Archives for January 2023

Telescope: 8” Meade Wide Field LX200GPS @ f/4, Altaz mode

Camera: ZWO ASI 294MC (uncooled)

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 30x15sec, Gain 120, binned 2×2, saved as TIFF

Darks: None

Flats: Synthetic

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.4

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: ASI Air Plus, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

M79 is one of the few globular clusters in the northern hemisphere’s winter sky. Although relatively bright (Mv 7.7), M79 can be a bit of a challenge for backyard observers as it hides low in the south and is often obscured by skyglow. Interestingly, there is some speculation that M79 may not be a native to the Milky Way, but instead it may be associated with the Canis Major dwarf galaxy which is currently passing very close to our galaxy.

M79 is presently in the southeast below Orion as the sky darkens.

Telescope: 8” Meade Wide Field LX200GPS @ f/4, Altaz mode

Camera: ZWO ASI 294MC (uncooled)

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: None

Exposure: 32x15sec, Gain 120, binned 2×2, saved as TIFF

Darks: None

Flats: Synthetic

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

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.4

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: ASI Air Plus, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This field shows M42/43, the Great Nebula in Orion. This is a wonderful region to explore with binoculars or a small telescope. Visually the nebula shows a soft gray and displays a wealth of fine detail. This is also a very rewarding region to photograph and even short exposures show a range of beautiful colors. The red of the Great Nebula is the emission of hydrogen set aglow by hot young stars within the nebula while the smoky blue/gray is starlight reflecting off of interstellar dust. The dark lanes are veils of dust in the foreground.

This is the first of 14 images taken with my ASI Air Plus while using it along with my wide field 8” LX200GPS for remote, camera-assisted observing. The scope was fitted with a Celestron 0.63x focal reducer/field flattener, giving a focal ratio of f/4. The camera was an uncooled ASI 294MC fitted with a 2” nosepiece giving the 105mm backspacing from the focal reducer and holding an Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter that was serving as an IR cut filter. This system was configured primarily for wireless remote observing using Sky Safari via SkyFi to control the telescope and the preview mode of the ASI Air Plus to observe through the scope. The Live Stacking mode was also very effective, but for my purposes the Preview mode worked well. To make a record of interesting objects I used the ASI Air Plus to grab 32x15sec subs for later processing.

The Sword of Orion is currently well-placed rising in the east as the sky darkens.