The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) area near Deneb in Cygnus. Taken from home July 24, 2012 with Canon 5D MkII camera at ISO 800 and Canon 200mm L-series lens at f/3.5 for stack of 2 x 5 minutes exposures, mean combined, plus 2 x 5 minute exposures with haze in sky which added the star glows.
The June 5, 2012 transit of Venus, taken from southern Alberta through thickening clouds, without any filter, for 1/8000s at ISO 100 with the Canon 60Da and 80mm A&M apo refractor at f/6, for 480mm focal length. The time from setup to shooting was minimal, as I chased into a clear hole in the clouds northeast of Calgary and pulled over on the highway to see and shoot the transit. Clouds moved in again rapidly, preventing a clear shot through a solar filter.
The partial solar eclipse as seen from Calgary, Alberta, on May 20, 2012, but seen as an annular eclipse from the SW United States. This was taken at maximum eclipse at 7:14 pm MDT, with 62% of the Sun covered. Taken from the TELUS Spark science centre at a public event there, and taken with an 80mm A&M apo refractor at f/6 (480mm focal length) and Canon 60Da camera at ISO 100 and 1/250 second exposure through a Baader solar filter. The Sun was in high cloud and not in a clear blue sky.
