Deep sky imaging showcase 2017

[Uranium235]

Finally, it's here! (my apologies for the delayed start of this one)

Please use this thread to showcase your best images captured during 2017. Just one post per member but you can include up to 5 images if you want.

The thread is for all imagers, both novices and advanced.

Please keep details to a minimum - scope and camera possibly along with a few comments.

The thread needs to be packed with images so please don't respond to the postings

[MikeODay]

 

The Great Barred Spiral Galaxy in Fornax ( NGC 1365 )   ( image details here )

 

The Silver Coin or Sculptor Galaxy ( NGC 253 )   ( image details here )

 

A Peculiar Galaxy in Centaurus, Centaurus A ( NGC 5128 )   ( image details here )

 

A Million Stars in the Deep South, The Omega Centauri Cluster ( NGC 5139 )   ( image details here )

( a version of this image was selected as NASA's APOD for 11th July 2017 )

 

The Fighting Dragons of Ara ( NGC 6188 )    ( image details here )

                

Edited January 31, 2018 by MikeODay
All are HDR images taken with an unmodified Nikon D5300 except NGC 1365 which was with a D7500

[Handy_Andy]

Orion Nebula (M42)

 

East Veil Nebula (NGC 6960)

[Uranium235]

Another year of mosaics!

Rho Ophiuchi from 52 degrees North

 

Bubble to Cave

 

Pelican to North America

 

IC1396

 

Cone to Rosette

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Here are my very first forays into digital deep-sky imaging. Nothing special, but is a start. All taken with my modded EOS 550D and Carl Zeiss Tele-Tessar 200mm F/3.5 (which I have since replaced by a Canon 200mm F/2.8 L). Keeping stars tight was not the greatest strength of the Zeiss lens, unfortunately.

November 22, 3hrs of data, 60s subs at F/3.5

November 17, less data, at F/4.0 showing tighter stars, but also diffraction spikes (and more noise).

 

[Victor Boesen]

Here is my image from the summer of 2017.
Taken with a star adventurer, unmodded nikon d3300 with a 50mm lens

Victor

[Magnus_e]

Here's my best from 2017. More pictures at observatory17b.com

Scope SkyWatcher Equinox 80 PRO APO.

Camera ZWO ASI 1600mm-cool

Baader NB filters, and ZWO LRGB

 

California nebula in Ha. Featured in Norwegian magazine 'Astronomy' in March edition.

 

Leo triplet LRGB. Featured in September edition of 'Astronomy'.

 

Monkeyhead nebula Hubble pallete (SHO). Featured as full page, back cover of 'Astronomy' magazine.

 

2017 was the most rewarding season for me so far, and first season with observatory. Hope to ceep improving, and hope you like the results

[alexbb]

Canon 300 F4 L IS lens, 12h Ha, 10h O3, 7h S2.

Canon 300 F4 L IS, Tair 3s, Pentacon 200 lenses. 30 hours of Ha, O3 and some S2. Some hours of RGB for stars. 2 panels mosaic.

This a 4 panels Ha mosaic with the 130 PDS + some hours of Ha and O3 with the Canon 300 F4 L IS lens.

130PDS. 12h of LRGB and Ha.

Canon 300 F4 L IS. 22.5h, 4 panels mosaic. I have this with O3 too, but I finished the acquisition of O3 this year.

All of them were shot with the ASI1600MMC on an AZ-EQ5 mount.

Except the last one, all were shot from the city center under heavy light pollution and very poor seeing.
The last one was taken under better conditions, still under light pollution, but orange-red zone and usually better seeing.

[DaveS]

Put these in their own thread by mistake. Here they are where they belong. Roughly in order of when they were captured.

Leo Triplet, HaLRGB

 

M13, Straight RGB

 

The Witch's Broom, NHO, 2 hours each.

 

Pickering's (Flemming's) Triangle, also NHO, 2 hours each

 

Lastly, The Dear Lick Group and Stephan's Quintet. HaLRGB, very much WIP, but will have to wait for next year now.

All captured with the 130mm f/7 TS Photoline Apo triplet from my back garden in Ruislip, borderline Bortle 7-8. No LP filter used.

[Scott]

Very poor year for me. Just the one worth posting and that's a team effort.
Oiii- Steve Richards (Steppenwolf)
Ha- Me

 

[Allinthehead]

My favourites from 2017

[wimvb]

Like many of us, I had few clear nights. Last summer I got a new camera, mono cooled cmos replaced dslr.

This one with a Pentax K20D on a SW EQ3 PRO, 135 mm fl, f/5.6 (I think).

The following are all with the mono camera.

SW Explorer 150PDS on SW AZ-EQ6, ZWO ASI174MM-Cool with ZWO LRGB

First light, M27

Iris neb, ngc 7023

M110 (ngc 205)

ngc 6946

(Click on an image to view a larger version)

[Stub Mandrel]

A frustrating year for me. I cooled my camera and started guiding, but too much to learn and not enough clear nights to get the knack of everything. All of these with a 450D and 130P-DS, except M27 which may have been the 150PL.

Edited February 8, 2018 by Stub Mandrel
Oops that was six...

[swag72]

2017 was a fun year for me.... a selection is below. I like to do a montage each year to see what I've been up to in one place! This isn't all of the images, but a selection of what I felt was the best. 

 

 

[MartinB]

A very lean year for me.  Away a lot and also spending more time on night time landscape photos.  Need to get my dome automated!

[StargeezerTim]

Here are a few from me. The main changes last year are that I got a Star 71, a great scope that is so easy to use, and I also got a Ha filter and started experimenting with that.

[Xiga]

Here are my 5 best of 2017. Actually, aside form a couple of others, it's pretty much my entire output from 2017, lol. 

The biggest change for me this year was, getting the D5300 modded and picking up an Ha and OIII filter.

I also picked up a cheap mono camera (IDS UI-6250SE) 2nd hand for doing Lunar work, which i used for the mosaic below. 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2018 by Xiga

[ollypenrice]

IC348 and friends imaged with Mr and Mrs Gnomus and with the participation of Tom O'Donoghue. HaLRGB.

The large, faint IC342 with an inset showing M101 at the same scale.

A head-banging attempt to find the tidal loops around the Sunflower in the TEC140. When I learn more about inverse masking I'll try to improve this!

And finally two 'improvers' where substantial new amounts of data have helped older images. M42 is LRGB. The Rosette is HaOIIILRGB.

Olly

 

[gorann]

So here are five images from my triple rig taken with a Samyang 135mm f/2, a Canon 300mm f/4, or an ES 127ED, or a combination of them (all with Canon 60D cameras). Then I take the liberty of throwing in an additional one, which is my processing of the Dumbbell nebula centre from data collected by the Liverpool Telescope, a 2 m RC scope on a mountain top so I dedicate that one to pixel peepers since it may be the most detailed RGB image ever taken of the Dumbbell. You find technical details about the images on my Astrobin site.

Cheers

Göran

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by gorann

[almcl]

IC1369A

M8

M17

M20

M94

[alan4908]

2017 was productive for me, I found that my transition to unguided imaging has significantly improved my imaging productivity.  Lost guide stars used to be a significant problem area - but no more.  

Anyway, here are five images from 2017, all taken with my SW Esprit 150 and a SX Trius 814.

Alan

M1

M82

M81

NGC7635

NGC6888

[PhotoGav]

2017 was a good astro year for me and I had to edit down my pictures to arrive at my favourite five. All pictures were taken with a QSI 683-WSG8.

The year started with the Horsehead and Flame Nebulae (Altair Astro 102ED):

I then moved on to the open clusters M35 and NGC 2158 (Altair Astro 102ED):

The year then got a bit galactic, starting with M109 and friends (Celestron EdgeHD 8"):

Followed by NGC 891 (Celestron EdgeHD 8"):

Finishing up with IC 342 - The Hidden Galaxy (Celestron EdgeHD 8" with 0.7x Reducer):

Here's hoping to a clear, dark and productive 2018 for everyone!

[glowingturnip]

Late to the party with this thread.  I got my CCD camera in July 2017 and had my first dabbles with Ha only and HaLRGB.  Equipment as per sig.

Eagle in Ha, want to add OIII

 

Iris, LRGB

 

Heart of the Heart, Ha

 

Helix, HaLRGB (want to add OIII to this one)

 

and my last ever modded DSLR pic:

 

Happy imaging in 2018 all !

Edited April 9, 2018 by glowingturnip

[Mr_42tr0nomy]

Wow! Wonderful images! I have not had great luck so far this year. A complete imaging rig swap and a broken ccd has delayed any imaging opportunities since January. Hopefully everyone has had some clear summer nights?? Here my five from 2017

Edited August 17, 2018 by Mr_42tr0nomy