Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 50x60sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.0 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

M46 (left) and M47 (right) are two relatively bright open clusters located to the east of Canis Major in the constellation of Puppis. M47 is the brighter and closer of the pair at a distance of 1,600 light years as compared to M46 at 5,400 light years. M46 is fainter and richer than M47 and also sports a beautiful little planetary nebula (NGC 2438). Although the distance to the nebula is uncertain, it known that it is not physically associated with the cluster and is likely in the foreground. At the upper right edge of this field is a small, relatively sparse open cluster NGC 2423.

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 36x60sec, 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, poor 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, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This is a very busy region of the sky near Alnitak, the eastern star in the belt of Orion. Alnitak is the brilliant star at the top of this field. NGC 2024 (the Flame Nebula) is to the left and the beautiful red emission nebula IC 434 drapes down the center of the field with the iconic Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) silhouetted against it. To the left are the reflection nebula NGC 2023 and the tiny IC 435. To the lower right is Sigma Orionis, a wonderful complex of stars that is a fine target for binoculars and small telescopes. In larger scopes it resolves into a wonderful group of double and triple stars.

This was another ‘just for the heck of it’ image taken under very poor conditions just to see what I could see. I was particularly interested in whether I would see a Schmidt Ghost (a reflection off of the Schmidt corrector) from Alnitak. As it turns out there was a small reflection that was easy to clone out, but there are a couple of faint blue arcs on the right side of this field from Alnitak and Alnilam, the middle star in Orion’s Belt. This bodes well for trying this again using a narrowband filter. As it is I love how soft and subtle the nebula turned out in this image.

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 142x60sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

M101 is a wonderful face-on spiral just north of the handle of the Big Dipper. It is also something of a monster, nearly twice the size of the Milky Way, making it one of the largest spirals known. This field also shows several other galaxies, some of which are satellites of M101. At the bottom of the field in NGC 5474, a dwarf spiral

M101 is a circumpolar object that never sets from mid-northern latitudes. It rises with the handle of the Big Dipper and is visible in the northeast in the late evening and is high overhead at dawn.

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 28x60sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.0 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

M41 is a beautiful open cluster located 4 degrees south of the brilliant star Sirius. This is one of my favorite clusters for binoculars and small telescopes and it can even been glimpsed with the naked eye under dark skies. The cluster is also relatively large, covering an area that is about the size of the full moon.

M41 is currently well placed rising in the southeast during the early evening; center Sirius in your eyepiece and then sweep due south until you spot a patch of stardust.

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 29x60sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

Collinder 69 (Cr 69) is a large, bright open cluster that forms the head of Orion. Near its center is the beautiful double star Lamda Orionis (Meissa) shining at magnitude 3.4 and 5.5. This region is a delight in binoculars and small telescopes and simply wonderful in wide field scopes.

Collinder 69 is currently well placed rising in the east during the early evening.

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 31x60sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 17.9 mag/arc-sec^2

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

M45 is a big, beautiful, bright open cluster that is easily visible to the naked eye and is a delight in binoculars and small telescopes. Given the poor sky conditions I was surprised that I captured any of the reflection nebula, but it does a fair job of showing what the cluster looks like from a dark sky site. Interestingly, the nebula is not associated with the cluster, it just happens to be passing through a dusty region of space.

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 72x60sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

This is M81 (bottom) and M82 (top), two bright spiral galaxies lying about 12 million light years away in Ursa Major. At present, these two galaxies are about 150,000 light years apart, though a few hundred million years ago the two passed very close to each other. The dark dust lane slashing across M82 is one result of this close encounter with M81 as are the blue star formation regions in M81. To the lower left is NGC 3077, another spiral galaxy.

This is one of a series of check-out images taken with my D5300a on the Comet Tracker. Given the very poor sky conditions I’m very happy with the results. This system offers the widest field of all of my scopes and does a great job providing context images.

M81 and M82 are circum polar objects and therefore never set from mid-northern latitudes. This time of year they are fairly well placed in the northeast during the late evening and are high overhead after midnight.

M35 & NGC 2158 – Open Clusters in Gemini

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 13x60sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

Through a small telescope M35 is rather delicate and appears as a beautiful patch of stardust that just keeps on getting better as you use larger and larger scopes. NGC 2158 is the much smaller and fainter cluster to the lower right of M35. The apparent smaller size and red color of this cluster is a result of it being much farther away than M35; 16,500 light years for NGC 2158 versus 2,800 light years for M35. NGC 2158 makes a fine companion to M35 is large telescopes.

M35 is currently well placed rising in the northeast as the sky darkens.

Telescope: Meade SN6 Comet Tracker at f/3.6, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D5300, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Orion 50mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini

Exposure: 62x30sec, 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, poor transparency, bright moonlight

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

I like how this field shows how the Great Nebula is bracketed by NGC 1977 to the north and NGC 1980 to the south. Forming the Sword of Orion, this is a wonderful region to explore with a small telescope. Although visually the nebula shows a soft gray, it includes a wealth of fine detail. This is also a very rewarding region to photograph and even short exposures can show the beautiful range of colors. The red of the Great Nebula is the emission of hydrogen gas set aglow by hot young stars within the nebula, while the smoky gray/blue of M42 and the beautiful soft blue of NGC 1977 is starlight reflecting off of interstellar dust while the dark lanes are veils of dust in the foreground.

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

Camera: ZWO ASI071 MC Pro, -10C, Gain 200

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

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

Exposure: 21x240sec, saved as FITS

Darks: 32x240s, saved as FITS

Flats: 32×0.02sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, poor transparency, haze, good seeing

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

Stacking: Mean with a 2-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Nebulosity, Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop

This has got to be one of the most remarkable objects I have ever imaged. This small field, measuring about ½ degree wide, lies in the constellation of Lynx which is rising in the northeast this time of year. The field is sprinkled with galaxies as faint as magnitude 17 that appear as little smudges of various sizes and shapes. But the most remarkable object is the tiny red 15.2 magnitude ‘star’ at the center, only this isn’t a star, it’s a quasar; radiation from the accretion disk of a supermassive black hole at the core of an ancient galaxy that formed when the Universe was young. APM 08279+5255, the most distant object visible in amateur telescopes with an estimated distance of 12 billion light years, 87% of the way back towards the birth of the Universe itself! To put it in perspective the Universe is estimated to be 13.8 billion years old and the light from this object has been traveling for 12 billion of those years. The sun is young by comparison, only 4.6 billion years old. When the sun was born the light from this quasar had already been traveling for 7.4 billion years. The color is also fascinating. It appears red, but it’s not, it’s really a brilliant blue-white. This object is receding from us at such a great speed that its color has been red-shifted from blue, all the way across the visible spectrum to red.

APM 08279+5255 is currently well placed in the northeast after sunset and is high overhead by midnight. Although quite faint, APM 08279+5255 is certainly within the reach of large telescopes, even from suburban skies. This would make a fascinating visual target. It would be quite something to see 12 billion year old photons!