Deep Sky - Milky Way
Eclipsed Moon With Orion (Nov 19, 2021)
The partial eclipse of the Moon of November 19, 2021, with the Moon below the Pleiades star cluster, M45, and near the Hyades cluster and Aldebaran at right, all in Taurus, the hallmark setting of this eclipse, which at maximum (about 20 minutes before this sequence was taken at 2:22 am MST) was 97% partial, so not quite total. Orion is at left. A large portion of the Moon was outside the umbra and bright when this sequence was shot. The long exposures inevitably add the glow around the Moon, from the bright portion of its disk still in full sunlight and from some light haze in the sky, which added the sky gradients and star glows. But this is an authentic scene, not a Moon pasted onto a sky background taken on another night to simulate the scene. Taken from a site near Rowley, Alberta after a chase north to get out from under clouds and haze into clearer skies to allow exposures like this to record the starfield. This is a stack of 2 x 30-second exposures at ISO 1600 for the base sky, blended with 15s, 5s, 1.6s, and 0.5s exposures at ISO 800, all with the Canon EOS R6 camera and Canon RF28-70mm lens at 33mm and f/2.8 and on the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini tracker. Images blended with luminosity masks created with ADP Panel Pro/LumiFlow, but with manual manipulation to smooth the blend.
A constellation portrait of Auriga (upper left), Taurus (bottom), and Perseus (top), framing the large finger-like Taurus Dark Clouds in this dusty region of the outer Milky Way. Included are several of the bright pink emission nebulas in this part of the Milky Way, notably the California Nebula at top and the Flaming Star complex at centre. At bottom left is the star cluster Messier 35 in Gemini and several of the bright nebulas near it. At right is the blue Pleiades star cluster. At bottom right is the large Hyades star cluster. The trio of Messier clusters in Auriga, M36, M37, and M38, also show up on this scale. Aldebaran is at bottom; Capella is at top. This is a stack of 22 x 4-minute exposures with the 28-70mm Canon RF lens at f/2.8 and 35mm, on the Canon Ra, shooting through an URTH Night broadband light pollution filter. A final exposure through an Alyn Wallace/Kase StarGlow filter added the glows on stars. The camera was on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker (every frame was usable). Bands of red airglow drifted through the frame during the sequence of shots but the stacking smoothed out their discolouration of the sky.
The Northern Milky Way from Auriga to Aquila
This is a 140° panorama of the northernmost section of the Milky Way, from Auriga at left to Aquila at right. Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Cygnus are across the centre. This northern section of the Milky Way stretches high across the sky on autumn nights as seen from the northern hemisphere, as it was this night, October 30, 2021. The Milky Way is laced with many dark lanes of interstellar dust which extend off the main band of the Milky Way, as at centre. The dust colours the Milky Way and sky with a yellow-brown tint. Punctuating the Milky Way are red and magenta emission nebulas, the most prominent being the North America Nebula in Cygnus (right of centre) and the California Nebula (at far left) in Perseus. At right are the three stars of the Summer Triangle (R to L: Altair, Vega and Deneb); at left is Capella in Auriga. At centre is the W of stars of Cassiopeia. This is a stitch of 4 segments, each a stack of 8 x 4-minute expsures at ISO 800 with the Canon Ra and with the RF 28-70mm lens at 28mm and f/2.8. It was on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. Another panorama of 4 segments taken through a Kase StarGlow filter and layered in added the glows on the bright stars. All stacking, stitching and alignment was in Photoshop. Taken from home on a very clear night October 30, 2021. A bright Kp 6 to 7 aurora was forecast for this night but never materialized. Bands of reddish airglow drifted through the fields during the exposures but the stacking and averaging helped smooth out the discolouration.
Nebulas of the Northern Milky Way
The bright and dark nebulas along the northernmost segment of the Milky Way, from Perseus at upper left to Cygnus at lower right. At centre is Cassiopeia and Cepheus. The bright nebulas include — from upper left to lower right: the IC 1805/1848 complex known as the Heart and Soul Nebulas, the Ced214/NGC7822 complex, IC 1396 in Cepheus, and the North America Nebula NGC 7000 and the Gamma Cygni IC 1318 complex at lower right. The dark Funnel Cloud Nebula stands out above the North America Nebula. However, the entire field is coloured by subtle streams and bands of interstellar dust adding a yellow hue to the Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy, M31, is at lower left. This is a stack of 35 x 3-minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 28mm and at f/2.8, on the Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 800, on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. Shot with an URTH Night light pollution filter. Taken from home October 7, 2021. Luminosity mask adjustments applied with Lumenzia. A mild Orton glow added with Luminar AI.
This is a wide shot encompassing the constellation of Cassiopeia the Queen in the northern autumn sky, showing the variety of colours in the starclouds and nebulas that populate this section of the Milky Way. The colours are brought out by the long exposure used and by contrast enhancements in processing. But yes, they are real! This is not false colour. The pink emission nebulas of the Heart and Soul Nebulas (IC 1848 and IC 1805 respectively), at left, and the NGC 7822/Ced 214 complex, at top, dominate. The small pink patch at bottom is the Pacman Nebula, NGC 281. At upper right are the faint nebulas around the star cluster M52, including the Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635. The purple glows near the star Gamma Cassiopeiae, aka Navi, at centre are the reflection nebulas IC 59 and IC 63. Lots of star clusters populate the area, including the Double Cluster in Perseus at lower left, and NGC 7789, Caroline's Rose, at right. NGC 663 and NGC 457 are the star clusters below the left side of the W that marks Cassiopeia. This is a stack of 14 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 62mm and f/2.5 on the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 1600, and on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. The lens had a URTH Night filter on it to reduce light pollution and airglow discolouration. Taken from home October 1, 2021 on a night with some loss of transparency due to haze. Nebulosity was brought out with the aid of luminosity and colour range masks created with Lumenzia. An additional exposure through an Alyn Wallace/Kase Starglow filter layered in adds the subtle star glows to make the "W" stars pop. All stacking, alignment and blending done in Photoshop.
The Colours of the Cygnus Milky Way
This is a wide shot encompassing most of the constellation of Cygnus the Swan in the northern summer sky, showing the variety of colours in the starclouds and nebulas that populate this section of the Milky Way. The colours are brought out by the long exposure used and by contrast enhancements in processing. But yes, they are real! This is not false colour. The red and pink emission nebulas of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000), at left, and the Butterfly Nebula (IC 1318), at centre, dominate. The small red patch at right in the Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101. But the starclouds themselves go from being bluish at left, to more neutral at centre where the main Cygnus Starcloud shines brightest, to yellowish at right in southern Cygnus and northern Aquila, where obscuring dust tints the starlight a warm tone. Other nebulas in this view include the tiny (at this scale) and purple Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) at far lower left at the end of the B168 dark lane, and the magenta arcs of the Veil Nebula complex (NGC 6992-5 and NGC 6960) at bottom centre. Numerous large star clusters show up, notably NGC 6940 and smaller NGC 6885 to the right of the Veil. NGC 6811 (centre top) and NGC 6819 (to the right) are at top. The yellowish dust-obscured clusters at centre may be Bica 1 and 2. The field is laced with dark nebulas, as this is the area where the Great Rift begins in the Milky Way, formed from dust lanes that split the visible Milky Way.. The most prominent dark nebula is the Funnel Cloud Nebula, aka Le Gentil 3, at left, and the Northern Coal Sack beside and framing the North America Nebula. Deneb is left of centre; at centre is Gamma Cygni, aka Sadr. Albireo is at far right, above centre. This is a stack of 22 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 50mm and f/2.8 on the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 3200, and on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. I shot 24 frames and only 2 were slightly trailed and were not used. The lens had a URTH Night filter on it to reduce light pollution and airglow discolouration. Taken from home October 1, 2021 on a night with some loss of transparency due to haze. Nebulosity was brought out with the aid of luminosity and colour range masks created with Lumenzia. All stacking, alignment and blending in Photoshop.
The complex of red emission and dark dusty nebulas in Cygnus, with the bright Cygnus starcloud at bottom and the North America Nebula at top. At the very top is the dark Funnel Cloud Nebula. At lower left are the arcs of the Veil Nebula. Below them is the large star cluster NGC 6940 in Vulpecula. At centre is the IC 1318 nebula, aka the Butterfly. This is a stack of 15 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 50mm and wide open at f/2, taken as part of testing the lens. The lens was shooting though a URTH Night broadband light pollution rejection filter to reduce the green airglow present this night in a shoot from home. The camera was the Canon Ra at ISO 1250, and was on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. All stacking, alignment and blending with Photoshop 2021.
The complex of red emission and dark dusty nebulas in Cygnus, with the bright Cygnus starcloud at bottom and the North America Nebula at top. At lower left are the arcs of the Veil Nebula. At centre is the IC 1318 nebula complex, aka the Butterfly. This is a stack of 20 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 70mm and wide open at f/2, taken as part of testing the lens. The lens was shooting though a URTH Night broadband light pollution rejection filter to reduce the green airglow present this night in a shoot from home. The camera was the Canon Ra at ISO 1250, and was on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. All stacking, alignment and blending with Photoshop 2021.
A selfie of me setting up to photograph the 2021 Perseid meteor shower on August 12, 2021 at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, as one camera captures the scene looking east while I finish setting up another camera in the foreground. The radiant of the shower is obvious, in Perseus, at lower left in the northeast. The Milky Way stretches from northeast to southwest (top right). A dim red aurora is on the horizon to the northeast. Cygnus is overhead at centre. Jupiter is the bright object above me. The Big Dipper is at upper left low in the northwest. This is a blend of 24 exposures taken over 3 hours, with the foreground coming from one image at the start of the sequence which had a meteor in it. The other 23 images add the other meteors, so this blend compresses 3 hours of meteor activity into one frame. All were with the TTArtisan 7.5mm circular fish-eye lens at f/2 on the Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 3200 for a series of 30-second exposures, 316 in all over 3 hours, from which the 24 with meteors were extracted for stacking with Lighten blend mode. The camera was on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker to make alignment of the meteors easier in post-production, so the meteors are where they appeared in the sky relative to the background stars. This lens does not fill the frame; it is a circular fish-eye but at f/2 faster than any other fish-eye that fits on a full-frame camera, with the speed essential for picking up meteors. I was setting up another tracker to take shots with a 14mm lens.
The Northern Summer Milky Way, with Jupiter & Saturn
A very wide angle image of the northern summer Milky Way from Cepheus (at top left) to Sagittarius (setting at bottom right), with the Summer Triangle stars at centre. The bright object at bottom left is Jupiter, with Saturn dimmer to the right at bottom centre. This is with the TTArtisan 11mm full-frame fish-eye lens wide open at f/2.8, in a stack of 7 x 4-minute tracked exposures at ISO 1600 with the Canon EOS Ra camera. Taken from home July 8, 2021. No filters were employed here.
A very wide angle image of the northern summer Milky Way from Cepheus (at top) to Serpens (at bottom), with the Summer Triangle stars at centre. The bright object at botton left is Jupiter. This is with the Canon 15-35mm lens at 15mm and wide open at f/2.8, in a stack of 5 x 2-minute tracked exposures at ISO 1250 with the stock Canon R6 camera, blended with a single exposure taken through a Kase/Alyn Wallace Starglow filter to add the fuzzy stars. Taken from home July 6, 2021 as a test of the lens.
Night Panorama of Waterton Lakeshore
A 180° panorama from Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, of the scene in the Waterton townsite looking across the Upper Waterton Lake to Vimy Ridge and the Milky Way rising in the east. To the south, at right, the galactic core area is rising down the lake but is obscured here by clouds moving in. The bright star over Vimy at centre is Altair. The north, at left, are bands of green airglow prominent this night to the camera. Those glows are not aurora. Haze adds the natural star glows. The yellow sky glow in the far distance at right must be urban glow from Whitefish and Kalispell, Montana. I shot this June 3, 2021. This is a blend of two 6-segment panoramas: one for the ground shot without the tracker motor on and one for the sky with the tracker motor on. The exposures for the ground were 2 minutes at ISO 3200, and for the sky were 1 minute at ISO 3200, all with the Sigma 20mm lens at f/2.8 adapted to the Canon EOS Ra camera, on the Move-Shoot-Move MSM tracker. As is the MSM's habit, it stopped tracking for one of the segments. It is not a reliable device to use for critical time-sensitive shoots.
SAR Arc of Red Aurora (May 11-12, 2021)
An auroral arc at left across the northern horizon with a faint red SAR — Stable Auroral Red — arc to the east. The SAR arc was not visible to the eye. The camera was the red-sensitive Canon EOS Ra so that helped pick up the dim deep red glow. The wide lens captures the broad sweep of the summer Milky Way rising, arcing from NE at left to SE at right, with the galactic core area at far right. This is a single tracked exposure for 2 minutes at f/2.8 with the TTArtisan 11mm full-frame fish-eye lens, on the EOS Ra at ISO 1600, and on the MSM tracker.
Observing with Sky-Watcher Dobsonian Telescope
A selfie of me observing with the 20cm Sky-Watcher Dobsonian telescope on a June night in the backyard. Shot for a book illustration of accessories and observing. The sky is blue from solstice twilight as this was June 18, 2020. The galactic core is at centre; Jupiter is rising at left. This is a blend of a single exposure for the sky, a stack of six exposures for the ground to smooth noise, and a separate single exposure for me. All 15 seconds at ISO 3200 with the Canon 6D MkII and 35mm lens at f/2.8 focused for the foreground. This can be exported in a version without me in it, with just the telescope!
Orion and the Winter Milky Way
Orion and the winter stars and Milky Way in a wide-angle scene sweeping up from the horizon to past the zenith. Sirius and Canis Major are at bottom left while Cassiopeia and Perseus are at upper right. Orion is below centre. At centre are the Taurus Dark Clouds and the constellations of Taurus and Auriga. Gemini is at left. The Winter Hexagon stars are all framed in this scene, and more! The glow of Zodiacal Light is at right. Betelgeuse was then at a record minimum brightness. This is a stack of 8 x 4-minute tracked exposures with the Canon 15mm full-frame fish-eye lens at f/2.8 and stock Canon 6D MkII camera at ISO 800, on the iOptron SkyGuider Pro tracker. Thus the blurry ground. Taken from home at latitude 51° N. on a perfect winter night, January 25, 2020.
The Milky Way through the Perseus to Auriga area, populated by clusters and nebulas of the next spiral arm out from ours, in the Perseus Arm. The Double Cluster is at right, with the Heart and Soul Nebulas above it, while the Auriga clusters and nebulas are at left. At bottom is the California Nebula and Messier 34 cluster. The Perseus OB Association of hot blue stars is at centre. Capella is the bright star at upper left. The Taurus Dark Clouds are at lower left. This is a stack of 8 x 3-minute exposures with the 35mm Canon lens at f/2.8 and Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800. 4 shots were through the NISI Natural Night light pollution reduction filter and 4 were through the Hoya Red Enhancer filter, taken as part of testing. An additional exposure through the Kenko Softon filter adds the star glows. Taken from home on a very clear night, December 29, 2019 on the iOptron SkyGuider Pro.
Panorama of the Auroral Arc and Milky Way (Nov 21, 2019)
A panorama of the arc of the Northern Lights across the northern sky at right, from home in southern Alberta on November 21, 2019. At far left is the summer Milky Way setting while in between is the urban glow from cities to the west (notably Calgary) with the skyglow now blue-white from LEDs lights — it used to be yellow from sodium vapour lights. So this is a study in sky glows, both natural and artificial. The Big Dipper and Polaris are at centre over my house.. Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran and the Pleiades in Taurus, and the stars of Perseus are at right rising in the northeast. Altair and Aquila are at far left, setting in the southwest. This is a 6-segment panorama with the 15mm Venus Optics lens at f/2 on the Sony a7III for 20 seconds each at ISO 1600, stitched with ACR.
Cygnus Nebulas with the Funnel Cloud (85mm EOS R)
Nebulas in Cygnus with the dark Funnel Cloud Nebula (aka Le Gentil 3) at left north of bright Deneb. The field also contains the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and the complex of nebulas around Gamma Cygni at right, collectively known as IC 1318. To the right of the North America Nebula is the dark Northern Coal Sack. Some light cloud added the natural star glows. The 85mm RF lens is deadly sharp, and very clean to the corners even at f/1.4, with only minimal aberrations at the very corners. Made for portraits, this is a superb lens for deep-sky shooting. This is a stack of 5 x 60-second exposures with the premium Canon RF 85mm f/1.4 lens wide open at f/1.4 on the stock EOS R camera at ISO 400. Being a “normal” camera the EOS R records the red nebulas rather weakly, requiring boosting the reds in post to bring them out at all. The camera was on the Star Adventurer tracker.
The northern summer Milky Way setting over the mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada, with warm golden lighting supplied by the rising waning Moon (behind the camera) illuminating the landscape and sky in a “moonstrike” effect. Taken on September 21, 2019, in frames taken as part of a time-lapse. Faint bands of red airglow tint the sky, though the blue sky colour is from the moonlight. This is taken during the lunar “golden hour.” This is a stack of 8 images for the ground to smooth noise, one image from the set for the stars to minimize trailing. A mild Orton glow effect added to the sky with Luminar Flex. Each exposure in the set was 30 seconds at ISO 4000 and f/2 with the Venus Optics 15mm lens and Sony a7III. Part of a 360-frame time-lapse.
Milky Way and ISS over Waterton Lakes
The northern summer Milky Way setting over the mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada, with the Space Station rising at right, then fading into sunset, in a trail from the series of long exposures. This is from the Bison Compound viewpoint looking south and southwest, on September 21, 2019, in frames taken as part of a time-lapse. This is a stack of 8 images for the ground to smooth noise, one image from the set for the stars to minimize trailing, and a stack of 6 images masked to reveal just the ISS trail. The trail fades to deep red as the ISS travels into the Earth’s shadow as it rose here and experienced sunset at their altitude. A mild Orton glow effect added with Luminar Flex. Each exposure in the set was 30 seconds at ISO 4000 and f/2 with the Venus Optics 15mm lens and Sony a7III. Part of a 360-frame time-lapse.
The Constellations of Cygnus and Lyra
The constellations of Cygnus and Lyra in the northern summer Milky Way, shot from Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, August 27, 2019. Dew intervened before I could shoot more frames or ones through the Softon filter. This is a stack of 3 x 3-minute exposures with the 35mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600 on the Star Adventurer tracker.
Aquila, Serpens and Ophiuchus in the Summer Sky
The constellation of Aquila (at centre) surrounded by Scutum and its starcloud (below) and Serpens and Ophiuchus (at right to the west). Altair is the bright star left of centre, with Tarazed above it. Albireo in Cygnus is at the very top Above Aquila and below Albireo are the small constellations of Sagitta, Vulpecula and Delphinus (the latter at left). The Coathanger asterism is visible at top in the Milky Way, as are the large open clusters IC 4756 and NGC 6633, the S-O Double Cluster, at right straddling the Serpens-Ophiuchus border. Taken August 20, 2019 during the brief interval of darkness before moonrise at 11 pm this night. This is a stack of 7 x 2-minute exposures with the 35mm Canon lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 1600, with an additional exposure taken through the Kenko Softon A filter layered in to add the star glows. On the Star Adventurer tracker from home.
Scutum Starcloud in the Milky Way
The Scutum Starcloud (at top) in the Milky Way, with the Milky Way also bright to the south in Serpens. The nebulas M16 and M17 are at the bottom of the field. The bright star cluster M11, the Wild Duck Cluster, is at the top on the northern edge of the Scutum Starcloud. The area is rife with dark nebulas and dust lanes. This is a stack of 6 x 3-minute exposures with the 85mm Rokinon lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800 plus an additional exposure taken through the Kenko Softon A filter to add the star glows. Tracked on the Star Adventurer tracker which tracked very well through all the exposures.
Panorama of the RAO Milky Way Night, July 26, 2019
A 180° panorama of the public stargazing session at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory south of Calgary, Alberta, on July 26, 2019, one of a trio of Milky Way Nights this week. About 600 people attended on this perfect summer night, with many telescopes supplied by members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Calgary Centre, providing excellent views of lots of celestial objects. This is a stitch of 8 segments, all 8 second exposures at f/2.8 with the 35mm lens, and Canon 6D at ISO 1600. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.