astroenthusiast

The image of Jupiter was captured using the Explore Scientific ED165-FPL53, air-spaced APO Triplet refractor, and ZWO ASI2600 CMOS, one-shot dedicated color astronomy camera, in video mode. If you look to the upper left, you’ll notice one of the Jovian moons, possibly Callisto. The image was taken using 274, SER video frames, at a temperature of 92.12 Fahrenheit and processed using AutoStakkert3. The Great Red Spot is also slightly visible to the lower right.

The Rosette Nebula, designated NGC 2237 is located 5000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Monoceros. The image was captured using the Explore Scientific ED165-FPL53 air-spaced tripled refractor and ZWO ASI2600 CMOS one-shot dedicated color astronomy camera, at a temperature of -24.5 Celsius. A Radian Triad Ultra Quad-Band narrowband filter was used to reduce light pollution and enhance the image. The exposure time was 124 minutes.

M32 & M31

This past Friday was a beautiful evening, so I decided to set up the astronomical equipment and capture a close-up, 65-minute exposure of the Andromeda Galaxy and NGC 205 also designated as Messier 110 to the lower left. Messier 110 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy that acts as a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy also designated M31. The image was captured using the Explore Scientific ED 165mm APO refractor at F/7, using an ASI2600 CMOS color camera, with a temperature set at -15 Celsius. An LPO filter was used to reduce light pollution and calibrated images, lights, darks, bias, and flats. Stacking software used Astro Pixel Processor.

The galaxy NGC 2336 lies at approximately 100 million light years from our planet, located in the constellation Camelopardalis, the Giraffe. According to NASA, NGC 2336 stretches an immense 200,000 light years across. To the lower right lies the intermediate galaxy IC 467, which is also 100 million light years from Earth. The image was captured using the ASI2600 CMOS one-shot color camera and 60 minutes of exposure time with a camera temperature of -28.3 Celsius. The telescope used was the Explore Scientific ED 165 mm APO Airspace Triplet refractor and Starizona 0.65x reducer & flattener Apex. ED-L version. Unfortunately there were no calibrated frames used or a light pollution (LPO) filter. NGC 2336 information is courtesy of NASA – Solar System and Beyond, March 5, 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2021/hubble-beholds-a-big-beautiful-blue-galaxy

The image of Messier 51 was captured using a ZWO ASI533 MC Pro color camera with an exposure time of 20 minutes, camera temperature at -30.4 Celsius. The telescope equipment used was an Explore Scientific ED 102 mm APO Airspace Triplet refractor at F/7, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial mount. The processing software used was Astro Pixel Processor & Adobe photoshop, unfortunately no calibrated frames were used or LPO filter.

Messier 13, the Great Globular cluster in Hercules was captured using 85 minutes of exposure time. The galaxy NGC 6205 is also present in the image, located to the upper right. See if you can find the distant spiral galaxy IC 4617 (barely visible), just to the right of M13. The optical system used was the Explore Scientific ED 165 mm APO Airspace Triplet refractor and the ZWO ASI2600 CMOS color camera. The image was processed with Astro Pixel Processor, using light, flat, dark, and bias calibrated frames.

The stunning and beautiful Eastern Veil Nebula is in the constellation Cygnus, was captured using the ZWO ASI2600 CMOS color camera at a temperature of -25 Celsius with an exposure time of 2 hours. The telescope equipment used was the Explore Scientific ED 165mm APO Airspace Triplet refractor, Optolong L-Pro light pollution filter (LPO) and Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro equatorial mount. Polar alighment and tracking was achieved using plate solving. The processing software used was PixInsight and Adobe Photoshop along with light, flat, dark and bias calibrated frames.