The large, naked-eye star cluster that makes up most of the constellation of Coma Berenices, aka Mel 111. This is a wide view to simulate the field of binoculars. The galaxies NGC 4565 (left) and NGC 4559 (top left) are visible, as is NGC 4494 between the sliver-like NGC 4565 and the main star cluster. I shot this in deep twilight and retained some of the natural deep blue of the twilight from the earlier shots. The differences in star colours show up. The diffraction spikes are from the lens iris blades from being stopped down to f/4 from the maximum aperture of f/2.8. This is a stack of 7 exposures, each 4 minutes at f/4 with the 200mm Canon lens and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800, unguided on the AP Mach 1 mount.
A framing of the Milky Way from Altair in Aquila at bottom up to Albireo in Cygnus at top. The prominent dark nebulas B142 and B143, aka Barnard's E, are right of yellowish Tarazed above Altair. The constellation of Sagitta the Arrow is at centre, and to the right of Sagitta in the dark dust lanes is the Coathanger asterism, aka Collinder 399. Above Sagitta is the green disk of the Dumbbell Nebula, Messier 27, in Vulpecula the Fox. Above it, at upper left is the star cluster NGC 6885. And as a bonus, one of the stars in Sagitta is actually the globular cluster Messier 71. The field is about 24° by 16°. This is a stack of 6 x 3-minute exposures with the Rokinon RF85mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon R5 at ISO 800, on the Star Adventurer tracker. Taken from home on Sept. 27, 2022. Stacked and aligned in Photoshop. A mild star glow effect added with Luminar AI.
The summer Milky Way and galactic core area in Sagittarius, setting on a late summer evening in mid-September, with some of the foliage starting to turn to autumn colours. Thin cloud in the sky this night added the star glows naturally. This was from home in southern Alberta at latitude 51° N. The Small Sagittarius Starcloud, M24, is prominent above the bushes, with the reddish nebulas M17 and M16 above and flanked by the star clusters M25 and M23 (just in the bushes). Above M24 is the Scutum Starcloud with the star cluster M11. This is two tracked and stacked 2-mnute exposures blended with a single untracked 2-minute exposure for the ground, all with the Canon RF15-35mm lens at 28mm and f/2.8, and Canon R5 at ISO 1600, on the Star Adventurer 2i tracker. Taken on a night of lens testing as a "grab" shot. It serves to illustrate this region of sky and its configuation in late summer from mid-northern latitudes.
