I did a video using APT to capture some Luminosity of M78 with my new telescope. The frustrations was with my mount, APT.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Horsehead (B33) and Flame Nebula (NGC 2024)
This is finally my last image with the ED80 being my main imaging telescope. I was not planning to finish off with the Horsehead Nebula but I am delighted it was and in some ways it makes my feel good. This is my third image of the Horeshead and Flame, the first being a not so impressive 2.75 hr image from 2 yrs ago, the second was from last year and was much better with more detail and color, and finally this image. This image has much more Ha time and, therefore, had much less noise. I like the framing on my second image better than this one as I began collecting data the same nights as my recent Pleiades image (https://www.astrobin.com/385346/?nc=collection&nce=712) and did not want to rearrange the camera.
The Horsehead is designated as Barnard 33 and is actually a dark nebula which sits in front of deep red emission nebula known as IC 434. The yellowish Flame nebula on the left side is designated as NGC 2024 and there is a small blue reflection, NGC 2023, below the Horsehead. Near the bottom center is a very small reflection nebula, IC 435, which is being illuminated by the star located in the center of this nebula. The whole complex is approximately 1,500 light-years away and is all part of the Orion Molecular Cloud.
The hardest part of imaging the Flame and Horsehead as a whole is the second magnitude star Alnitak (the left most star in the belt of Orion). My camera does not do very bright stars well as you can see the geometric patterns protruding from the star. The stringers in IC 434 are my favorite part and not surprisingly show up better in Ha. Overall I am really happy with how it turned out I don't know if I will image this anytime soon again as I have other plans with my new telescope.
HaRGB
Ha Crop2
B33 - Horsehead Nebula
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-5-19, 1-6-19, 1-11-19, 1-14-19, 1-15-19
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO R, G, B, L
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: R 38 x 90, G 35 x 90, B 36 x 90, Ha 153 x 180 (10.4 hrs total)
Gain: 139
Offset 21
Temp: 0 C
Post Processing: PixInsight and Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
The Horsehead is designated as Barnard 33 and is actually a dark nebula which sits in front of deep red emission nebula known as IC 434. The yellowish Flame nebula on the left side is designated as NGC 2024 and there is a small blue reflection, NGC 2023, below the Horsehead. Near the bottom center is a very small reflection nebula, IC 435, which is being illuminated by the star located in the center of this nebula. The whole complex is approximately 1,500 light-years away and is all part of the Orion Molecular Cloud.
The hardest part of imaging the Flame and Horsehead as a whole is the second magnitude star Alnitak (the left most star in the belt of Orion). My camera does not do very bright stars well as you can see the geometric patterns protruding from the star. The stringers in IC 434 are my favorite part and not surprisingly show up better in Ha. Overall I am really happy with how it turned out I don't know if I will image this anytime soon again as I have other plans with my new telescope.
HaRGB
Ha Crop1
B33 - Horsehead Nebula
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-5-19, 1-6-19, 1-11-19, 1-14-19, 1-15-19
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO R, G, B, L
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: R 38 x 90, G 35 x 90, B 36 x 90, Ha 153 x 180 (10.4 hrs total)
Gain: 139
Offset 21
Temp: 0 C
Post Processing: PixInsight and Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
Monday, January 21, 2019
Lunar Eclipse 2019
This event just happens to correspond to first light with my new telescope, the Astro-Tech AT115 EDT refractor. The first picture is through optical tube with the iPhone and the second is using a Canon T3i/600D modified. The performance of the telescope is incredible. I have never seen the the moon as sharp through the eyepiece. In fact this is one of the few objects that despite all of the incredible and wonderful images that people have taken of the lunar eclipse, I like the eyepiece view the best.
The iPhone picture had no processing done on it and the DSLR image had very little - just a crop, a slight curve, and a bit lowering the red, but that is it.
Canon T3i/600D
iPhone
Lunar Eclipse 2019
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-20-19
Camera: Canon T3i/600D Modified
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm
f/7
Focal Reducer: none
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ Goto
Filter Wheel: None
Filter: none w/ the scope, Baader Moon and SkyGlow Neodymium Filter
Autoguiding: None
Exposure: 1.3 s
ISO: 400
Offset
Temp: -18 C
Post Processing: Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
http://astroquest1.blogspot.com/
Part 2
The second part of imaging the eclipse for me was getting a larger star field with a camera lens to combine with the detailed view of the eclipse. It would be cool to get this in one shot but it is quite unlikely as imaging stars blows out the moon so you have to combine it with a second lower exposure image.
The wide field image shows the bright star Pollux in the upper left side of the image and the Beehive Cluster (Praesepe or M44) on the middle bottom of the image.
Combined with Star Field from a Canon 50mm Lens
Lunar Eclipse 2019
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-20-19
Camera: Canon T3i/600D Modified
Telescope: Canon 50mm Lens (nifty fifty)
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 50mm
f/5.6
Focal Reducer: none
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ Goto
Filter Wheel: None
Filter: none w/ the scope, Baader Moon and SkyGlow Neodymium Filter
Autoguiding: None
Exposure: 2.0 s, 1.3 s
ISO: 1600, 400
Temp: -18 C
Post Processing: Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
http://astroquest1.blogspot.com/
The iPhone picture had no processing done on it and the DSLR image had very little - just a crop, a slight curve, and a bit lowering the red, but that is it.
Canon T3i/600D
iPhone
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-20-19
Camera: Canon T3i/600D Modified
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm
f/7
Focal Reducer: none
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ Goto
Filter Wheel: None
Filter: none w/ the scope, Baader Moon and SkyGlow Neodymium Filter
Autoguiding: None
Exposure: 1.3 s
ISO: 400
Offset
Temp: -18 C
Post Processing: Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
http://astroquest1.blogspot.com/
Part 2
The second part of imaging the eclipse for me was getting a larger star field with a camera lens to combine with the detailed view of the eclipse. It would be cool to get this in one shot but it is quite unlikely as imaging stars blows out the moon so you have to combine it with a second lower exposure image.
The wide field image shows the bright star Pollux in the upper left side of the image and the Beehive Cluster (Praesepe or M44) on the middle bottom of the image.
Combined with Star Field from a Canon 50mm Lens
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-20-19
Camera: Canon T3i/600D Modified
Telescope: Canon 50mm Lens (nifty fifty)
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 50mm
f/5.6
Focal Reducer: none
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ Goto
Filter Wheel: None
Filter: none w/ the scope, Baader Moon and SkyGlow Neodymium Filter
Autoguiding: None
Exposure: 2.0 s, 1.3 s
ISO: 1600, 400
Temp: -18 C
Post Processing: Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
http://astroquest1.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Venus, Jupiter, and Scorpion Friends
One of the benefits of early morning walks with my dog is seeing a very cool sky. I actually saw this the previous morning (1/15/19) and knew if it was clear this morning (1/16/19) it would be there. It was clear and Ruthie and I were prepared. I have a wall of trees on the east side of my yard so I carried my tripod and camera on the dog walk until we got to a clear spot over looking a neighbors house. Venus (brightest planet) and Jupiter (lower left) dominate the left side of the image while the stars of Scorpius dominate the right side. Antares is the brightest star of Scorpius and is in the lower right side. An unexpected object was the Crab Globular Cluster, M4, located just right of Antares.
Venus, Jupiter, and Scorpius
Location: Monroe, CTDate/Time: 1/16/19 5:55 am
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i (600D)
Lens: Canon 50mm
Focal Length: 50mm
f/2.5
Exposure: 2.5s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: PixInsight, Photoshop
Sunday, January 13, 2019
New Website for Boothe Memorial Astronomical Society (BMAS)
Below is the address/link for the new website for Boothe Memorial Astronomical Society (BMAS):
General Info
Meetings are held the first and third Fridays of each month and visitors are welcome!
Follow us on Twitter: @AstroBMAS and Facebook: BMAS
Location
The BMAS observatory is located at Boothe Memorial Park on Main St. in the Putney area of Stratford, CT.
About:
The Boothe Memorial Astronomical Society was formed by a local group of professional and amateur astronomers in 1953. Our members have been studying the sky and educating people in the greater Bridgeport area for over 60 years. Today we are involved in the renovation of the Boothe observatory and telescopes, expansion of the educational center, and passing on the same passion for astronomy its founding members gave to the public.
Meetings take place at the BMAS Observatory, at Boothe Memorial Park in Stratford, Connecticut. We meet at 8:00 P.M. on the first and third Fridays of each month. In addition to regular meetings, we open the observatory for Public Open Houses, School Groups, Scouts, Jaycees, and other groups of people who are interested in a hands-on introduction to observational astronomy.
On clear nights, we're likely to spend the entire evening observing. The observatory has a 16" classical Cassegrain telescope with optics by Perkin Elmer, and a 4" Unitron Refractor telescope. In addition, many of our members bring personally owned state of the art telescopes.
Often, more experienced members will be working with newer members or visitors to help them learn how to use their own equipment. When the sky is cloudy, our meetings are informal discussions of whatever happens to interest our members. Topics range from recent observations and current astronomical construction projects to whatever friends might happen to discuss when they get together.
Each year, we organize group camping trips to star parties located within a few hours drive. These events are held in dark sky locations, where we can see much more than is possible in our local light polluted sky. Besides darker sky, these conventions provide an opportunity to meet other people who have similar interests, hear a variety of speakers, and hit the swap tables in search of used parts and equipment at bargain prices.
New members are always welcome, but people who are especially interested in UFO’s, Horoscopes, or Science Fiction would probably find more interesting conversation about those topics in another organization.
Meetings take place at the BMAS Observatory, at Boothe Memorial Park in Stratford, Connecticut. We meet at 8:00 P.M. on the first and third Fridays of each month. In addition to regular meetings, we open the observatory for Public Open Houses, School Groups, Scouts, Jaycees, and other groups of people who are interested in a hands-on introduction to observational astronomy.
On clear nights, we're likely to spend the entire evening observing. The observatory has a 16" classical Cassegrain telescope with optics by Perkin Elmer, and a 4" Unitron Refractor telescope. In addition, many of our members bring personally owned state of the art telescopes.
Often, more experienced members will be working with newer members or visitors to help them learn how to use their own equipment. When the sky is cloudy, our meetings are informal discussions of whatever happens to interest our members. Topics range from recent observations and current astronomical construction projects to whatever friends might happen to discuss when they get together.
Each year, we organize group camping trips to star parties located within a few hours drive. These events are held in dark sky locations, where we can see much more than is possible in our local light polluted sky. Besides darker sky, these conventions provide an opportunity to meet other people who have similar interests, hear a variety of speakers, and hit the swap tables in search of used parts and equipment at bargain prices.
New members are always welcome, but people who are especially interested in UFO’s, Horoscopes, or Science Fiction would probably find more interesting conversation about those topics in another organization.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Pleiades-2019 (ED80)
Pleiades or M45 is probably the third most imaged object after Orion and Andromeda and happens to be my favorite open cluster. It contains over 500 stars and is 400 light-years away. At least seven of the very brightest stars are visible with the naked eye and is nicknamed the "Seven Sisters". In Japanese it is known as the Subaru hence the logo of the car company. Although it appears the bluish reflection nebula is part of the cluster, studies show that it is unrelated to the cluster it just happens to be passing through the molecular cloud.
The view is upside down from most other images I have seen as the Merope Nebula on the top and the stars Maia, Electra, and Alcyone on bottom, left, and in the center respectively. Like most of the stars that make up Pleiades, these are young, blue, hot, and luminous. This image and the one I took just last year with the DSLR (https://www.astrobin.com/323691/D/?nc=collection&nce=705) show the nebula with the elongated spikes coming together in the center. If you compare the images I believe I captured more nebulosity last year which is not that surprising since it was a longer exposure. However, I like how the background turned out on this version and it was much easier to process as I had much less defects. The large stars did not have nearly the same halos that last years image had. Lastly, I was going to crop it but I like the wide field including the orange/red star HIP 17759 on the bottom of the image. There was nothing noteworthy about it other than it is 541-light years away, I thought it looked good in contrast to the blue tinted Pleiades.
So why did I not shoot for longer exposure? I was not planning to image this at all this at all as I thought I would have my new telescope by now and would be imaging different objects. Astronomics said that it is off the boat and on the road now so it should not be too much longer (days). The weather has been crazy as of late and did want to get caught up in an object that I will need a month to image so I knew I could get a decent image of this even with only a few hours. Most people would be surprised to see my small FOV so I have to be strategic in my imaging (very small windows). As it turns out I also have three hours on the Horsehead Nebula which is bare minimum but there is supposed to be a couple of clear nights coming up and the telescope is not here yet so I will try for some more data on that. Anyways, enjoy what is likely my last Pleiades image using the ED80.
M45 - Pleiades
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-3-19, 1-5-19, 1-6-19
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Atlas Pro
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO R, G, B, L
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: R 22 x 90, G 21 x 90, B 22 x 90, L 52 x 90 (2.9 hrs total)
Gain: 139
Offset 21
Temp: 0 C
Post Processing: PixInsight and Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
The view is upside down from most other images I have seen as the Merope Nebula on the top and the stars Maia, Electra, and Alcyone on bottom, left, and in the center respectively. Like most of the stars that make up Pleiades, these are young, blue, hot, and luminous. This image and the one I took just last year with the DSLR (https://www.astrobin.com/323691/D/?nc=collection&nce=705) show the nebula with the elongated spikes coming together in the center. If you compare the images I believe I captured more nebulosity last year which is not that surprising since it was a longer exposure. However, I like how the background turned out on this version and it was much easier to process as I had much less defects. The large stars did not have nearly the same halos that last years image had. Lastly, I was going to crop it but I like the wide field including the orange/red star HIP 17759 on the bottom of the image. There was nothing noteworthy about it other than it is 541-light years away, I thought it looked good in contrast to the blue tinted Pleiades.
So why did I not shoot for longer exposure? I was not planning to image this at all this at all as I thought I would have my new telescope by now and would be imaging different objects. Astronomics said that it is off the boat and on the road now so it should not be too much longer (days). The weather has been crazy as of late and did want to get caught up in an object that I will need a month to image so I knew I could get a decent image of this even with only a few hours. Most people would be surprised to see my small FOV so I have to be strategic in my imaging (very small windows). As it turns out I also have three hours on the Horsehead Nebula which is bare minimum but there is supposed to be a couple of clear nights coming up and the telescope is not here yet so I will try for some more data on that. Anyways, enjoy what is likely my last Pleiades image using the ED80.
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-3-19, 1-5-19, 1-6-19
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Atlas Pro
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO R, G, B, L
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: R 22 x 90, G 21 x 90, B 22 x 90, L 52 x 90 (2.9 hrs total)
Gain: 139
Offset 21
Temp: 0 C
Post Processing: PixInsight and Photoshop
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/
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