Recent posts

#81

Astrophotography / Re: A few more from late March...

Last post by Dave A - Apr 11, 2025, 12:34:47

Fantastic images Roberto
I love the Solar eclipse with plane flying in front

#82

Astrophotography / Re: Markarian's Chain

Last post by JohnH - Apr 09, 2025, 18:08:22

I don;t normally go for small galaxies, but this is a very nice chain of them.  You have done well from Bromley John. 

TBH tiny galaxies are not really my cup of tea either but I was looking for something that would work for my 'scope!

#83

Astrophotography / Re: A few more from late March...

Last post by Roberto - Apr 09, 2025, 16:48:30

Fabulous set of images Roberto.  Which one of the 3 is the new one? 

Carole

Thank you Carole! The one nearest.

#84

Astrophotography / Re: Markarian's Chain

Last post by Carole - Apr 09, 2025, 15:28:19

I don;t normally go for small galaxies, but this is a very nice chain of them.  You have done well from Bromley John. 

#85

Astrophotography / Markarian's Chain

Last post by JohnH - Apr 09, 2025, 14:37:01

A part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies in the region of 55 million light years distant. My favourite one is NGC 4440 down in the bottom right corner. If you zoom in it is a perfect face on barred spiral galaxy. It is also possible to make out dust clouds around the rim of NGC 4402 (edge on spiral galaxy to the left and slightly above M86 - upper right)

With the recent dry weather I have been experimenting with the ASIAir "Plan" mode. Set the details of what you want to image, through which filter and how long for, open the roof and remove the lens covers. The system sets the camera temperature, starts guiding, points at the target, sets the filter and focuses. I had it set to stop imaging at 0415 and return to home position to make sure it is not pointing at the sun before I close the roof.

That is how I have managed 9 hours 44 minutes of imaging over two nights.

Telescope: Sharpstar 15028 HNT (150 mm f2.
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro (at -10C)
Filters: Dual Band, Ha, R, G and B

Processing:
Pixinsight (Calibrate, stack, sharpen, de-noise, add Ha, combine Luminance and Chrominance, separate galaxies and stars then stretch images).

Affinity Photo 2 (Further stretching, vibrance and saturation, additional sharpening, final curves adjustment and then re-combine galaxies and stars).

John

#86

Astrophotography / Re: A few more from late March...

Last post by Carole - Apr 09, 2025, 13:07:19

Fabulous set of images Roberto.  Which one of the 3 is the new one? 

Carole

[Sun Ha & CaK - 19 March 2025 - 08:50UT - SHG 700]

#87

Astrophotography / A few more from late March and...

Last post by Roberto - Apr 08, 2025, 14:19:52

The weather gods have been kind to us over the last few weeks...

Sun Ha & CaK - 19 March 2025 - 08:50UT - SHG 700

Published: Mar 19, 2025

Acquisition: 7 × 0.43ms

Equipment:
- Telescope: Moonraker 94mm F/7 Refractor
- Camera: ToupTek G3M 678M
- Mount: Astro-Physics 1100GTO
- Filters: Antlia Solar Discover Dualband Energy Rejection Filter (ERF) Antlia Solar Discover Dualband Energy Rejection Filter (ERF), MLAstro SHG 700
- Software: Adobe Photoshop, AstroSharp Ltd SharpCap, Cédric Champeau JSol'Ex, Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert!, Filip Szczerek ImPPG (Image Post-Processor), Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight

For more information, visit AstroBin:
https://app.astrobin.com/i/ob8ur0



NGC3169, 3165, 3166, 3156 and others in Sextans - LRGB with NB

Published: Mar 25, 2025

Total integration: 25h 5m

Integration per filter:
- LP: 9h 30m (57 × 600')
- Multiband: 5h 50m (35 × 600')
- No filter: 9h 45m (117 × 300')

Equipment:
- Optics: Astro-Physics StarFire EDF 152mm f/7.5, Astro-Physics StarFire GTX 110mm f/6, Astro-Physics Stowaway 92mm f/6.65
- Cameras: Moravian Instruments C5A-100M, ToupTek SkyEye24AC, ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
- Mount: Astro-Physics 1600GTO-AE
- Filters: Antlia ALP-T Dualband 3nm Ha & OIII 2", IDAS LPS-P2 50 mm
- Accessories: Astro-Physics 0.83x CCD Telecompressor Corrector for 110mm f/6 StarFire GTX (110TCC), Astro-Physics 0.8x CCD Telecompressor for 92/105mm (92TCC), Astro-Physics F/5.7 CCD Telecompressor Corrector for 160f/7.5 StarFire EDF (160TCC), Moravian Instruments External Filter Wheel 7x50mm
- Software: Open PHD Guiding Project PHD2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA), Tom Palmer Target Scheduler

For more information, visit AstroBin:
https://app.astrobin.com/i/8cxvrs





Partial Solar Eclipse - 29 March 2025 - from London in Ha with interloper - including AR14043

This one got IOTD in Astrobin on 8 April 2025.
Published: Mar 29, 2025

Acquisition: 150 × 0.40ms

Equipment:
- Telescope: Moonraker 94mm F/7 Refractor
- Camera: ZWO ASI174MM
- Mount: Astro-Physics 1100GTO
- Filter: Solarscope 60mm Etalon
- Accessory: Meade 3x Telenegative Multi-Coated
- Software: Chris Garry Planetary Imaging PreProcessor (PIPP), Filip Szczerek ImPPG (Image Post-Processor), Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Torsten Edelmann FireCapture

For more information, visit AstroBin:
https://app.astrobin.com/i/9l83zt



And plane crossing animation:



Timelapse:


Abell 1185, including NGC3561 - Ambartsumian's Knot - in Ursa Major plus NGC3550, PGC34393 - LRGB

Published: Apr 5, 2025

Total integration: 20h 15m

Integration per filter:
- LP: 10h 10m (61 × 600')
- No filter: 10h 5m (121 × 300')

Equipment:
- Optics: Astro-Physics StarFire EDF 152mm f/7.5, Astro-Physics StarFire GTX 110mm f/6, Astro-Physics Stowaway 92mm f/6.65
- Cameras: Moravian Instruments C5A-100M, ToupTek SkyEye24AC, ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
- Mount: Astro-Physics 1600GTO-AE
- Filters: Antlia ALP-T Dualband 3nm Ha & OIII 2", IDAS LPS-P2 50 mm
- Accessories: Astro-Physics 0.83x CCD Telecompressor Corrector for 110mm f/6 StarFire GTX (110TCC), Astro-Physics 0.8x CCD Telecompressor for 92/105mm (92TCC), Astro-Physics F/5.7 CCD Telecompressor Corrector for 160f/7.5 StarFire EDF (160TCC), Moravian Instruments External Filter Wheel 7x50mm
- Software: Open PHD Guiding Project PHD2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA), Tom Palmer Target Scheduler

For more information, visit AstroBin:
https://app.astrobin.com/i/kwxova?r=E





Sun WL and Ha - TEC250MC and 94mm Christen-Moonraker - AR14054, 4048 and Prominences

Published: Apr 6, 2025

Acquisition: 150 × 5.80ms

Equipment:
- Optics: Moonraker 94mm F/7 Refractor, TEC MC250 f/20
- Camera: ZWO ASI174MM
- Mount: Astro-Physics 1100GTO
- Filters: Baader AstroSolar, Baader Solar Continuum (540nm) 10nm, Solarscope 60mm Etalon
- Accessories: Baader Glasspathcorrector 1:1.70 for Binoviewer with T-2 thread, Meade 3x Telenegative Multi-Coated, Sherizhe eADC
- Software: Chris Garry Planetary Imaging PreProcessor (PIPP), Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert!, Filip Szczerek ImPPG (Image Post-Processor), Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Torsten Edelmann FireCapture

For more information, visit AstroBin:
https://app.astrobin.com/i/p8w2fr







And one taken in WL with the 10" Maksutov:



M106 wide field - LRGB with dual filter data for narrowband

Published: Apr 8, 2025

Total integration: 31h 35m

Integration per filter:
- LP: 10h 20m (62 × 600')
- Multiband: 10h 20m (62 × 600')
- No filter: 10h 55m (131 × 300')

Equipment:
- Optics: Astro-Physics StarFire EDF 152mm f/7.5, Astro-Physics StarFire GTX 110mm f/6, Astro-Physics Stowaway 92mm f/6.65
- Cameras: Moravian Instruments C5A-100M, ToupTek SkyEye24AC, ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
- Mount: Astro-Physics 1600GTO-AE
- Filters: Antlia ALP-T Dualband 3nm Ha & OIII 2", IDAS LPS-P2 50 mm
- Accessories: Astro-Physics 0.83x CCD Telecompressor Corrector for 110mm f/6 StarFire GTX (110TCC), Astro-Physics 0.8x CCD Telecompressor for 92/105mm (92TCC), Astro-Physics F/5.7 CCD Telecompressor Corrector for 160f/7.5 StarFire EDF (160TCC), Moravian Instruments External Filter Wheel 7x50mm
- Software: Open PHD Guiding Project PHD2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA), Tom Palmer Target Scheduler

For more information, visit AstroBin:
https://app.astrobin.com/i/xqxn91





I was very lucky to acquire an excellent refractor in January and this last image was the first one taken with it contributing solely dual-band data:

#88

Astrophotography / Day time Moon in Blue Sky

Last post by Dave A - Apr 06, 2025, 20:13:13

Image of the Moon taken on a lovely clear day - not a cloud in the sky

Captured on 6th April in back garden in Orpington

With Seestar S50 Smartscope

#89

Astrophotography / Image of the Sun showing Sun s...

Last post by Dave A - Apr 06, 2025, 20:07:58

Image of the Sun using Seestar S50 Smartscope and Baader Solar Filter

Captured on 6th April in my back garden in Orpington

#90

Astrophotography / Re: M51

Last post by Hugh - Apr 06, 2025, 18:05:07

Very nice John ~ the larger cropped image looks a bit like a jewelled brooch

Good to keep the smaller galaxy as well.

~ Hugh