Telescope: LXD75 SC8 @ f/6.3, LX65 mount, altaz

Camera: Stock Canon 600D, interval timer

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 31x10sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/25sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 17.6

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, 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.

This is part of a series of images that I am taking to explore deepsky imaging using fairly basic equipment and techniques and the first image taken with my LX65. After some initial challenges I found that the mount track very well if it is well balanced.

M3 is currently placed low in the west after sunset.

Telescope: 8” LX80 @ f/6.3, LX90 mount, altaz mode

Camera: Baader modified Canon 600Da, interval timer

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 32x10sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/25sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Deep Sky 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 part of a series of images that I am taking to explore deepsky imaging using fairly basic equipment and techniques.

M92 is currently well placed high in the west after sunset.

Telescope: 8” LX80 @ f/6.3, LX90 mount, altaz mode

Camera: Baader modified Canon 600Da, interval timer

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 34x10sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/25sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

Globular clusters are relics of the ancient universe and M13 is no exception with an estimated age of 12 billion years. Their great age is an indication of their unusual stability. One consequence of this stability is that any heavy elements that their stars have made remains buried in their cores and the cluster itself has little, if any, interstellar dust. M13 is one of the few globular clusters with a dust-like feature that can be seen as a dark lane extending to the upper left of the core. It is possible that this dust lane is not really associated with M13, but instead is an independent object that just happens to be in front of the cluster.

This is part of a series of images that I am taking to explore deepsky imaging using fairly basic equipment and techniques.

M13 is currently well placed high in the west after sunset.

Telescope: 8” LX80 @ f/6.3, LX90 mount, altaz mode

Camera: Baader modified Canon 600Da, interval timer

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 27x10sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/25sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

NGC 457 is one of my favorite open clusters in just about any size telescope. It makes a fine target for binoculars and small telescopes and becomes a very rich field in larger scopes. The two bright distinctive foreground stars makes it fairly easy to locate. In a small telescope it is worth taking some time with this field. At first your eye may only see the two bright foreground stars and a few of the brighter stars of the cluster. As your eyes relax you may start to see some of the fainter background stars and the cluster will begin to blossom into a beautiful field of stardust.

This is part of a series of images that I will be taking to explore deepsky imaging using fairly basic equipment and techniques. I was curious about this particular field as the mount was fairly busy on both axis to track it and it worked quite well.

NGC 457 is currently well placed in the northeast after sunset.

Telescope: 8” LX80 @ f/6.3, LX90 mount, altaz mode

Camera: Baader modified Canon 600Da, interval timer

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 34x10sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/25sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

M15, a bright, condensed globular cluster in a relatively lonely stretch of sky in Pegasus. It is one of the oldest known globular clusters with an estimated age of 13.2 billion years and the first globular cluster found to have a planetary nebula (Pease 1), one of only four planetary nebula associated with a globular cluster. M15 is also one of the most condensed globular cluster and at some point in the distant past it experienced a core collapse that may have heralded the formation of a black hole in its nucleus. This is supported by the fact the M15 is an x-ray source.

This is part of a series of images that I will be taking to explore deepsky imaging using fairly basic equipment and techniques.

M2 is currently well placed in the east as the sky darkens.

M2 – Globular Cluster in Aquarius

Telescope: 8” LX80 @ f/6.3, LX90 mount, altaz mode

Camera: Stock Canon 600D, interval timer

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 24x10sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/20sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

M2 is a big, beautiful globular cluster that is well placed in the eastern sky in late summer and early fall. It is an easy target for a small telescope. Under dark skies it can even be glimpsed without a telescope or even binoculars. M2 is about 37,500 light years away and lies beyond the galactic center. Like most globular clusters M2 is an ancient relic of the early universe with an estimated age of about 13 billion years.

This is part of a series of images that I will be taking to explore deepsky imaging using fairly basic equipment and techniques.

M2 is currently well placed in the east as the sky darkens.

Telescope: 8” LX80 @ f/6.3, LX90 mount, altaz mode

Camera: Stock Canon 600D, interval timer

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 30x5sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/20sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.5

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

M11 is a bright and wonderfully rich open cluster just off the tail of Aquila. It is an easy binocular object that just gets keeps getting better in large telescopes. The cluster lies approximately 6000 light years away and contains an estimated 2900 stars in a volume of space about 20 light years across. The average distance between the stars in the cluster is about 1 light year, making this a very crowded neighborhood!

This is the first in a series of images that I will be taking to explore deepsky imaging using fairly basic equipment and techniques.

M11 is currently well placed in the southeast as the sky darkens.