Deep Sky - Messier Objects
M31 Andromeda Galaxy in Andromeda showing arcs of stars used to locate M31 (whole constellation not shown). Taken with 165mm telephoto lens at f/3.5 with Pentax 6x7 camera and Ektachrome E200 film and 18 minute exposure. Image cropped to closer to 35mm 2:3 format because of light leaks at edge of film frame. Taken from home October 2003. Glow layer added in Photoshop to add glows around stars. Mask applied to reduce vignetting from lens.
M31 Andromeda Galaxy in Andromeda and M33 in Triangulum showing stars used to locate them Taken with 165mm telephoto lens at f/3.5 with Pentax 6x7 camera and Ektachrome E200 film and 18 minute exposure. Image cropped to closer to 35mm 2:3 format because of light leaks at edge of film frame. Taken from home October 2003. Glow layer added in Photoshop to add glows around stars. mask applied to reduce lens vignetting.
The Andromeda Galaxy, M31 (2021)
Time for my annual image of the Andromeda Galaxy! This is M31, the spiral galaxy in Andromeda, with its two companion elliptical galaxies, the very small M32 below, and larger M110 above. North is up in this framing, in a set of images taken from home September 6, 2021. I shot this as a test of the Canon R6 mirrorless camera. It is a stack of 8 x 8-minute exposures at ISO 800, blended with a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at ISO 400 for the core, to prevent it from overexposing too much, all with the SharpStar 76mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with its field flattener/reducer, and autoguided with the MGEN3 autoguider, with interframe dithering applied, and no darks or LENR employed. It was on the Mach 1 mount. Some light haze added mild star glows. The faint arms and outer glows were brought out with luminosity masks created with Lumenzia and Zone System Express 7. All stacking, alignment and blending with Photoshop.
Andromeda Galaxy Above Mu Andromedae
A wide-field framing of the famous Andromeda Galaxy, aka M31 showing it above the two "guidestars," Mu (bottom) and Nu Andromedae that are used to star hop to the galaxy. Above M31 is one of its companion galaxies, M110, while below it on the edge of M31 is the nearly starlike (at this scale) M32, its other companion galaxy. North is to the upper left in this orientation. The field of view is similar to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 14 x 8-minute exposures with the Canon R6 camera at ISO 800, on the SharpStar 61mm apo refractor with its flattener/reducer for f/4.5. Only an Astronomik UV/IR Cut filter was employed. I had LENR turned on with the R6 to eliminate the amp glow flaw of the camera. Autoguided and dithered with the MGEN3 stand-alone autoguider. Stacked and aligned with Photoshop. Luminosity mask adjustments with Lumenzia helped bring out the outer structures. A high pass filter and the Starizona Galaxy Enhance action snapped up the dust lanes.
Andromeda Galaxy Over Moonlit Hoodoos
The Andromeda Galaxy (aka Messier 31) and the stars of Andromeda rising over moonlit formations at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta. Illumination is from the waxing gibbous Moon, low in the southwest so it is providing a warm light. This is an example of a "deepscape" - a nightcape with a telephoto lens to also record a deep-sky object in the frame above the horizon. However, moonlight prevents the galaxy from showing up as well as it would in a dark sky. The sedimentary formations here are from the late Cretaceous, about 70 million years old, while the light from the Andromeda Galaxy is about 2.5 million years old, though the galaxy itself is much older — billions of years old, older than the Earth and Sun. The scene provides a nice contrast of warm earth and cool sky tones. Taken July 8, 2022, this is a blend of tracked (for the sky) and untracked (for the ground) exposures — a stack of 2 for the ground and 5 for the sky, all 1 minute at f/4 and ISO 400 with the RF28-70mm lens at 70mm and Canon R5. The blend of sky exposures blurred the moving clouds framing the galaxy. I added a mild Pro Contrast effect filter to the ground with Nik Collection 5, and added sharpening to the ground with Topaz Sharpen AI. The tracker was the Star Adventurer Mini.
Andromeda Rising at Dinosaur Park
The constellation of Andromeda with the famous Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) rising on an early summer night at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta. This was June 30, 2022. The Square of Pegasus is at right. Several star clusters are at left: the Double Cluster at upper left, M34 below it, and NGC 752 to the right of M34. To the right of NGC 752 is the fuzzy patch of Messier 33, the Triangulum Galaxy. The main three stars of Triangulum are just rising above the hill at left. Green airglow tints the sky, as well as blue from the perpetual twilight at this time of year and latitude of 50° N. This is a blend of tracked exposures for the sky and untracked for the ground: all 2 minutes at f/2 with the RF28-70mm lens at 28mm and Canon R5 at ISO 800. The tracker was the Star Adventurer Mini. As the camera was aimed east to the rising sky, I took the static untracked shots first, followed by the tracked shots, so the ground would better cover the blurry horizon in the tracked shots -- i.e. the static horizon would be higher in the frame requiring less manual moving to cover the blurry horizon. LENR employed on all shots on this mild night. NoiseXTerminator applied to the sky.
Andromeda Rising at McGregor Lake
The constellation of Andromeda with its namesake galaxy at centre rising over McGregor Lake in southern Alberta on June 29, 2019, with solstice twilight brightening the sky to the north at left. Cassiopeia is at top left, with Perseus below. Pegasus is at right. This is a stack of 4 x 1-minute exposures for the ground, untracked, and a single 1-minute tracked exposure for the sky. The tracker mistracked for a couple of exposures spoiling the registration, so I used just one image for the sky. All were at ISO 800 with the Nikon D750 and Sigma 24mm lens at f/2.2.
Antares & Rho Ophiuchi Area (77mm 5DII)
The colourful region around yellow Antares (bottom) in Scorpius and blue Rho Ophiuchi (top) in Ophiuchus. The nebulas are largely reflection nebulas, taking on the colour of the stars embedded in the nebulas. However, the field also contains a lot of emission nebulosity, hydrogen gas glowing red and magenta. Plus there are fingers of brown dark dusty nebulosity. It is one of the most colourful regions of the sky. At right of Antares are two globular clusters, NGC 6144 (small, at 2 o'clock from Antares) and the larger Messier 4 right of Antares. This is a stack of 5 x 8 minute exposures with the Borg 77mm astrographic apo (330mm focal length) at f/4.3 and the filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800. I took this March 31/April 1 from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia.
Antares area of Scorpius, with dark lanes of nebulosity (Rho Ophiuchi dark nebulas) leading down to Antares and globular cluster M4 at lower right, with colourful reflection and emission nebulas. Takenf from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, May 2011, with Canon 7D (unmodified) and Canon 135mm telephoto lens at f/2.8 for stack of 8 x 2 minute exposures at U=ISO 1250.
The Colourful Nebulas Around Antares
The colourful region around Antares in Scorpius, the yellow star at centre. To the right is the globular cluster Messier 4. Above right of Antares is the smaller globular NGC 6144. Above are the nebulas associated with Rho Ophiuchi. The area is filled with reflection (yellow and blue) and emission nebulas (red and pink). The field simulates a binocular field. This is a stack of 5 x 2-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600.
The constellation of Auriga as well as southern Gemini, showing the 4 Messier star clusters: M36, M37, M38 in Auriga and M35 in Gemini. Taken from home with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and Sigma 50mm lens at f/4 for a stack of 5 x 6 minute exposures, plus a stack of 2 x 6 minutes with the Kenko Softon filter.
Auriga Clusters and Nebulosity
Messier and NGC clusters and nebulosity in southern Auriga. Taken October 9/10, 2010 under somewhat hazy skies. Stack of 5 x 2.5-minute exposures with 135mm Canon telephoto at f/3.2 and Canon 5D MkII at ISO1600.
Star Clusters and Nebulas in Auriga
This is a framing of the rich array of star clusters and nebulas in central Auriga. The large star cluster Messier 38 is at top left, with the small cluster NGC 1907 just below it. The smaller star cluster Messier 36 is at left. M38 is often called the Starfish Cluster, while M36 is the Pinwheel Cluster. The complex of star cluster Stock 8 and IC 417 is left of centre, with the small emission nebula NGC 1931 between it and M36. The large nebula at lower centre is IC 410 with the star cluster NGC 1893 embedded in it. The large nebula at right is IC 405, aka the Flaming Star Nebula, with a mix of red emission and blue reflection nebulosity. The faint streak of nebulosity right of M38 at top is Sharpless 2-230. The tiny intense patch of red nebulosity at upper left is Sharpless 2-235. The colourful asterism of stars between IC 410 and IC 405 is variously known as the Little Fish or the Flying Minnow., made of the stars 16, 17, 18 and 19 Aurigae. The field of view is just under 9° by 6°. This is a stack of just 7 x 4-minute exposures with an Askar FMA230 astrograph (230mm focal length at f/4.5), and filter-modified Canon Ra camera at ISO 800. However, no filters were employed here. Nebulosity was brought out using successive curves with luminosity masks generated by Lumenzia. All alignment and layering in Photoshop. Taken from home on January 27, 2022. Autoguided with the MGEN3 guider and dithered. No LENR or dark frame subtraction was employed on this mild winter night. Some light haze in some frames added the star glows. This was a stack of the best 7 frames out of 30 taken this night!
Auriga Clusters, M36, M37, M38 (Bino Field)
Trio of open clusters in Auriga (left to right): M37, M36 and M38 and nearby nebulosity IC 410 and IC 405, Flaming Star Nebula at right. Small nebula at left is Sharpless 2-231. This is a stack of 5 x 4 minute exposurs with Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and Canon 135mm lens at f/2.8. Taken January 6, 2011. Field of view simulated binocular field.
Clusters and Nebulas in Auriga
This is a portrait of the main glowing nebulas amid star clusters in central Auriga, the Charioteer. The main nebula at right is the Flaming Star Nebula, aka IC 405. But in this long exposure its mass blends into the central roundish nebula, IC 410. At top left is the pair of Sharpless nebulas, Sh 2-232 and the small Sh 2-235. The fingerlike nebula at top centre is Sh 2-230. The star cluster just to its left is Messier 38, with the small cluster NGC 1907 just below M38. The star cluster at left centre is Messier 36. At centre frame is the nebula IC 417 around the cluster Stock 8. The line of colourful stars at lower right between IC 405 and IC 410 is the Little FIsh or Flying Minnow asterism, aka Mel 11. This is a stack of 6 x 8-minute exposures at ISO 3200 through an Optolong L-Enhance dual-band nebula filter, blended another filtered set of 6 x 16-minute exposures at ISO 3200 with the Optolong L-eXtreme narrowband filter, all blended with a stack of 6 x 8-minute exposures without a filter (for more natural star colors and the blue reflection nebula in IC 405) at ISO 800. All with the Canon EOS Ra camera through the f/5 51mm William Optics RedCat astrograph with a Starizona filter drawer. Autoguiding was with the Lacerta MGEN3 autoguider which applied a dithering shift between each frame to help cancel out thermal noise when stacking. No darks or LENR were used here on this mild winter night at -5° C or so. All stacking, alignment and blending was in Adobe Photoshop 2021. Luminosity masks (DM2, D and M) applied with Lumenzia helped bring out the faint nebulosity. The set was taken as part of testing the L-eXtreme filter to determine its effectiveness in bringing out more nebulosity. It did not contribute much to this stack and required even more exposure time that would have been better spent taking more unfiltered and L-eNhance frames.
B33 Horsehead and M78 Nebulas in Orion (92mm 6D)
The area around the Belt of Orion, with the Horsehead and Flame Nebulas at bottom flanking the bright star Zeta Orionis, aka Alnitak, with Messier 78 at upper left. Taken from home, on a slightly hazy and frosty night, Feb 7, 2013, using the Hutech modified Canon 6D at ISO 800 and the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.8 for a stack of 6 x 7 minute exposures.
Backyard Milky Way with Jupiter and Saturn Rising
The late-night spring Milky Way from my rural backyard in Alberta (latitude 51° N) on a fine May night in 2020, with the waxing Moon just setting and lighting the landscape and sky. Jupiter (brightest) and Saturn to the east (left) are just rising together at left, east of the Milky Way. West of the galactic centre at right is red Antares in Scorpius. The Small Sagittarius and Scutum starclouds are prominent at centre, with their various Messier nebulas and star clusters visible. This is a stack of 4 x 2-minute tracked exposures for the untrailed sky blended with a stack of 4 x 2-minute untracked exposures for the sharp ground, with the 20mm Nikon F-mount Sigma Art lens on the Canon EOS Ra camera using the Metabones Nikon F to EOS R lens adapter. I shot this as a test of the lens adapter. Taken May 27/28, 2020. The camera was on the iOptron SkyGuider Pro tracker.
Belt and Sword of Orion, with Barnard's Loopp. This is a stack of 5 x 8 minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 1000 (set too high by mistake!) with the Canon 5D MkII and Canon L-series 135mm lens. The originals were overexposed but processed up nicely. Skyglow from Orion's altitude at home in Alberta adds the brighter glow at bottom of frame.
Belt of Orion with Horsehead Nebula & M78 (77mm 5DII)
The Belt of Orion with the Horsehead Nebula at botton, the dark nebula set in the bright emission nebula IC 434. The nebula at left of the Zeta Orionis (aka Alnitak) is the Flame Nebula, NGC 2024. The reflection nebula at upper left is the M78 complex with NGC 2071. The other Belt stars are Alnilan (centre) and Mintaka (upper right). The field contains a wealth of other blue reflection and red emission nebulas. Taken from Australia, March 2014 with the Borg 77mm astrographic apo refractor (330mm focal length) at f/4.3 for a stack of 5 x 10 minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800.
A mosaic of the region in Cassiopeia and Cepheus containing the main nebulas: the Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) at lower left, and the Cave Nebula (Sh 2-155) at upper right. At left is also the bright Messier open cluster M52. The small yellowish cluster at right is NGC 7419. The small cluster at lower centre is NGC 7510. The small nebula just left of centre is NGC 7538. This is a mosaic of 4 panels, each segment being a stack of 10 x 6-minute exposures taken over two nights with the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg 0.85x field flattener/reducer and the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800. Images stacked and merged in Photoshop. Shot from New Mexico.
The Interstellar Dust Clouds of Taurus and Perseus
A wide-field image of the region of Perseus and Taurus from the pink California Nebula (NGC 1499) at top, to the blue Pleiades star cluster (M45) at bottom. In between and surrounding the main bright objects are many tendrils of interstellar dust clouds, varying in shades of brown and pale blue. Around the Pleiades the faint clouds reflect some of the lblue light of the young stars, but away from the Pleiades the clouds take on a warm reddish tone, or appear as just dark fingers blocking all light from behind. At centre right are some brighter patches known as IC 348 around the star Atik, aka Omicron Persei. The glow at left in the darkest cloud is IC 2087. The small star cluster at upper right is NGC 1342. This is a stack of 30 x 4-minute exposures with the Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 800, and the low-cost Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 lens at f/4 and shooting through a NISI Natural Night light pollution filter, a mild broadband filter. The lens, despite being stopped down, is still subject to some chromatic aberration, which lens corrections help with but cannot fully eliminate at the raw development stage. All stacking, alignment and processing with Photoshiop 2021, with luminosity masks created with Lumenzia v9 extension panel , which was very helpful in bringing the faint dust clouds out from the dark background. No dark frames or LENR applied on this cool winter night.
Cancer Between Leo and Gemini (March 2023)
A framing of the northern spring constellation of Cancer the Crab, between the constellations of Leo (at left with the bright star Regulus) and part of Gemini (at upper right with Castor and Pollux) and Canis Minor (at lower right woth Procyon). Cancer is marked by the large binocular star cluster, Messier 44, the Beehive, at centre here. The head of Hydra is at bottom centre. Between the two is the small star cluster M67, just resolved here. This is a stack of 11 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 34mm and f/3.5 and on the filter-modified (by AstroGear) Canon R camera at ISO 800, on the Star Adventurer tracker. An additional single 2-minute exposure through a Kase/Alyn Wallace StarGlow filter and layered and blended in Photoshop added the photogenic star glows, to accentutate the constellation patterns and star colours. Taken from home March 16, 2023.
Clusters in Cancer (March 2023)
A framing of most of the northern spring constellation of Cancer the Crab. Cancer is marked by the large binocular star cluster, Messier 44, the Beehive, at centre here. At bottom is the small star cluster M67, just resolved here. Pollux is at upper right, in Gemini. The brightest star at top centre is the double star Iota Cancri. Immediately to the left is a double star, resolved here, with the top star in the pair being 55 Cancri, home to a notable extra-solar planetary system. This is a stack of 14 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 61mm and f/2.8 and on the filter-modified Canon Ra camera at ISO 800, on the Star Adventurer tracker. An additional single 2-minute exposure through a Kase/Alyn Wallace StarGlow filter and layered and blended in Photoshop added the photogenic star glows, to accentutate the star colours. Taken from home March 17, 2023.
Canis Major, the large Hunting Dog (Version 2)
The constellation of Canis Major, the large hunting dog of Orion the hunter. The binocular open star cluster Messier 41 is at centre below Sirius. The pair of star clusters, M46 and M47, are at left. The bright star is of course the Dog Star, Sirius. This is a stack of 2 x 2-minute exposures with the 50mm Sigma lens at f/2.5 and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600, plus an additional exposure through the Kenko Softon filter layered in to add the star glows. Taken from Quailway Cottage in Arizona, with the Star Adventurer Mini tracker.