Deep Sky - Milky Way
Cepheus to Cygnus Milky Way Panorama
This is a panorama along about 60° of the northern summer Milky Way from Cepheus at left, to Cygnus at centre and at right. It frames the great variety of bright and dark nebulas in this region of the sky, notably: - the circular IC 1396 nebula at left in Cepheus with the orange Garnet Star, - the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) just left of centre, - and the IC 1318 complex around Gamma Cygni just right of centre. The dark Funnel Cloud Nebula, aka Le Gentil 3, is at left between IC 1396 and NGC 7000, while the dark region to the right (south) of NGC 7000 is the Northern Coal Sack, though to the eye, as here, that area does not appear as dark as the Funnel Cloud area. The bright Cygnus Starcloud is right of centre, where we are looking down the Milky Way's spiral arm we live in. It is bordered below by the Cygnus Rift of dark lanes in the Milky Way which continue south into Aquila. The small (on this scale) Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380) and Lion Nebula (Sh2-132) are at far left in Cepheus. The small round red Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146, is at the end of a thin lane of dark dust, B168, or the Dark Cigar, at bottom left, while the tiny green Dumbbell Nebula, M27 in Vulpecula, is just visible at bottom right. This is a stitch using Photoshop's Photomerge function of 10 segments, each segment a stack of 8 to 10 exposures of 1-minute each with the Canon RF135mm lens at f/2 on the red-sensitive Canon Ra camera at ISO 800. All on the Star Adventurer tracker. The camera was turned to portrait orientation to align the long dimension of the frame across the width of the Milky Way for greater east-west coverage. This required moving the camera by only 5° from segment to segment to ensure enough overlap. I used a ball head with an additional panorama azimuth motion with degree gradations on it to faciliate panning along the Milky Way following the galactic equator using just one simple motion. The lens had an 82mm URTH Night broadband light pollution reduction filter on it to help increase contrast and bring out the nebulas. No narrowband filters were used here. Even so, most of the contrast enhancement was in processing with the application of a Nik Collection 6 Pro Contrast filter, plus curves with luminosity masks, and a Nebula Filter action in PhotoKemi Startools actions. Taken from home on a fine though not fully transparent night on May 14/15, 2023 when the time for shooting this area was limited due to the short spring night. Two more segments shot to the right farther down the Milky Way were too blue and struck by dawn twilight to be usable.
Cygnus Nebulosity Panorama (Landscape)
This is a panorama along the Milky Way framing the nebulosity and star clouds in Cygnus the Swan, taking in about 40° along the northern Milky Way. At centre is the complex of nebulosity around the star Gamma Cygni, aka Sadr, catalogued as IC 1318. At left and below bright blue Deneb is the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and its companion Pelican Nebula (IC 5070). At far left at top is the dark nebula known as the Funnel Cloud, or Le Gentil 3. The dark Northern Coal Sack region is between Deneb and Sadr. The small Crescent Nebula, NGC 6888, is right of centre, while the Tulip Nebula, Sharpless 2-101, is the small patch of red to the right of it. The distinct dark nebula just above the line between the Crescent and Tulip is Barnard 145. The bright Cygnus Starcloud along the neck of the Swan is at right, with dark nebulas and interstellar dust yellowing its tint. The Milky Way and the dark sky background exhibits subtle colour variations due to absorbing dust, and the dark nebulas show differing levels of density and darkness. This is a panorama of 4 segments, each a stack of 10 x 1-minute exposures with the Canon RF135mm lens at f/2 (stopped down just 1/3 of a stop from wide open) on the Canon Ra factory-modified H-alpha sensitive camera at ISO 800. The camera was in landscape orientation along the Milky Way. The lens had a front 82mm broadband light pollution reduction filter on it, the URTH Night filter, to help emphasize the nebulosity and improve contrast. But no narrowband filters were employed here. Star reduction was with RC-Astro StarShrink. Nebulosity contrast was enhanced with luminosity masks created with Lumenzia extension panel, and with Nebula filter action in the Photokemi Actions set. High Pass sharpen filgter and ON1 Dynamic Contrast filter helped boost fine contrast structures. Taken from home in southern Alberta at latitude 51° N on May 12/13, 2023, during the brief hours of darkness this spring night. Even so the sky was not fully dark 6 weeks before summer solstice. The camera was on the Star Adventurer 2i tracker, unguided. All segments stacked, aligned and merged into a panorama with Photoshop, using its Photomerge function.
A framing of the northern winter sky constellation of Gemini. the Twins The Messier star cluster M35 is at right,, along with the emission nebulas IC 443 and NGC 2174. The twin stars of Castor (top) and Pollux are at left, but showing their colour difference here. The Milky Way runs down the right side of the frame making this area much brighter and richer than the sky at left. This is a stack of 16 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. Star glows added by layering in a separate 2-minute exposure taken through a Kase/Alyn Wallace StarGlow filter. Taken from home March 17, 2023.
Auriga and Perseus (March 2023)
A framing of the northern winter sky constellations of Auriga (left) and Perseus (upper right). The Messier star clusters M36, M37 and M38 in Auriga show up well at lower left, along with the Flaming Star, IC 405, and other IC nebulas in Auriga. The large nebula at bottom right is NGC 1499, the California Nebula. The grouping of blue stars at upper right is the Perseus OB Association, aka Melotte 20. Mars is at lower left in Taurus, where it was on March 17, 2023. This is a stack of 15 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 43mm and f/2.8 and on the filter-modified Canon Ra camera at ISO 800, on the Star Adventurer tracker. Star glows added by layering in a separate 2-minute exposure taken through a Kase/Alyn Wallace StarGlow filter. Taken from home March 17, 2023 with this area of sky in the southwest and plagued by some gradients, reduced with masks in Adobe Camera Raw and with Gradient XTerminator.
Gemini, Auriga and Taurus with Mars (March 2023)
A framing of the northern winter sky constellations of Gemini (left), Auriga (top) and Taurus (bottom right). The Messier star clusters M35 in Gemini, and the trio of M36, M37 and M38 in Auriga show up well. The large nebula at upper right is NGC 1499, the California Nebula in Perseus. The Flaming Star, IC 405, and other IC nebulas in Auriga are right of centre. The small round nebula at bottom is IC 2174 in northern Orion. The dark lanes of the Taurus Dark Molecular Clouds are right of centre. Mars is just below centre in Taurus, adding an extra star to this already rich area of sky and matching Aldebaran for brightness and tint. This is a stack of 12 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 35mm and f/3.5 and on the filter-modified (by AstroGear) Canon R camera at ISO 800, on the Star Adventurer tracker. Taken from home March 16, 2023 with this area of sky in the southwest and plagued by some gradients, reduced with masks in Adobe Camera Raw and with Gradient XTerminator. Star glows added in post with Luminar Neo Magic Light extension.
Auroral Arc Between the Milky Ways
This is a 270° panorama of the auroral arc seen across the northern sky on January 14, 2023. It is framed between the setting summer Milky Way (at left in the northwest) and the rising winter Milky Way (at right in the southeast). To the west (right) of the winter Milky Way is Orion, with Sirius below, while above is Aldebaran, the Hyades, reddish Mars, and the blue Pleiades at upper right. The Big Dipper and Ursa Major are above the main arc of aurora to the north at centre. Polaris is at top, left of centre. Cygnus (with the star Deneb) and Lyra (with the star Vega) are setting at left above my house. The auroral arc shows the characteristic yellow-green colour but also upper altitude reds, both from oxygen atoms. The Kp index was about 4 this night, though peaking to Kp5 at times. Clouds rolling in later prevented me from catching more of the show later when it apparently got more active. Taken from home in southern Alberta (latitude 51° N) on January 14, 2023, in a 7-section panorama, each section with the Venus Optics 15mm lens at f/2 on the AstroGear filter-modified Canon R at ISO 800, for 20 seconds each. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw. I was testing the Canon R camera this night.
The Geminid Meteor Shower 2022 (Untracked Version)
The Geminid meteor shower of 2022, showing the radiant point in Gemini at left, above the stars Castor and Pollux. Orion is at lower right. Mars in Taurus is at top, to the left of Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluste, and below the Pleiades. I shot the images for this composite from home in Alberta on December 14, 2022, the night after the peak night, which of course was cloudy. The temperature was about -15° C. A heater band on the lens kept the frost off. I had to change the camera battery once during the evening's shoot. This is a stack of 17 images of 500 shot that night, the ones containing meteors, taken over 4 hours from the first meteor frame to the last. Each exposure was 30 seconds at f/2.8 with the Canon RF15-35mm lens at 15mm and on the Canon R6 at ISO 1600, with the camera on a fixed tripod, not tracking the sky. The ground, sky and one meteor come from one base image taken near the middle of the sequence with the winter constellations nicely framed. I manually rotated and aligned each other image to the base image, to place each meteor at close to its correct position against the background stars, to preserve the appearance of the radiant in Gemini. I blended in part of another sky image taken toward the end of the sequence when an aurora appeared briefly to the northeast. So this is certainly a time blend. The aurora actually appeared when the radiant point was higher than shown here.
Cygnus and Cepheus Nebulosity with Hydrogen Alpha Light
This is a framing of the rich complex of nebulosity in and around the constellations of northern Cygnus and southern Cepheus, in a blend of "white light" images and images shot through a deep red hydrogen-alpha filter that isolates the red emission line from the gas clouds, bringing them out in much more detail than is otherwise possible. The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and adjacent Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) are below centre beside blue Deneb. The Gamma Cygni complex, IC 1318, is at lower right. The main nebula at top left is IC 1396 in Cepheus. The Cocoon Nebula lies at the end of the long dark strreak, B168, left of centre. The wispy streak at bottom left is Sharpless 2-126, aka the Great Lacerta Nebula, though it does not look too great here! It is one of many faint arcs and patches of emission nebulosity that litter the field. The dark area below Deneb is the Northern Coal Sack. The darker region above Deneb is the Funnel Cloud Nebula, aka LeGentil 3. The bright area at lower right in the Milky Way is the Cygnus Starcloud, a region less obscured by dark interstellar dust. This is a blend of: a stack of 14 x 5-minute exposures at f/2 and ISO 3200 with the Canon Ra equipped with a clip-in Astronomik 12nm H-alpha filter, plus a stack of 6 x 2-minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 1600, with the latter shot through a front-mounted URTH broadband filter to help block skyglow and gradients. All with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 50mm and on the Star Adventurer tracker for tracked but unguided shots taken from home October 2, 2022 on a very clear and mild night. Dew spoiled the last of the white light images, thus I used only the first 6 for the stack. The dew added the natural star glows. The initial H-alpha shots were taken with the waxing crecent Moon still up. All stacking, alignment and blending in Photoshop. Luminosity masks applied with Lumenzia. The H-alpha stack was layered in with a Screen blend mode and with its own adjustment layers and masks, and colorized with a Hue-Saturation layer. The H-alpha data was not added by replacing the red channel, as that provides no control of the blend of the H-alpha image. A mild and masked Orton Glow effect added with Luminar AI.
Cygnus Nebulosity with Hydrogen Alpha Light
This is a framing of the rich complex of nebulosity in and around the constellation of Cygnus, in a blend of "white light" images and images shot through a deep red hydrogen-alpha filter that isolates the red emission line from the gas clouds, bringing them out in much more detail than is otherwise possible. The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and adjacent Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) are at upper left beside blue Deneb. The Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant, and catalogued as NGC 6995 and NGC 6960 for the main arcs, is at lower left. The Gamma Cygni complex, IC 1318, is at centre. However, the field is littered with other faint arcs and patches of emission nebulosity. The dark area below Deneb is the Northern Coal Sack. The bright area at lower right in the Milky Way is the Cygnus Starcloud, a region less obscured by dark interstellar dust. The "beak" star of Cygnus, Albireo, is at lower right, so the framing takes in most of Cygnus and all of the Northern Cross asterism. This is a blend of: a stack of 20 x 5-minute exposures at f/2 and ISO 3200 with the Canon Ra equipped with a clip-in Asrtronomik 12nm H-alpha filter, plus a stack of 25 x 2-minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 1600, with the latter shot through a front-mounted URTH broadband filter to help block skyglow and gradients. All with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 70mm and on the Star Adventurer tracker for tracked but unguided shots taken from home October 1, 2022 on a very clear and mild night for a total of 150 minutes of exposure. The initial H-alpha shots were taken with the waxing crecent Moon still up. All stacking, alignment and blending in Photoshop. Luminosity masks applied with Lumenzia. The H-alpha stack was layered in with a Screen blend mode and with its own adjustment layers and masks, and colorized with a Hue-Saturation layer. The H-alpha data was not added by replacing the red channel, as that provides no control of the blend of the H-alpha image. A mild and masked Orton Glow effect added with Luminar AI.
The Milky Way from Altair to Albireo
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.
Auroral Oval Panorama from CNSC (Mar 1, 2022)
A 180° panorama of the classic arc of the auroral oval across the northern sky, shot at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Churchill, Manitoba, March 1, 2022. From this longitude the auroral oval is usually centred due north, as it is here. Guests from the Learning Vacations aurora group are outside taking in the display, which was fairly weak this night, with this arc being almost the best it appeared. It shows the classic colours, with the main oxygen green topped by weaker oxygen reds. The arc turns more yellow toward the horizon due to atmospheric absorption. Polaris is just left of centre at top, and marks due north. Capella is at top left; Vega is a right of centre above the trees; Arcturus is at far right. The Milky Way runs across the sky at left in the west. Wind chills were about -40° this night. This is a 3-section panorama with the TTArtisan 11mm fish-eye lens at f/2.8 for 30 seconds each with the Canon R6 at ISO 1600. Stitched with PTGui.
Autumn Milky Way in Monochrome
The northern Milky Way of autumn, from Perseus (at left) to northern Cygnus (at right), with Cassiopeia and Cepheus at centre, captured in the red light of hydrogen-alpha revealing the rich array of nebulas along this portion of the Milky Way. The main nebulas are: At left the Heart and Soul Nebulas (IC 1805 and IC 1848); at centre the NGC 7822/Ced214 complex; at right the IC 1396 complex. This is a stack of 24 x 6-minute exposures with the Canon 28-70mm RF lens wide open at f/2 and Canon Ra camera at ISO 1600, with the 12nm Astronomik H-a clip-in filter. Taken on a very clear night with this area of sku high overhead, but with a bright 8-day gibbous Moon in the south lighting the sky. Taken from home on December 12, 2021.
Eclipsed Moon Near the Winter Milky Way (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 30 minutes before this sequence was taken at 2:30 am MST) was 97% partial, so not quite total. Orion and the winter Milky Way are at left. A large portion of the Moon was outside the umbra and bright when this sequence was shot at the end of my shoot for this eclipse. 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 3200 for the base sky, blended with 15s, 4s, 1s, and 0.25s exposures at ISO 400, all with the Canon EOS R6 camera and Canon RF28-70mm lens at 28mm 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
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. I added in labels on the mosaic for the constellations, and major nebulas and star clusters. Surrounding the panorama is a collage of close-up images of the major emission nebulas (and one dark nebula) pointing to the area in the wide-field mosaic. The close-ups were shot with various astrographic telescopes such as the William Optics RedCat 51mm and Sharpstar 61, 76 and 94mm refractors, usually employing filters such as the Optolong L-eNhance and IDAS NBX. The background panorama was shot on October 30, 2021, but the close-ups were shot on various nights over two years from 2019 to 2021. The panorama 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.
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.