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.

Shots of the Moon and M3 with the new focuser

I replaced the standard focuser on my Orion ED80 refractor with a Moonlite Dual Speed CF Focuser. I am able to get much better clarity especially when imaging. As a newbie, I have been experimenting with post processing (i.e. Deep Sky Stacker, Registax, and Photoshop) to better my images. The results of some of this is below.

Addendum (2018)
Reprocessing some images to even out the background for a Messier Poster!

M3 - Globular Cluster with about 500,000 stars and 33,000 light-years from Earth located in the constellation of Canes Venatici. The bright orange star Arcturus located in Bootes can be used to locate this cluster which very difficult to view with the naked eye.


stacked, flattened, set the black point

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:51 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6
Exposure: 1-20s, 1-30s, 1-60s, 1-90s (3min 20s)
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop (flattened, set the black point)

 

stacked, flattened

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6
Exposure: 1-20s, 1-30s, 1-60s, 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop (flattened)


stacked

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6

Exposure: 1-20s, 1-30s, 1-60s, 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop


single frame, dark subtract, adjust histogram

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6
Exposure: 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: Photoshop (dark subtract, adjust histogram)


single frame, dark subtract

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6
Exposure: 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: Photoshop (dark subtract)

The following shots of the moon were probably the most focused shots I ever took. Even when magnified, they are still clear.



M3 - Moon, Waxing Crescent
Location: My Backyard, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/23/15 21:46 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6
Exposure: 1/280s
ISO: 200
Post Processing: none



M3 - Moon, Waxing Crescent
Location: My Backyard, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/23/15 21:46 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6
Exposure: 1/280s

ISO: 200


M3 - Moon, Waxing Crescent
Location: My Backyard, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/23/15 21:46 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
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/6
Exposure: 1/280s
ISO: 200
Post Processing: Photshop, Photo Editor