astroenthusiast

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.

The sun, captured in color using a ZWO ASI533 MC Pro CMOS camera. The image was taken using a Daystar Quarks Chromosphere filter and a UV light filter to reduce heating.

The telescope used was a Explore Scientific ED 102mm APO Triplet refractor. The equatorial mount used was a Sky-Watcher EQR-6 Pro.

The Sun's chromosphere captured in Hydrogen Alpha light, using a Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter at 7 Angstrom, and a monochrome CMOS camera. The telescope used was a 5" APO Triplet refractor, using 9 sub-frames.

The image of the Sun was captured in Calcium-K light, using a Baader filter combined with a Daystar Quark Calcium-H line filter.

The camera used was an ASI174 CMOS monochrome camera, and a UV light filter to reduce heating.

The Explore Scientific ED 102mm APO Triplet refractor at F/28 was used and mounted on a Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro equatorial mount. 

Awful! Forgot to use LPO filter.... The Whale Galaxy and NGC 4656

A closer look at the sunspot AR2833, reveals the dark feature of the Umbra and some details around the lighter Penumbra.

The image was captured on 06/18/2021 at 1:15 PM ET, using a Daystar Quark H-Alpha filter with an internal 4x telecentric barlow, at 0.5 Angstrom bandwidth and a UV/IR filter to reduce scattered UV light & heating.

The telescope used was a Lunt 80mm MT APO refractor and an Altair 174M Hypercam - monochrome, fan cooled camera, using 504 recorded SER images. The software used was AutoStakkert 3.1.4 & Registax 6 for stacking the image and wavelet enhancement.

The Sunspot AR2833 was recorded on 06/18/2021 at 1:40 PM ET. You will notice the faculae all around AR2833 and on the suns disk. The Umbra & Penumbra are also visible in AR2833.

The activity has been recorded on Spaceweather.com as AR2824, after being on the far side of the sun, and now has been renumbered to AR2833.

The image was captured using a Daystar Quark Calcium H-Line filter, at 3968.5A (angstrom). The solar scope used was a Lunt 80mm MT APO refractor and Altair 174M Hypercam monochrome, fan cooled camera using 136, recorded SER images.

Resources:

Spacewather.com
https://lnkd.in/dS_4CBV

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
https://lnkd.in/dBTqhBH

The Sunflower Galaxy, in Canes Venatici boast approximately 400 billion stars. The image was captured on May 05/17/2021 at 3:07 AM ET, using 59 minutes of exposure time.

The instrument used was a six-inch APO triplet refractor and CMOS color camera with a temperature of -22 Celsius; the Optolong L-Pro filter was used to reduce the light pollution.

NGC 6205 or Messier 13, the image was captured using the ASI2600 OSC & Optolong L-Pro filter and 13 minutes of exposure time. Included in the optical train was the ES ED165 mm APO Air spaced F/7 Triplet refractor. 

The image of the Dumbbell Nebula was captured on 05/31/2021 at 1:52 am, using sixty sub-frames with a total exposure time of 50 minutes.

The amateur astronomical equipment used was an Explorer Scientific ED 165 mm APO Air spaced Triplet refractor and a ASI2600 MC Pro CMOS color camera; with a temperature of -25 Celsius.

The Western Veil Nebula, NGC 6960 was captured on May 31, 2021, at 4:44 am EST, with a total exposure time of 55 minutes.

The amateur telescope used was an ES ED 165mm APO Triplet Air spaced refractor at F/7.

The dedicated astronomy camera used was a one-shot CMOS color camera, the ASI2600 MC Pro and Optolong L-Pro LPS filter. The Veil Nebula is in the constellation Cygnus and lies at a distance of 1400 light years from Earth.

NGC 6992, the Eastern Veil Nebula was captured on May 31, at 2:52 AM EST, with a total exposure time of 82 minutes and camera temperature of -23 Celsius.

The Eastern Veil Nebula. The telescope used was an Explorer Scientific 6” Air spaced APO Triplet refractor at F/7, and ASI2600 CMOS one-shot color camera, along with a Optolong L-Pro filter.

The spaceweather.com, had an alert for large solar activity in the optical light and radio frequency range on 05/22/2021.

This large solar flare was taken 05/23/2021.

Unfortunately, the main solar imaging camera I use, the ASI174 CMOS monochrome cam, had damage to the USB port. I ended up using my backup solar camera, the Altair 174 CMOS one-shot mono cam to capture the solar activity. 
There are Newton rings present in the images, I did not have enough time to install the mechanical tilt adapter to prevent the newton rings.

If you check out the spaceweather.com link and select 05/23/2021 for the date, you will see the strong solar flare captured and be able to listen to the sound of the huge solar flare radio bust!

https://lnkd.in/dXGHjYJ
https://lnkd.in/euEP3bF

M81 & M82 reprocessed. 

The image of the galaxy Messier 63, also known as the Sunflower Galaxy was captured using an Explore Scientific ED 165mm FPL-53, APO Air Spaced Triplet refractor and a ZWO ASI533 MC Pro CMOS color camera.

Total exposure time was 35 minutes, with a camera temperature of -22.3 Celsius. Polar alignment and tracking were achieved using plate solving. 

This wide field view of the Splinter galaxy was captured on 05/16/2021 at 12:32 am ET, using a total exposure time of 88 minutes. The Splinter galaxy is in the constellation Draco and lies at 40 million light years from Earth.

The imaging train used, was an Explore Scientific ED 102mm APO Triplet Air spaced Refractor at F/7 and a Optolong L-Pro LP -filter was used, along with a ZWO ASI2600 MC Pro CMOS color camera.

If you notice to the far upper left the galaxy NGC 5908 and to the lower left the galaxy NGC 5905. The galaxy NGC 5879 is barely visible (a blur) to the far lower left.

I could not help capturing another image of Messier 104, the Sombrero galaxy. The image was taken on 05/15/2021 at 10:35 PM ET, using a 165 mm APO Triplet refractor and ASI2600 mc Pro color camera. Total camera exposure time was 60 minutes at -25 Celsius.

A closer look at the center of Messier 57, you see the remains of the star that blew away it's outer layers, leaving a hot core at the center known as a white dwarf.

Image captured on 05/15/2021 at 3:10 am ET, using 2 hours exposure time with a CMOS one shot color camera with a temperature of - 25 Celsius. The telescope used was a 102 mm APO Triplet refractor at F/7.