Gerr

These emission nebulae in Cassiopeia (about 7500 light years away) were my next target after I had imaged the Veil.

I was hoping to capture both together but my Redcat51 and Zwo ASI294MC pro were just too narrow a field of view for this and therefore I captured them as a two panel mosaic.

The Moon was still waxing (>70% now) and so the L-eXtreme filter was again employed in my imaging train all on top of the HEQ5 mount.

It took two nights due to clouds but I managed 4hrs on the Heart and 3.7hrs on the Soul using lights of 240secs duration and a camera temperature of -10deg at unity gain (120).

Along with calibration frames (Darks, Flats and Biases/Dark Flats) I stacked the images in Siril and then used Photoshop CS to produce the final results.

Graxpert, StarnetGUI, Topax Denoise and RBG composite tool (in Siril after utilising the HaOIII extraction script) were the other main image processes.

Hope you like - CC's welcome.

Heart and Soul Nebulae (RGB):

Heart and Soul Nebulae (SHO / Hubble Palette):

1 hour ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

Looks fantastic and under 3 hours too.

I actually like what I achieved in two hours with a dslr, but it's maybe 1% the quality of your result

Thanks. Lots of OIII and Ha there makes it a good target for where I live where decent night sky quality is rarely more than 3hrs!! 

Images taken on the 16th May under a waxing (59%) gibbous Moon in my Bortle 5 garden.

I used my Redcat51, Zwo ASI 294MC Pro camera and HEQ5 Rowan belt modded mount. The L-eXtreme filter was also part of the imaging train.

I managed 40 subs of 240sec duration (2.67hrs) along with calibration frames. I used Siril to stack the images and Photoshop CS along with StarnetGUI and GraXpert to process the final result.

The Veil Supernova Remnant is the remains of a massive star that exploded approx. 8000 years ago in the constellation of Cygnus (it is also known as the Cygnus loop as a result) and lies about 2100 light years from earth.

It's big, measuring 110 light years across, which is about six full Moons in our night sky and this made it a nice fit for my telescope / camera combo!!!

Hope u like - CC's welcome.

The Veil Supernova:

On the 19th May under a bright Moon (84% waxing) an opportunity arose to try my Redcat51 on the Elephant Trunk Nebula.

There was also a bit of haze in the air and some patchy high cloud but overall it looked possible for some imaging.

So under Bortle class 5 skies I attached my Zwo ASI294MC pro to the Redcat and mounted it on my HEQ5 Mount. I also used the L-eXtreme filter in my imaging train to combat that 'bright Moon' and to help filter out the Ha and OIII wavelengths.

I managed 29 useable subs of 480secs (3.87 hrs total) and also took calibration frames (Darks, Flats and Dark flats). Guiding was good as there was no wind.

I used DSS for stacking the RGB images and then processed these using Photoshop CS, StarnetGUI, GraXpert, and Topaz denoise.

The Hubble Palette image was processed using Siril (HaOIII extraction script) and then loaded into photoshop where selective colour (using Focal Pointe Observatory settings), GraXpert and Topaz denoise were again employed to produce the final image (the RGB starfield was  also used in the HaOIII starless blend).

I wasn't sure how well these would come out (given the night time seeing conditions) but I was pleasantly surprised!!

Hope you like - CC's welcome.

Elephant Trunk RGB Image:

Elephant Trunk SHO (Hubble Palette) Image:

17 minutes ago, FenlandPaul said:

Love it, Geraint. Well done for having the presence of mind to do a panning timelapse!  I took my slider but completely failed to retrieve it from the car.  Next time!

Thanks Paul, did drop my intervalometer cable  and the mini SAM ran out of power (fortunately after 700+ images). Just happy it rotated the right way and at the right speed!!

super crazy evening! 

What a spectacular show there was last night. Never have I seen such a clear aurora. The timelapse only shows a small part of what was arcing across the whole sky last night. Amazing!!

The scene is of Holyhead Harbour with Anglesey in the background taken with the Canon 6D and Sigma Art lens 50mm. I used a mini SW SAM for motion and camera control. If you look carefully to top left of video (16secs in) a shooting star too!!

ISO800 f/1.4 1.3secs (700 images). Processed in LR Timelapse and Photoshop LR. Last image was done in Photoshop CS with a separate long exposure foreground (8 secs). Video edited in Movavi.

 Hope you enjoy.

Northern Lights over Anglesey:

Nice Pano Lee! You've got the arch, core, etheral looking mist and a little andromeda too! Rare for UK skies! Well done.

Mare Humorum and Gassendi crater.

Sky Watcher 200p reflector and Zwo 462mc with x2.5 Televue zoom lens and IR pass filter.

5000frames with firecapture. Best 15% stacked in autostakkert and then processed in Registax, finished in Photoshop CS.

5 hours ago, robbie c said:

That’s a great image love it, I’m going back there in July for 10days and going to spend a night in the Parador De Las Canadas hotel, we spent a night there in 2015 and you are right when all the visitors have gone and all the lights in the cafe/souvenir shop are turned off it’s very dark I’ve never seen so many stars. Last time we were there the hotel had a 8” dob that they let me take out to the car park I got some amazing views of Jupiter 

I’m going to take my camera with me this time see if I can do some Widefield photography it’ll be a first for me as not done any before but just got a 14mm Samyang lens so will give it a try if I can work out all the settings for doing it 😂

Thanks for the kind comment. Tenerife is great for astro! The Milky Way core will be nice and high in July but a panorama maybe difficult to do then? Samyang a good choice.

Wish I was heading back there again soon!

Geraint.

4 hours ago, 900SL said:

Nice image! Lovely area, I have been there at night and it is a terrific view. Climbed half way up Mt Tiede to around 3000m but started getting out of breath  

Yes - I didn’t fancy altitude sickness with my kit on my back!! 😂👍

40 minutes ago, scotty1 said:

Brilliant pano

What are the cluster of stars/nebula to the right of the prancing horse? 

Thanks! I think you refer to the Rho Opiuchi Molecular Cloud Complex. A beautiful area of nebulosity and star cluster which is part of the constellation Scorpius with the bright yellow star Antares being dominant here.  I did a close up of this area with a Samyang 135mm that I put in the deep sky imaging forum.

1 hour ago, FenlandPaul said:

That’s super, Geraint - lovely editing and a nice composition. Really envious of those dark (and clear!) skies!!!

Thanks Paul, l like how the light of Santa Cruz lights up the central rock pillars of the old summit. Even high up on Tenerife there’s always some light pollution but this time it proved useful to me! 😂

26 minutes ago, WolfieGlos said:

Wow, for such a short integration that's a superb image!

That’s thanks to the great sky quality of Tenerife.😀

Tenerife has fantastic skies when you get up there in the caldera at the base of Mount Teide. There is an older and lower summit called Roques Cinchado and Garcia which is popular with tourists but at night no one is around!!

I took this panoramic shot of the Milky Way showing this feature in the centre of the image and Mount Teide to the left. Myself included at the right corner!

The foreground was focus stacked with a Sigma 50mm at f/1.6 ISO1600 60secs.

The sky was tracked with a Samyang 24mm lens and Star Adventurer 2i and Canon6D.

ISO1600 f/3.2 60secs.

Hope you like!

Tenerife Milky Way:

4 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

A great success. I do like your high black point and gentle processing.

Olly

Thanks Olly, I’m getting better at processing and am seeing the limits of what you can do before it looks unnatural and overcooked!! My images only go so far as the quality of the sky and equipment used allow. Sometimes it is easy to Photoshop the image above this threshold.
Geraint.

1 hour ago, simmo39 said:

Lovely shot! A target that I would like to do but a bit low in the sky for me.

Yes, here in the UK you’d be lucky to get the weather too! I now always pack a portable rig when I go on holiday (esp. Canaries).

Thanks,

Geraint.

1 hour ago, Vic L S said:

That's a lovely picture. I really need to upgrade my camera lens. 

Do you also use a Samyang lens for wider shots? 

Hi Vic, I use the Samyang 24mm and 14mm too. The 24mm is my workhorse for MW panoramas. You can’t beat the value of these lenses but quality control is not constant across the range!

Cheers,

Geraint.

In addition to the Summer Milky Way arc my other target whilst on Tenerife was Rho Opiuchi. I really wanted a close up of this colourful cloud complex. I had with me my Samyang 135mm and so I aimed at this nebulous complex and let loose!!

Canon6D astro modded and Star adventurer 2i were the other tools used.

20 images at ISO1600 f/3.2 60secs.

Stacked in DSS with calibration frames and then processed in Photoshop CS.

Hope you like the result.

The Rho Opiuchi Molecular Cloud Complex:

Nice capture Lee with a lovely smooth timelapse - clouds flow nicely.  It's always a bit of a guess in getting exposures right for the occasion as too many variables to play with!!

Geraint.

Great video and lovely images Paul.

I love the peace and tranquillity of the night when there is no wind and you only hear the sounds of Nature. So peaceful and serene it is a tonic to the soul. Sometimes Dawn comes too soon!

I especially like the lake with reflections of the trees and stars. The cool blues and pale yellow horizon also makes the shot stand out.

Hats off to you for getting out there when you have work next day. I struggle to do this admittedly and need a good forecast to venture forth. I had opportunity for early MW core a few days ago but had just returned from Tenerife having already got a great shot of it so I stayed in bed!! 😂

Keep up the excellent work and am looking forward to your next adventure and astrophotography.

Geraint.

Thought I’d try a shot at the moon whilst my other camera was targeting the Heart nebula two evenings ago when I was able to see clear dark skies.

I tried several shots in succession and combined two of them for the HDR effect in Photoshop CS.

Canon 6D with Canon 100-400mm lens at the long end. Shot from tripod - no tracking.

f/9 ISO 800 and exposures of 1/4sec and 1.3 secs were used.

The stars were added from an old image of the Sunflower galaxy to provide added effect!

This mage was for a bit of fun but I did like how it came out and so I thought I’d share it here too.

CC’s welcome.

HDR Crescent Moon:

8 minutes ago, AstroNebulee said:

Wow that's impressive Ger. I'm so pleased you captured the core on your holiday and took such an amazing image. I agree with the landscapes in the Canary Islands are very moon like and a place I love to visit when possible. 

Clesr skies 

Lee 

Thanks Lee. I was lucky enough to be in La Palma in early Jan for the winter Milky Way and then last week I got the Summer Milky Way arc. When we plan holidays now I always check for night sky quality abroad before  we book (don’t tell the missus)!

I forgot to mention I used Sequator as I took at least three panels of each image in the panoramic sky row. This meant any ‘blurry’ ones could be discarded in post processing. It is very difficult to spot this in the field and I only had one night with no return ticket! 
Gerr.

35 minutes ago, FenlandPaul said:

Superb image, Gerr!! Envious of how dark and star-studded the skies must have been! Also slightly amused by how long the 14 seconds of your selfie exposure must have felt as you stood there, precariously on that outcrop!!

Felt like the shot would never end! I still had to clone stamp myself where my sides were still a bit blurry but that also helped me lose weight as an added benefit!! 
Skies were so clear that night - very lucky!

Cheers Paul. 👍

1 hour ago, shinebug777 said:

insane shot! i love the placement of the person and the location of the shot. it has great composition. and of course the milk way is just stunning. awesome capture!

Ha, I nearly fell off that rock!! I am always mindful of foreground subject (often supplemented by me) and try and remember  composition aspects.
Cheers.

Gerr.

Unlikely to get the Summer Milky Way arc in Wales so on a family holiday to Tenerife last week I took my camera and star tracker to try my hand there!

I was allowed one night star gazing on top of Tenerife in its volcanic caldera at the base of Mount Teide and ‘wow’, blown away I was by the beautiful clear sky with the core clearly seen rising from 3am.  I started taking a few shots and the one below was my highlight image. 
Located at Minas De San Jose where the terrain looks like something on the Moon with the galactic core rising in the east and having the place to myself was what I really enjoyed here. Selfie a must!

The sky was tracked and consisted of 1 row of 7 images in portrait orientation at ISO1600 f3.2 60secs with a Canon6D and Samyang 24mm lens.

The foreground was done in landscape orientation at ISO1600 f1.8 60secs (5 images).

Selfie was done at ISO3200 f1.8 14secs - some rocks were lit up quite nice too.

The image was stacked in sequator, stitched in PTGui and processed in Photoshop CS.

Hope you like?. CC’s welcome.

Summer Milky Way Arc: