stable with excellent tracking, and the guiding was done using an off-axis guider (good resolution in guiding, and minimal differential flexture between the main camera and guide camera).

The use of narrowband filters (with the monochrome camera) is the real key here. As long as the tracking and guiding are sufficient to allow exposures that are long enough to reduce the impact of read noise, the resulting signal to noise ratio can be quite impressive, even in moderately light-polluted locations. [Edit: and further increases to the S/N can be obtained @ Central Limit Theorem, with the 30 hours of integration.]

 

[timmdeeg]

Thanks for your explanation! I started Astrofotografie 2 1/2 years ago and learning seems never ending.

 

[collinsmark]

Hercules Galaxy Cluster* (Abell 2151) captured from my back patio, April-Sept, 2024. The cluster can be observed in the constellation Hercules (hence its name).

*(Not to be confused with The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules [M13], that's a different cluster. And also that's a completely different type of cluster altogether. Both can be seen in the constellation Hercules, though.)

Most of the sharp, bright dots are stars are within our own Milky Way galaxy. The objects behind those stars -- the fuzzy blobs, spirals, and weird shapes -- are actually whole galaxies that lie hundreds of millions of light-years away.

Equipment:
Celestron C14 EdgeHD telescope
SkyWatcher EQ8-R Pro mount
Celestron 0.7x Focal reducer (for C14 EdgeHD)
Off-axis guider (OAG) with guide camera
Baader LRGB filter set
Antlia Hα filter
ZWO ASI6200MM-Pro Main Camera

Software:
N.I.N.A.
PHD2 Guiding
PixInsight with RC-Astro Plugins

Acquisition/Integration:
Location: San Diego, USA
Bortle Class 7 (maybe 8 ) skies
All subframes binned 2×2
Stacked using drizzle algorithm
L: 580×60 sec = 9.33 hrs
R: 135×60 sec + 87x120 sec = 5.15 hrs
G: 172×120 sec = 5.73 hrs
B: 169×120 sec = 5.63 hrs
Hα: 84×600 sec = 14.00 hrs
Total integration time: 39.85 hours

 

[.Scott]

An article on Blaze start T Crb: Space.com
In a nut shell: Any month now - no telling when.

 

[timmdeeg]

I have been quite excited when I saw ARP 273 for the first time, what an admirable beauty! This pair of interacting galaxies is about 340 Millions light years away from us in the constellation of Andromeda.

More details from Wikipedia:

The larger of the spiral galaxies, known as UGC 1810, is about five times more massive than the smaller galaxy.[6] It has a disc that is tidally distorted into a rose-like shape by the gravitational pull of the companion galaxy below it, known as UGC 1813. The smaller galaxy shows distinct signs of active star formation at its nucleus,[7] and "it is thought that the smaller galaxy has actually passed through the larger

Unfortunately I could capture only about 3 1/2 hours due to a problem after doing meridian flip.


Aufgenommen am 29.11.2024 in Wachenheim, SQM lag bei 20,2, Temperatur 5° C.

UNC 200 Newton auf HEQ-5
Kamera Sony A7III modifiziert
41x300 - ISO 640, ges. 3h 25'
Feldradius 0,35°
Siril/Starnet - Fitswork - LightZone

 

[collinsmark]

The Lion Nebula (Sh2-132, Sharpless 132, LBN 473) tamed from my back patio, Sept-Oct, 2024. Sh2-132 is an emission nebula found in the constellation Cepheus.

Although it's commonly known as the Lion Nebula, I privately call it the Mittens Nebula, based on my neighbor's cat, Mr. Mittens, who, during acquisition and processing of the nebula's image, stopped over occasionally, presumably to keep tabs on the photography and astrophotography status.

Equipment:
Explore Scientific 80ED-FCD100
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Orion Field Flattener for Short Refractors
Off-axis guider (OAG) with guide camera
Baader 3.5/4nm Ultra-Narrowband filter set
ZWO ASI2600MM-Pro main camera

Software:
N.I.N.A.
PHD2 guiding
PixInsight with RC-Astro plugins

Acquisition/Integration:
Location: San Diego, USA
Bortle class 7 (maybe 8 ) skies
All subframes binned 1x1
Stacked using the drizzle algorithm
SHO mapping
SII: 91×480s = 12.13 hrs
Hα: 99×480s = 13.20 hrs
Oiii: 82×480s = 10.93 hrs
Total integration time: 36.27 hours.

 

[Andy Resnick]

I was hoping for more clear nights, here's M31:

Deets: Nikon D810 + 800/5.6 @ f/8 on Losmandy GM-8, 10s subs and 19.6 hrs total integration time. Stacking and post-processing with AstroPixel Processor. At 800mm focal length, M31 barely fits in the field of view: the cluster [JSD2015] AP 522 is at the extreme lower left corner and HII region BA 1-379 in the extreme upper right corner.

 

[collinsmark]

The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) Eyed from my back patio, Aug-Sept, 2024. NGC 7293 is a planetary nebula (nothing actually to do with planets though) in the constellation Aquarius.

This is image is made from all new data and new equipment compared to the one I took about three years ago. The equipment was replaced bit by bit over the years, in a Theseus's Ship sort of way. So I figured it was time to revisit the Helix Nebula. I also hope my image processing skills have improved a little since then.

Equipment:
Celestron C14 EdgeHD telescope
SkyWatcher EQ8-R Pro mount
Celestron 0.7x Focal reducer (for C14 EdgeHD)
Off-axis guider (OAG) with guide camera
Antlia 3nm Narrowband (SII, Hα, Oiii) filter set
ZWO ASI6200MM-Pro Main Camera

Software:
N.I.N.A.
PHD2 Guiding
PixInsight with RC-Astro Plugins

Acquisition/Integration:
Location: San Diego, USA
Bortle Class 7 (maybe 8 ) skies
All subframes binned 2×2
Stacked using drizzle algorithm
SHO+HOO combo mapping
SII: 65×600 sec = 10.83 hrs
Hα: 80×600 sec = 13.33 hrs
Oiii: 68×600 sec = 11.33 hrs
Total integration time: 35.50 hours
.

 

[pinball1970]

The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) Eyed from my back patio, Aug-Sept, 2024. NGC 7293 is a planetary nebula (nothing actually to do with planets though) in the constellation Aquarius.

View attachment 354697

This is image is made from all new data and new equipment compared to the one I took about three years ago. The equipment was replaced bit by bit over the years, in a Theseus's Ship sort of way. So I figured it was time to revisit the Helix Nebula. I also hope my image processing skills have improved a little since then.

Equipment:
Celestron C14 EdgeHD telescope
SkyWatcher EQ8-R Pro mount
Celestron 0.7x Focal reducer (for C14 EdgeHD)
Off-axis guider (OAG) with guide camera
Antlia 3nm Narrowband (SII, Hα, Oiii) filter set
ZWO ASI6200MM-Pro Main Camera

Software:
N.I.N.A.
PHD2 Guiding
PixInsight with RC-Astro Plugins

Acquisition/Integration:
Location: San Diego, USA
Bortle Class 7 (maybe 8 ) skies
All subframes binned 2×2
Stacked using drizzle algorithm
SHO+HOO combo mapping
SII: 65×600 sec = 10.83 hrs
Hα: 80×600 sec = 13.33 hrs
Oiii: 68×600 sec = 11.33 hrs
Total integration time: 35.50 hours
.

Wow. Move over Hubble! This is Messier 57, ring Nebula with similar features and colour palette.