The Transit of Mercury 9th May 2016

The Transit of Mercury about 15 minutes after it started. Taken from Doncaster Astronomical Society's Brian Joynes Observatory using a Skywatcher ED80 Refractor,
with a Baader white light filter and an iPhone!!




Photo by Max Freier

M81 and M82

M82 is a starburst galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. The starburst activity is thought to have been induced by the proximity of the larger neighbouring galaxy M81.The bipolar outflow is fuelled by  energy released by supernovae within clumps of very active, high surface brightness regions at the starburst core. There is no sign of the supernova seen in January 2014.
This image was taken with a SX Trius 694 camera on a Takahashi 106 refractor. 6x600s Ha exposures were added to 12x300s using a
uv filter as luminosity and to 5x300s red filter then combined with 4x300s green and 3x300s blue filters. Acquired in Nebulosity, stacked with flats the results were processed in Photoshop.

M100

M100, a member of the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies, is found in Coma Berenices and is some 50 million light years away. It is surrounded by smaller dwarf galaxies.
Within the frame is the end-on spiral galaxy NGC4321 as well as other faint background galaxies.
The LRGB  image was taken with  a SX Trius 694 camera on  a Takahashi 106 refractor. Exposures were L 23x300s R, G, and B 9x300s each, captured in Nebulosity ,stacked with flats in AstroArt and finally modified in Photoshop.

NGC 2903

NGC 2903 is a barred spiral galaxy about 30 million light years away in Leo discovered by William Herschel in 1784.Close inspection shows a number of fainter galaxies within the frame.The camera used was a SX Trius 694 on a Takahashi 106 refractor. Exposures were L 155m,R G and B filters 35m. each ,captured in Nebulosity pre-processed in AstroArt with final adjustments in Photoshop.

M3 - A globular in Canes Venatici

This globular is almost as big on the sky as M13 and a delight to observe visually, as well as to photograph.
Taken in April 2015 from Austerfield with the ODK12 and an M25C in a series of 60sec frames unguided. This was during the setting up of the ODK, so not a bad overall result looking back on the log. A re-processing of the subject to favour the colouring of the stars, in Photoshop. No flats or other calibration used.

The Monkey Head Nebula NGC 2174

NGC 2174 (also known as Monkey Head Nebula) is an H II emission nebula located in the constellation Orion and is associated with the open star cluster NGC 2175. It is thought to be located about 6,400 light-years away from Earth. The nebula may have formed through hierarchical collapse.

Photograph by Max Freier

Rossington 15th Jan 2016

10 x 300 sec at ISO 800..

100 mm APO telescope and Canon 600D Astromodified Camera 

ngc2174

 

This version of the Monkey Head Nebula was taken on 1.1.16 with a SE Trius 694 camera on a Takahashi 106 refractor, 12x600s Ha, 6x600s 0III and 7x600s SII filters.

IC 405

These images of the Flaming Star Nebula in Auriga  were taken on 21.12.15 using an SX Trius 694 camera with a Baader 7nm Ha filter on a Takahashi FSQ 106 refractor.10x600s exposures were captured in Nebulosity, stacked and pre-processed in AstroArt then finished off in Photoshop for the monochrome version. Using7x600s exposures with an 0111 filter and 6x600s with a S11 filter some colour was added, again in Photoshop.

IC 434

This version of the Horsehead Nebula was taken with a SX Trius 694 camera on a Takahashi106 refractor using an Baader 7nm Ha filter. 10x600s exposures on 18.12.15.were captured in Nebulosity, stacked in AstroArt and processed in Photoshop.

M42 Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, being south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of 1,344 ± 20 light years and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. It has a mass of about 2000 times the mass of the Sun. Older texts frequently refer to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula.

Photograph by Max Freier
Rossington 20th December 2015
30 x 300 sec, 15 x 30 sec and 15 x 10 sec all at ISO 800
100 mm APO telescope and Canon 600D Astromodified Camera
Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and Pix in Sight