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MikeODay

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  1. MikeODay
    Thanks Mark for the head's up about the book - I'll see if I can find it online and not too expensive.
  2. MikeODay
    The Discovery of the Sculptor Galaxy by Miss Caroline Herschel in 1783 On the 23rd of September 1783, sitting before her telescope in the field behind the house she shared with her brother William in Datchet near Slough in the south of England, Miss Caroline Herschel "swept" the sky searching for new comets and never before seen star clusters and nebulae. On this occasion, way down in the sky, not far above the Southern horizon, Miss Herschel saw and noted down a very bright and large nebula where one had never before been recorded and that was later recognised by her brother, Sir William, as the discovery by Caroline Herschel of the nebula he listed in his catalogue as H V.1. ( circ. 1825-33, Sir John Herschel, beloved nephew of Miss Caroline Herschel ) Today we know this 'nebula' to be, not as some thought then, a swirling mass of stars and gases within our own galaxy, but rather, a galaxy not unlike our own but way more distant than the outer reaches of of own Milkyway galaxy. Given various names, Silver Dollar Galaxy, Sliver Coin Galaxy or simply by its number in the New General Catalogue, NGC 253, it is most commonly called the Sculptor Galaxy and we owe its discovery to the first female professional astronomer. Caroline Herschel ( 1750 - 1848 ) ... ( link ) ( 1782 - 1783 ) ... ... ... H V.1 Observed ( by WH ): 30 Oct 1784 128 minutes, 17 seconds following and 1 degree, 39 minutes north of referenced star Description: - cB: "confidently bright" - mE: "much extended: - sp: "south preceding" - nf: "north following" -mbF: "much brighter middle" - size: 50' x 7 or 8' from: ( link ) ............................... The location reference to H V.1 ( NGC 253 ) in William Hershel's catalogue is in relation to a star found in Flamsteed's Catalogue, 18 Pis. Aust., which is #18 in Piscis Austrainus or Epsilon PsA, the 4th magnitude star HD214748 ( HIP111954 ) ( source ) ( Plate from "Atlas Coelestis" by John Flamsteed, 1646-1719 ) ------------------------------------- William Herschel found favour with the King and was granted a position as Royal Astronomer to George III in 1782. Shortly after, William and Caroline moved from Bath to Datchet ( near Windsor ) and took up residency in a rented house which, whilst somewhat delapadated and damp, had ample accommodation and fields for William to construct and deploy the large telescopes he wished to build. It was in these grounds that Caroline set up her "Sweeper" to look for comets and doing so also discovered a number of 'nebulae' including ( in 1783 ) what was later to become known as the Sculptor Galaxy. ( The Herschel house at Datchet near Windsor ) ( The Lawn, Horton Road, Slough ( Datchet ) - Google Maps ) ............. Caroline Herschel's "Sweeper" was a 27" focal length Newtonian telescope that was supported in a kind of altitude-azimuth mount consisting of a rotating table and a small gantry and pulley system that was used to effect altitude adjustments by sliding the tube up and down against a board used to provide stability. There has been some conjecture as to the exact details of the construction, however the image below, even if perhaps not the actual instrument, gives an indication of the overal design philosophy. Late in her life Caroline Herschel recorded details of her telescope in a booklet titled "My little Newtonian sweeper": In her memoir, Caroline Herschel describes the performance of her observations as the conducting of "horizontal sweeps"; from which one might assume the task consisted of setting the altitude in accordance with the plan for the night's observing and then slowing rotating the top of the table in azimuth as one observed and noted down the objects that passed across the view in the eyepiece. However, with the arrival of this new "telescopic sweeper" in the middle of 1783, Caroline Herschel added the new method of sweeping in the vertical, as noted below in an extract from her observing book ( source for both extracts: "Caroline Herschel as observer", Michael Hoskin, Journal for the History of Astronomy, 2005 ) .... The achievement of her discovery of the 'nebula' in the Sculptor constellation was remarkable in so many ways; not the least of which being the low path in the sky that the Sculptor galaxy follows when observed from Datchet in southern England - which on the night of her observation would not have exceeded 12 degrees or so above the horizon. Today, 234 years later, and blessed with 21st century luxuries and conveniences, I write on my IPAD and flip over to my planetarium application, SkySafari, and model the sky as it was seen by Caroline Herschel from near her house on the 23rd of September, 1783 ... ( SkySafari by Simulation Curriculum )
  3. MikeODay

    Finally a couple of good nights :hello2:

    - no moon - tick
    - no clouds - tick
    - no smoke from hazard reduction fires - tick
    - low humidity - tick
    - light breeze - tick
    - good seeing - tick
    - no guiding gremlins - tick

    Initial imaging results look promising from the couple of short sessions I managed on NGC253 ( Sculptor Galaxy ) and NGC6744

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. orion25

      orion25

      It's beautiful and it's going to be awesome after processing. I can't wait!

      Reggie

    3. MikeODay

      MikeODay

      Cheers Reggie.

    4. MikeODay

      MikeODay

      Not sure of the plan for this weekend yet; the forecast is for it to be clear so I may manage to get some more data ( so far for the Sculptor Galaxy I have around 200 x 240 sec subs + 70 and so shorter subs for the highlights ).  On the other hand, if it turns bad then I will just go ahead and process what I have.
       

  4. MikeODay
    NGC 104 ( also known as 47 Tucanae ) and NGC 121 in the constellation Tucana ( Please click/tap on image to enlarge page ) ------------ Link to image on Flickr
  5. MikeODay
    Ptolemy's Cluster in the constellation Scorpio ( Messier 7, NGC 6475 ) ( Please click/tap on image to enlarge page ) ------------ Link to image on Flickr
  6. MikeODay
    Spiral Galaxy NGC 6744 in the constellation Pavo ( Please click/tap on image to enlarge page ) ------------ Link to image on Flickr
  7. MikeODay
    War and Peace in Scorpius ( NGC 6357 ) ( Please click/tap on image to enlarge page ) ------------ Link to image on Flickr
  8. MikeODay
    The Fighting Dragons of Ara ( NGC 6188 ) ( Please click/tap on image to enlarge page ) ------------ Link to image on Flickr
  9. MikeODay
    The Lagoon Nebula ( Messier 8, NGC 6523 ) in the constellation Sagittarius ( Please click/tap on image to enlarge page ) ------------ Link to image on Flickr
  10. MikeODay
    A blog by Mike O'Day ----------------- When I show my astrophotography images to my friends and family they invariably want to know what they are looking at. This led me to wonder if there was a way I could display my images on a single page together with a few notes on the target object as well as few technical details of the capture for those who might be interested. What I came up with a "scrapbook" like page that combines all of these three elements in a single PDF sheet ( or jpeg image) that ultimately I might combine together to form a PDF book that I can share online or send to friends and family. In the meantime, I thought I might create this blog to share each page of my work-in-progress towards volume 1 of my Astrophotography Scrapbook. Any and all comments, observations, suggestions and constructive criticisms will be warmly received. ----------------- ----------------- Higher resolution versions of the images in the scrapbook can be found in following galleries Mike's Images or flickr.com/photos/mike-oday 500px.com/MikeODay photo.net/photos/MikeODay
  11. MikeODay
    Tarantula Nebula ( NGC 2070 ) - Orion Optics CT12, Nikon D5300 unmodified The Great Orion Nebula ( Messier 42 ) - Skywatcher Quattro 10", Nikon D5300 unmodified The Wishing Well Cluster ( NGC 3532 ) - Skywatcher Quattro 10", Nikon D5300 unmodified The Silver Coin Galaxy in Sculptor ( NGC 253 ) - Skywatcher Quattro 10", Nikon D5300 unmodified
  12. MikeODay
    Rosette Nebula ( NGC 2237 ) The Jewel Box ( NGC 4755 )
  13. MikeODay
    Lagoon Nebula ( Messier 8 ) Bright Nebula in Ara ( NGC 6188 )
  14. MikeODay

    Mike's Images

    Images added to a gallery album owned by MikeODay in Member's Album

    DSO Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4, Baader MPCC mk3 Coma Corrector Skywatcher AZ EQ6 GT Mount Orion auto guider on Orion 80mm f5 guide-scope Nikon D300 unmodified
  15. MikeODay
    Bright Nebula in Ara ( NGC 6188 ) source: 500px.com/mikeoday

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Bright Nebula NGC 6188 and open cluster NGC 6193 in Ara by Mike O'Day Magnitude +5.19, RA 16h 41m 42s, Dec -48deg 48' 46" Approx. 3800 light years away Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount (on concrete pier) Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. UHC-S - 32 x 180 sec ISO800 (14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on). Pixinsight and photoshop 7 July 15 (processed 29 August 15) source: photo.net/photos/MikeODay 500px.com/mikeoday

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  16. MikeODay
    Cat's Paw Nebula - NGC 6334

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Cat's Paw Nebula - NGC 6334 ( aka Bear Claw Nebula ) An emission nebula in Scorpius (near the scorpion's tail) RA 17h 25m 39.6s ; Dec -35deg 43' 48" . 7th August 2015. Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. ISO800, 14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on. 28 x 200sec (starting at zenith) no moon, 3deg C, 70%RH, moderate LP. PixInsight

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  17. MikeODay
    Bright nebula in Scorpius - NGC 6357

    From the album: Mike's Images

    NGC 6357 in Scorpius Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. UHC-S - 100 x 100 sec ISO800 (14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on). Pixinsight and photoshop

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  18. MikeODay
    Blue Moon - 31 July 2015

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Blue Moon - 31st July 2015 Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian ("full moon" dust cap in place). Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). ISO200, 14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR off. 487 sub exposures @ 1/50th Subs taken over 45min period covering Full Moon @ 10:42 UT (8.42pm local time). Processed using Registax and Photoshop

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  19. MikeODay
    Alnitak on Orion's Belt with the Flame and Horsehead nebulae

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Orion's Belt - centered on "Alnitak", a 1.7 magnitute tripple star at one end of the belt. Includes the Flame Nebula (NGC2024) and IC434 which contains the Horsehead Nebula. Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. UHC-S - 19 x 2min ISO400 (12bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on). Raw conversion, initial colour balance and shadow and hightlight recover in DXO Optics Pro, aligned and stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop 5 October 14

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  20. MikeODay
    Tarantula Nebula - NGC 2070

    From the album: Mike's Images

    NGC 2070 Tarantula Nebula Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector. Nikon D300 (unmodified). 80 x 30 sec ISO800 unguided. 24 Apr 14 Reprocessed 9 August 15

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  21. MikeODay
    Cat's Paw Nebula - NGC 6334

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Cat's Paw Nebula - NGC 6334 ( aka Bear Claw Nebula ) An emission nebula in Scorpius (near the scorpion's tail) RA 17h 25m 39.6s ; Dec -35deg 43' 48" . 7th August 2015. Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. ISO800, 14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on. 28 x 200sec (starting at zenith) no moon, 3deg C, 70%RH, moderate LP. PixInsight

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  22. MikeODay
    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16 Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. ISO800, 14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on. 33 x 180sec (1/3 before & 2/3 after zenith) New Moon, 4deg C, 75%RH, moderate LP. PixInsight

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  23. MikeODay
    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16 Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. ISO800, 14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on. 33 x 180sec (1/3 before & 2/3 after zenith) New Moon, 4deg C, 75%RH, moderate LP. PixInsight

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  24. MikeODay
    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16 Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. ISO800, 14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on. 33 x 180sec (1/3 before & 2/3 after zenith) New Moon, 4deg C, 75%RH, moderate LP. PixInsight

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

  25. MikeODay
    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16

    From the album: Mike's Images

    Eagle Nebula - Messier 16 Skywatcher Quattro 10" f4 Newtonian. Skywatcher AZ Eq6 GT Mount Orion 80mm f5 guide scope and auto guider - PHD2. Baader MPCC Mark 3 Coma Corrector, UHC-S 'nebula' filter. Nikon D5300 (unmodified). Field of view (deg) ~ 1.35 x 0.90. ISO800, 14bit NEF, Long Exp. NR on. 33 x 180sec (1/3 before & 2/3 after zenith) New Moon, 4deg C, 75%RH, moderate LP. PixInsight

    © Copyright Mike O'Day 2015 - all rights reserved

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