Telescope: Astro-Tech RC8 @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Baader modified Nikon D610, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, Starlight Xpress Super Star, PHD2

Exposure: 26x120sec, ISO 400, 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: 18.6 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

NGC 5907, the Splinter Galaxy, is very slender edge-on spiral galaxy with a small central bulge and a pronounced dust lane. The dust lane shows some wonderful detail and tints the core a beautiful amber color. The galaxy itself is something of a giant lying 59 million light years away and is 180,000 light years across.

NGC 5907 currently well placed high in the northeast after sunset.

Telescope: ES Comet Hunter MN6 at f/4.8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Baader modified Nikon 610

Filter: 2” Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

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

Exposure: 18x120sec, ISO 400, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/50sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

To the upper right is NGC 4631 (The Whale) a large edge-on spiral galaxy with the much smaller dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 4627 (The Pup) just to its north. These two galaxies form an interacting pair with the smaller galaxy distorting the disk of the larger, forming its distinctive shape. To the lower left is another distorted edge-on spiral galaxy, NGC 4656, nicknamed the Hockey Stick. Just off of the tip of the hook is an edge-on spiral far off in the background.

NGC 4631 & 4656 are currently well places high in the northeast early in the evening.

Telescope: ES Comet Hunter MN6 at f/4.8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Baader modified Nikon 610

Filter: 2” Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

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

Exposure: 36x60sec, ISO 400, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/50sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, 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.

M92 currently rises in the northeast late in the evening and is high overhead at dawn.

Telescope: Meade 12” LX850 ACF @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Baader modified Nikon 610

Filter: High Point 2” IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, ASI290MM Mini, PHD2

Exposure: 11x120sec, ISO 200, saved as FITS

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/2sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

At the center of this image is four galaxies that comprise the Hickson 44 Compact Galaxy Group located just north of the beautiful binary star Algieba in Leo. From left to right these NGC 3193, NGC 3190, NGC 3187, and NGC 8185. Of these NGC 3193 is an elliptical and the others are spirals. NGC 3187 is a barred spiral with a highly warped disk. Paul Hickson cataloged 100 compact galaxy groups, most of which form interacting groups with local concentrations of dark matter.

The Hickson 44 compact galaxy group is currently well placed high in the east as the sky darkens. (Photo credit; John Graham, 3/29/2021)

Telescope: ES Comet Hunter MN6 at f/4.8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Baader modified Nikon 610

Filter: High Point 2” IR Blocking Filter

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

Exposure: 28x120sec, ISO 200, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/4sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

If you look closely galaxies are sprinkled across this field located just north of the beautiful binary star Algieba in Leo. At the center of this image is four galaxies that comprise the Hickson 44 Compact Galaxy Group. From left to right these NGC 3193, NGC 3190, NGC 3187, and NGC 8185. Of these NGC 3193 is an elliptical and the others are spirals. NGC 3187 is a barred spiral with a highly warped disk. Paul Hickson cataloged 100 compact galaxy groups, most of which form interacting groups with local concentrations of dark matter.

The Hickson 44 compact galaxy group is currently well placed high in the east as the sky darkens.

Telescope: ES Comet Hunter MN6 at f/4.8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Baader modified Nikon 610

Filter: High Point 2” IR Blocking Filter

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

Exposure: 19x60sec, ISO 200, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/4sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

M10 is one of several bright, beautiful globular clusters in Ophiuchus. Although superficially globulars appear similar, they each have their own distinct character. The globulars that populate the summer sky are a great opportunity to visit several in one night to see for yourself how different they are.

M10 rises in the east late in the evening and is high in the south in the early morning. (Photo credit; John Graham, 3/20/2021)

Telescope: Astro-Tech RC8 @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Baader modified Nikon D610, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, Starlight Xpress Super Star, PHD2

Exposure: 32x120sec, ISO 200, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/10sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 17.7 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

This was the first of three first-light images taken to test the performance of the full-frame Nikon D610a on the RC8 and with the Baader Mk III MPCC. This proved to be an excellent match with good star shapes across the field and only a bit of vignetting in the corners that were handled pretty well with flats. This is going to be a wonderful mid-field imaging system.

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.

M3 is currently well placed in the northeast as the sky darkens.

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

Camera: QHY 168c, -10: Deepsky Default; Gain: 4, Offset 30

Filter: GSO IR Blocking

Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm, ASI290MM Mini, PHD2

Exposure: 29x240sec saved as FITS

Darks: 32x240sec saved as FITS

Flats: 32×0.20sec, LED tracing tablet w/ 3 layers of muslin

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, poor transparency

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

M88 (right) and M91 (left) are a relatively bright spiral galaxies in Virgo. M88 shows a classic spiral structure while M91 is a beautiful barred spiral. If you closely there are several galaxies scattered across this field. For example, NGC 4516 (Mv 13.5) lies to the upper left of M88, and tiny PGC 41978 (Mv 15.2) is to the lower left of M91. To the lower left of M88 is IC 3478 (Mv 14.4) and IC 3476 (Mv 12.8).

The Virgo Galaxy Cluster is currently well placed in the evening sky low in the east after sunset and rising high overhead by midnight.