M92

Managed to get a quick image of M92 during special viewing session with Boothe Memorial Astronomical Society (BMAS) on Sunday evening.  Messier 92 is a very bright (+6.4) globular cluster located in the Hercules constellation.  This image is only 7.5 minutes total exposure, I've taken other images of clusters with much longer exposures and they aren't as bright.  It has a diameter of 115 light-years and estimated to have 400,000 stars.  One more Messier object off my list (Messier Objects with an ED80 by Kurt Zeppetello), although I plan to get a longer exposure of this object. 

M92
Location: St John's Cemetary, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 08/07/16 10:15 pm
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Filter: Astronomik CLS, 2" (48mm)
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to and Orion Short Tube 80mm
Exposure: 15 x 30 sec (7.5 min)
ISO: 1600
Temp: 32 C
Post Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Lightroom

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)

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