New Project...Messier

My new project - Image all 110 Messier objects.  The Messier Catalog, of course named in honor of Charles Messier, a French astronomer, who in the 1700's while searching for comets began cataloging other objects so they would not be confused with comets to be discovered.

I have previously imaged the following: M3-Globular Cluster, M4 - Globular Cluster, M8-Lagoon Nebula, M13-Globular Cluster, M27-Planetary Nebula, M31-Andromeda Galaxy, M32-Galaxy, M42, Great Orion Nebula, M45-Pleiades Star Cluster, M57-Planetary Nebula, M110-Galaxy.  I plan to organize this better and may re-image some of these as time goes on and I improve my technique.

A Good Night Part Two

For the end of the observing session (Part Two) with Boothe Memorial Astronomy Society on Friday (6/19/15) evening we observed the Ring Nebula (M57 or NGC 6720) in the constellation of Lyra and the Great Cluster in Hercules (M13 or NGC 6205) in the constellation of Hercules. Special thanks to Elliott Severn for pointing these objects out.

The Ring Nebula is a very small object which makes it hard to image. A higher resolution camera, a larger aperture telescope, or longer exposure image would improve the image quality. For these images I used an 80mm Orion ED80 refractor, a Canon Rebel T3i, and the total exposure was less than a minute. In the future I will try this again with a longer exposure. If that doesn't work I will try with my 8 inch Orion SkyView Pro reflector, although it is not as easy to set up as the ED80.

M57 - Ring Nebula (mag +8.8)
Location: Boothe Memorial Observatory, Stratford, CT
Date/Time: 6/19/15 22:18 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/7.5
Exposure: 3-6s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop, (Darken)

M57 - Ring Nebula (mag +8.8)
Location: Boothe Memorial Observatory, Stratford, CT
Date/Time: 6/19/15 22:18 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/7.5
Exposure: 3-6s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop, (Darken), Picasa3 (labeling)

M57 - Ring Nebula (mag +8.8)
Location: Boothe Memorial Observatory, Stratford, CT

Date/Time: 6/19/15 22:18 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/7.5
Exposure: 3-6s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop, (Darken), Picasa3 (crop)

M57 - Ring Nebula (mag +8.8)
Location: Boothe Memorial Observatory, Stratford, CT
Date/Time: 6/19/15 22:18 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/7.5
Exposure: 3-6s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop, (Darken), Picasa3 (crop, labeling)

M13 - Great Globular Cluster in Hercules (mag +5.8)
Location: Boothe Memorial Observatory, Stratford, CT
Date/Time: 6/19/15 22:39 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/7.5
Exposure: 3-10s, 3-20s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS

M13 - Great Globular Cluster in Hercules (mag +5.8)
Location: Boothe Memorial Observatory, Stratford, CT
Date/Time: 6/19/15 22:39 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/7.5
Exposure: 3-10s, 3-20s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Picasa3 (labeling)

M13 - Great Globular Cluster in Hercules (mag +5.8)
Location: Boothe Memorial Observatory, Stratford, CT
Date/Time: 6/19/15 22:39 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/7.5
Exposure: 3-10s, 3-20s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Picasa3 (crop)