Telescope: Unitron 510 5” f/16 refractor, Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Canon EOS Ra full frame DSLR

Filter: 2” ZWO IR Cut Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm Guidescope, ASI290MM, PHD

Exposure: 11x120sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction)

Flats: 32×1/10s sky flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, fair transparency, haze, smoke

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.7 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard EOS, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

M27, the Dumbbell nebula, is an expanding shell of gas that was ejected from a sun-like star as it exhausted its hydrogen fuel. Swollen into a red giant, the star shed its outer shell while its core collapsed into a white dwarf. Fierce UV radiation from the collapsed core sets the surrounds gas aglow with the blue/green light of doubly ionized oxygen. The diameter of the nebula is about 1 light-year with an estimated age of 9,800 years. Located between Sagitta and Cygnus, M27 is fairly easy to find with a small telescope. Visually, it shows two lobes connected by a neck of nebulosity, giving the nebula its characteristic dumbbell shape.

This is the third of 5 test images taken with my Unitron 510. M27 is currently high in the east as the sky darkens. (Photo credit; John Graham, 7/14/2023)

Telescope: Unitron 510 5” f/16 refractor, Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Canon EOS Ra full frame DSLR

Filter: 2” ZWO IR Cut Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm Guidescope, ASI290MM, PHD

Exposure: 50x30sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction)

Flats: 32×1/10s sky flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, poor transparency, haze, smoke

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.1 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard EOS, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

M22 is a large, bright, class 7 globular cluster in Sagittarius. With an estimated distance of 10,600 light years it is one of the closer globulars in our galaxy. In many ways M22 should outshine M13, but it can get a bit lost among the stars along the Milky Way near the Sagittarius star clouds and its light is dimmed by dust along the galactic plane. Still, it is large, bright, and easily resolves into this beautiful glow of stardust even in a modest telescope. In a large telescope it blossoms into a glorious sight. This is one of the gems of the summer sky in the northern hemisphere.

This is the second of 5 test images taken with my Unitron 510. M22 is currently rising in the southeast as the sky darkens. (Photo credit; John Graham, 7/14/2023)

Telescope: Unitron 510 5” f/16 refractor, Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Canon EOS Ra full frame DSLR

Filter: 2” ZWO IR Cut Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm Guidescope, ASI290MM, PHD

Exposure: 16x45sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction)

Flats: 32×1/10s sky flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, poor transparency, haze, smoke

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.3 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard EOS, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

M92 is the ‘other’ globular cluster in Hercules. M92 lies to the northeast of the popular M13 globular cluster in a relatively lonely patch of sky making it a bit harder to locate, but well worth the effort. Interestingly, M92 is listed as being fainter than M13 (Mv 6.4 for M92 vs. 5.8 for M13), but I find the core of M92 to be a tad brighter than M13. This is likely the result the apparent size of M13 being larger than M92 giving M13 a higher total integrated brightness.

This is the first of 5 test images taken with my Unitron 510. The field showed a surprising amount of vignetting, so this image was cropped square to fit within the region that could be corrected with flats. This issue was later traced to a baffle in the draw tube. When this was removed the telescope easily covered the entire full frame.

M92 is currently placed very high in the northeast as the sky darkens. (Photo credit; John Graham, 7/14/2023)

Telescope: Meade SN10 at f/4, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 268c, Mode 0, Gain 30, Offset 30, 0C

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm, ASI290MM mini, PHD

Exposure: 33x180sec, saved as FITS

Darks: 32×180 sec

Flats: 64×0.1 sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, poor transparency, low ltitude

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.2 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

M80 is a bright, condensed globular cluster in Scorpius. Containing several hundred thousand stars, it is one of the most densely populated globulars. It is approximately 95 light years across, and 32,600 light years away, about four time farther away than nearby M4.

M80 is currently low in the southeast as the sky darkens.

Telescope: Unitron 155 4” f/15 refractor, Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, –20C, GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm Guidescope, ASI120MM, PHD

Exposure: 24x300sec, gain 2800, offset 50, saved as FITS, dithered every 2 images

Darks: 32, -20C, gain 2800, offset 50, saved as FITS

Flats: 64×0.5sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, variable transparency

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.3-18.6

Stacking: Average, 1 sigma clip

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This is M13, the Great Cluster in Hercules. If you look carefully you can glimpse the tiny galaxy NGC 6207 (Mv 11.6) in the upper left corner of this field. What appears to be a dust lane drapes to the lower left across the cluster. This is a very unusual feature for a globular cluster and it is not clear if this is actually associated with M13 or simply lies in the line of sight with the cluster.

M13 currently rises in the northeast during the early evening.

Telescope: Meade SN10 at f/4, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 268c, Mode 0, Gain 30, Offset 30, 0C

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm, ASI290MM mini, PHD

Exposure: 11x300sec, saved as FITS

Darks: 32×300 sec

Flats: 64×0.1 sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, fair transparency

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

Supernova 2023ixf in M101 is a type II supernova, the result the core collapse of a massive star. The supernova was discovered on May 19^th while it was at magnitude 14.9. It quickly brightened to magnitude 11, which is where it is at now and within easy reach of modest size telescopes. Over the next few weeks and months it will slowly fade from sight.

Note that this is a photometric image, meaning that is has been processed to preserve the relative brightness of the stars and galaxy, so this is what the field would look like through a large telescope under a dark sky. The supernova is in the outer arm to the lower left of the core and a little bit brighter than the core. This shows how this single star is brighter than all of the billions of stars that make up the host galaxy and is even brighter than the million of stars that are crowded around the galaxy’s core. Also consider that all of the other stars in the field are in our own galaxy and none of these are more than a few thousand light years away. Note that M101 lies above the galactic plane and when we are looking in this direction intergalactic space is only a few thousand light years away, so none of the stars in this field can be farther away than that. The supernova is comparable to many of these local stars and is brighter than many of them, yet the host galaxy is 27 million light years away! That almost 10,000 times farther away that the local stars, yet is appears to be of comparable brightness!

 

The same image with the location of the supernova marked.

 

The same image, this time processed as a more conventional deepsky image to bring up the faint details. It does hep show the beautiful color and structure of the galaxy, but you can see how it suppresses the relative brightness of the supernova.

Neat stuff.

M101 is currently high overhead as the sky darkens.

 

Telescope: Meade SN10 at f/4, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 268c, Mode 0, Gain 30, Offset 30, -10C

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm, ASI290MM mini, PHD

Exposure: 56x120sec, saved as FITS

Darks: 32×300 sec

Flats: 64×0.1 sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, poor transparency, smoke

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.1 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

M3 is a beautiful example of a globular cluster in a relatively lonely stretch of sky. The cluster is a member of the galactic halo and spends much of its time orbiting well outside the plane of the galaxy. It is presently 33,000 light years away from us, 40,000 light years from the galactic core, and 33,000 light years ‘above’ the galactic plane. Home to about 500,000 stars, M3 is relatively young as globular clusters go with an estimated age of 8 billion years.

Ugh, despite the ‘clear’ skies, we are currently dealing with a thick veil of smoke from forest fires in Canada. I was very surprised at how well my cameras could punch through the poor conditions and still give a decent image. Imaging diffuse objects like galaxies is not an option for me right now, but clusters seem to do well, and stellar targets like clusters, double stars, and asteroids are still nice visual targets.

M3 is currently well placed high in the northeast as twilight deepens.

Telescope: Meade SN10 at f/4, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 268c, Mode 0, Gain 30, Offset 30, -10C

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm, ASI290MM mini, PHD

Exposure: 52x120sec, saved as FITS

Darks: 32×300 sec

Flats: 64×0.1 sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, poor transparency, haze

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

This is M13, the Great Cluster in Hercules. Also in the picture is the spiral galaxy NGC 6207 (Mv 11.6) in the upper left corner, and about halfway between NGC 6207 and M13 is the tiny edge-on galaxy IC 4617 (Mv 15.2) . If you look carefully at M13 you can see a dust lane to the lower left of the cluster. This is a very unusual feature for globular clusters and it is not clear if this is actually associated with M13 or simply front of the cluster.

M13 currently rises in the northeast during the early evening.

Telescope: Meade SN10 at f/4, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 268c, Mode 0, Gain 30, Offset 30, -10C

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm, ASI290MM mini, PHD

Exposure: 20x300sec, saved as FITS

Darks: 32×300 sec

Flats: 64×0.1 sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, poor transparency, haze

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.4 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

M51 is a beautiful face-on spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici, just south of Alkaid, the bright star that lies at the eastern end of the Big Dipper. The spiral arm that appears to connect M51 to the nearby companion (NGC 5195) is a bit of an illusion. The companion actually lies behind M51, and if you look closely you can see that the spiral arm is silhouetted against the background galaxy. Modern observations and computer modeling suggest that the companion has made at least two passes through the main disk of M51. During the first, it approached M51 from behind, passed through the face of the galaxy, swung around in an orbit that took it in front, and then back through the disk where it lies now behind M51. These passes set off bursts of star formation that gives the arms of M51 their beautiful blue color.

M51 currently high overhead during the early evening.

Telescope: Astro-Tech 8” f/8 Ritchey-Chretien, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, -20C, Baader Mk III MPCC, GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini, PHD2

Exposure: 25x300sec, gain 2800, offset 50, saved as FITS, dithered every 2 images

Darks: 32, -20C, gain 2800, offset 50, saved as FITS

Flats: 64×0.3sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, poor transparency

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.3

Stacking: Average, 1 sigma clip

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

NGC 3115 is an edge-on lenticular galaxy in Sextans. Lenticular galaxies are similar to spiral galaxies in that they in the form of a broad, thin disk, however, the disk of a lenticular galaxy is smooth and relatively featureless without any clear spiral structure. Another feature of NGC 3115 is that it does not show a significant dust lane along the plane of the galaxy. NGC 3115 has apparently consumed nearly all of its interstellar matter and star birth has come to a stop and the galaxy is composed primarily of old stars. The absence of a dust lane gives the galaxy its characteristic shape and nickname; the Spindle Galaxy. NGC 3115 is one of two galaxies known as the Spindle, the other being NGC 5866 in Draco.

NGC 3115 is relatively small, but a fairly easy visible target and is currently well low in the southeast during the early evening.