astroenthusiast

Earth's Natural Satellite was captured using a 165mm APO Airspaced Triplet refractor, and a ASI2600mc Pro, one-shot color (OSC), dedicated astronomy camera.

Received word today, that the KrakenSDR lead time has been extended to 126 more days! Well, I originally placed the order through Crowd Source Funding (mentioned many times) October 21, 2021, and have been waiting patiently.

After waiting for May 31, 2022, the new delivery date, which has come and gone. The latest date for shipping was pushed to June 17, 2022, and again pushed to June 24, 2022. So, I requested a no-nonsense expected delivery date and found out the lead time is now a 126 days, as mentioned! 

My dilemma, do I keep waiting or just let the time pass and not think about it?  Fortunately, all is not at a lost. 

There are other products out there like the RSPdx SDRplay duo SDR receivers or products from Coherent Receiver, which makes SDR dongles stacked for all types of projects; including radio astronomy (RAS) and interferometers. 

You can even purchase Antenna Switches and Noise Generators, from Coherent Receiver's product line of SDRs. I've already ordered the RSPdx SDRplay's SDR receiver and as backup, ordering a quantity of two, four-stacked SDR dongles from Coherent Receiver, with all having expected delivery times this month! Far more efficient delivery timelines than the KrakenSDR's nebulous delivery date(s).  

My radio astronomy interferometer project has been held up far too long. I wish to be patient but a year delivery time is ridiculous, in my humble opinion. Most of my other RAS associates have cancelled their KrakenSDR orders!

https://www.astrobin.com/jgglym/?nc=collection&nce=9484

Solar work still in progress... ugh..

The Sun’s chromosphere captured, along with a group of sunspots on 05/30/2022 using a Daystar Quark Chromosphere hydrogen alpha filter, UV/IR filter and ASI174mm monochrome camera. The optical telescope used was an ES 127mm Doublet achromatic refractor telescope.

Newton rings are present...

Newton rings are present...

The image of our Sun, was captured using .SER video format, four thousand frames in Hydrogen Alpha light; using a Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter, UV/IR filter and ZWO ASI174mm monochrome camera. The optical instrument used was an Explore Scientific FirstLight 127mm Doublet refractor telescope.

To the upper right, you will notice a ring-like pattern, known as Newton rings. The optical system assembly will require a camera tilt adapter or Daystar Interference Eliminator, to remediate the Newton rings.

Well, until the Daystar Interference Eliminator gets here, this ZWO Tilter should do the trick in removing those nasty Newton rings, from my solar images. 

Tracking is slightly off, guess it's back to the guide scope for longer exposures. 

Figured I would try processing the North American Nebula, NGC 7000 (Cygnus Wall), in color using the Chroma 2" luminance filter and the Radian Triad Quad band 2" filter, also as a luminance filter, with the stars added.

The ZWO Red 2" filter was not my first choice, but it was the only red filter. I am Hoping to soon replace the remaining ZWO RGB filters with Chroma.

Imaging Telescopes Or Lenses
Explore Scientific ED102 APO Triplet
Mounts
Sky-watcher EQ6R-Pro
Filters
Chroma Luminance 2" / Triad Quad Band 2" / ZWO Red 2"
Accessories
ZWO EFW 7 x 2" · Explore scientific Finder Scope with Diagnonal · Primaluce Labs ESATTO Robotic Focuser 2"
Software
Astro Pixel Processor APP · Photoshop · SharpCap Pro Version 4.0
Guiding Cameras
QHYCCD QHY PoleMaster
 Acquisition details
Dates:
May 30, 2022
Frames:
Chroma Luminance 2" / Triad Quad Band 2" / ZWO Red 2": 150x60" (2h 30') (gain: 221.00) -17°C bin 2x2
Integration:
2h 30'
Flats:
50
Avg. Moon age:
0.02 days
Avg. Moon phase:
0.00%
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale:
6.00
Temperature:
70.00

Figured I would try processing the North American Nebula in color using the Chroma 2" luminance filter, Radian Triad Quad band 2" filter (as a luminance, as well), and ZWO red filter, with the stars added. 

The ZWO Red 2" filter was not my first choice, but it is my only red filter now. I am Hoping to soon replace the remaining ZWO RGB filters with Chroma.

Imaging Telescopes Or Lenses
Explore Scientific ED102 APO Triplet
Mounts
Sky-watcher EQ6R-Pro
Filters
Chroma Luminance 2" / Triad Quad Band
Accessories
Primaluce Labs ESATTO Robotic Focuser 2"
Software
Astro Pixel Processor APP · Photoshop · Starnet · SharpCap Pro Version 4.0
 Acquisition details
Dates:
May 30, 2022
Frames:
Chroma Luminance 2" / Triad Quad Band 2" / ZWO Red 2": 120x60" (2h) (gain: 221.00) -17°C bin 2x2
Integration:
2h
Avg. Moon age:
0.02 days
Avg. Moon phase:
0.00%
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale:
6.00

The North America Nebula is an emission nebula made up of dense dark regions of interstellar dust, that lies approximately 1600 light years from Earth.

The image was taken using a Chroma Luminance 2" filter and Triad Quad Band filter.

Imaging Telescopes Or Lenses
Explore Scientific ED102 APO Triplet
Imaging Cameras
ZWO ASI 2600mm Pro
Filters
Chroma Luminance Filter 2-Inch · Radian Triad Ultra Quad-Band
Accessories
ZWO EFW 7 x 2" · Primaluce Labs ESATTO Robotic Focuser 2"
Software
Photoshop · Starnet · SharpCap Pro Version 4.0
Guiding Cameras
QHYCCD QHY PoleMaster
 Acquisition details
Dates:
May 30, 2022
Frames:
Chroma Luminance 2" / Triad Quad Band: 90x60" (1h 30') (gain: 221.00) -17°C bin 2x2
Integration:
1h 30'
Avg. Moon age:
0.02 days
Avg. Moon phase:
0.00%
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale:
6.00

Decided to purchase an Explore Scientific FirstLight 127mm doublet achromatic refractor to use as a solar telescope for detailed chromosphere solar photography. There is a Daystar Quark Chromosphere and ASI174mm monochrome camera attached.

The Explore Scientific 50mm finder scope (with solar mylar protection) could cause small errors in balancing and tracking. I may end up using the cheap red dot finder, with Solar mylar securely wrapped on the front. Daystar documentation states the Quarks works best using refractors of F/4 - F/8.

The ES FirstLight doublet refractor has a focal ratio of, F/9.4 and with the Daystar Quarks 4.2x telecentric internal Barlow, which should push the focal ratio to F/39 give or take. Hopefully, this will work out to image capture great chromosphere surface details.

I do have a 2.5x Televue Powermate to evaluate as well. Hopefully, this weekend I'll test out if the skies finally clear.

Five SDR channel, KrakenSDR with built in coherent tech!

What a beauty, I can't wait to receive this powerful five channel SDR receiver! 🤩

I'm excited, ordered the KrakenSDR, five channel software defined radio receiver for my two, 3-meter radio astronomy telescopes last October 2021. Finally a shipping date, end of this month, May 2022. I tell you, supply chain issues hurt! This little jem will allow me to combine both RAS telescopes into an interferometer, with coherent fringes.

I'm excited, ordered the KrakenSDR, five channel software defined radio receiver for my two, 3-meter radio astronomy telescopes last October 2021. Finally a shipping date, end of this month, May 2022. I tell you, supply chain issues hurt! This little jem will allow me to combine both RAS telescopes into an interferometer, with coherent fringes. 😀

Pixilating, not enough exposure time and processing needs work. 

To much blue, and not enough exposure time. 

The image of Messier 1, the Crab Nebula a remanent of a supernova explosion was taken on 01/08/2022, using multiple filters: An Astronomic HA 6.5nm. An OPT Radian Ultra Narrowband filter, Optolong OIII, and SII 6.5nm filters.

The OPT Radian Ultra Narrowband filter served as the luminance filter for the ASI2600mm Pro mono camera; with an exposure time of 3.5hours and a camera temperature of -20 Celsius. The telescope used was the Explore Scientific ED 165mm APO Airspaced Triplet Refractor.

Process work in progress, sigh.

HA, SII & OII 

The Crescent Nebula is located in the constellation Cygnus at around 5000 light-years away and is also designated NGC 6888. 

NGC 6888 is 25 light-years across and is considered the site in our Milky Way galaxy as a stellar demolition zone. A massive star nearing the end of its stellar life is seen here ripping apart the gaseous shell that makes up its surroundings; blowing it away some 250,000 years ago with the star's strong stellar wind!

The star WR 136, with the shell of material encompassing it, is known as a Wolf-Rayet; a highly rare class of super-hot stars. 

The Crescent Nebula's, image was captured using RGB filters and a Radian Ultra Narrowband filter (substitution for luminance). The colors aren't natural or processed as other astrophotography images.