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Archives for September 2022

NGC 869 & 884 – The Double Cluster in Perseus

September 21, 2022 by
NGC 869 & 884 – The Double Cluster in Perseus

Telescope: Meade 10” LX850 ACF @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, ASI120MM Mini, PHD2

Exposure: 76x60sec, gain 2800, offset 50, -10C, saved as Raw16/FITS

Darks: 32x180sec, gain 2800, offset 50, -10C, saved as Raw16/FITS

Flats: 64×0.250sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 17.9

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

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

For a long time there was some debate as to whether the two clusters that make up the Double Cluster are actually associated with each other or just happened to appear in the same line of sight with one lying behind the other. It now appears that they are indeed lying next to each other, each about 7,000 light years away and about 100 light years apart. However, there is some evidence that the two clusters are of different ages, so while they may have formed separately from each other, they are now traveling companions.

The Double Cluster is currently rising in the northeast after sunset.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

M15 – Globular Cluster in Pegasus

September 20, 2022 by
M15 – Globular Cluster in Pegasus

Telescope: Meade 10” LX850 ACF @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, ASI120MM Mini, PHD2

Exposure: 28x180sec, gain 2800, offset 50, -10C, saved as Raw16/FITS

Darks: 32x180sec, gain 2800, offset 50, -10C, saved as Raw16/FITS

Flats: 64×0.250sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.2

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, 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.

M15 is currently well placed in the southeast as the sky darkens.

Filed Under: Deepsky Imaging

M2 – Globular Cluster in Aquarius

September 17, 2022 by
M2 – Globular Cluster in Aquarius

Telescope: Meade 10” LX850 ACF @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, ASI120MM Mini, PHD2

Exposure: 26x180sec, gain 2800, offset 50, -10C, saved as Raw16/FITS

Darks: 32x180sec, gain 2800, offset 50, -10C, saved as Raw16/FITS

Flats: 64×0.250sec, tee shirt flats taken at dusk

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.0

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, 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.

M2 is currently well placed in the eastern sky during the early evening.

Filed Under: Deepsky Imaging

Jupiter & Io – 9/8/2022 02h30m EDT

September 12, 2022 by
Jupiter & Io – 9/8/2022 02h30m EDT

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Blocking Filter

Seeing: fair, 3/5

Exposure: 5% of 5x(3min @ 2msec), gain 400, saved as RAW8, SER

Histogram: 70%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, WinJUPOS, Photoshop

This image of Jupiter was taken at 2:30am on the morning of September 8th shortly after Io completed a transit of the planet. I thought that it was neat that this image shows a hint of detail on Io as well as its beautiful color. I still have some data sets sitting on my hard drive that were taken during the transit that I will process as soon as I get a chance.

Jupiter rises in the northeast during the early evening and is high in the south after midnight.

Filed Under: Solar System Imaging

Jupiter – 9/9/2022 01h56m EDT

September 11, 2022 by
Jupiter – 9/9/2022 01h56m EDT

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Filter

Seeing: fair, 3/5

Exposure: 5% of 10x(5min @ 2msec), gain 400, saved as RAW8, SER

Histogram: 70%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, WinJUPOs, Photoshop

This image of Jupiter was taken shortly before 2am on the morning of September 9th shortly after the Great Red Spot crossed Jupiter’s central meridian. The Great Red Spot continues to slowly shrink and fade, but still makes quite an impression on the southern equatorial belt.

Jupiter rises in the northeast during the early evening and is high in the south after midnight.

Filed Under: Solar System Imaging

Saturn – 9/9/2022 23h15m EDT

September 10, 2022 by
Saturn – 9/9/2022 23h15m EDT

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Filter

Seeing: poor to fair, 2-3/5

Exposure: 5% of 5min @ 15msec, gain 400, saved as RAW8, SER

Histogram: 75%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, WinJUPOs, Photoshop

It has been quite a while since I have done any extensive planetary imaging, but I’m starting to get the hang of it. I wasn’t planning on imaging Saturn as the seeing wasn’t forecast to be very good, but it was better than I had expected. I wanted to test some camera settings and processing work flow that I am working on and I’m pretty happy with the results. A big part of this is getting comfortable with this fairly old (1994) C11 that I have been working with and it seems to be settling in nicely.

Saturn is well placed in the evening sky rising in the east as the sun set and high in the south by midnight.

Filed Under: Solar System Imaging

Saturn – 9/6/2022 22h40m EDT

September 8, 2022 by
Saturn – 9/6/2022 22h40m EDT

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Filter

Seeing: poor, 2/5

Exposure: 5% of 5min @ 15msec, gain 400, saved as SER

Histogram: 70%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This is my first image from the opening of the 2022 planetary imaging season. I still have lots to learn, but I’m off to a good start!

Saturn is well placed in the evening sky wising in the east as the sun set and high in the south by midnight.

Filed Under: Solar System Imaging