Deep Sky - NGC Objects
16 Cygni Extra-Solar Planet Star
The double star 16 Cygni (right of centre) which is also host to extra-solar planets, in Cygnus. Shot Nov 10, 2014 from New Mexico, with the 92mm TMB apo refractor at its native f-ratio of f/5.5 with the Hotech field flattener, and Canon 6D for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 800. Also in the field, left of 16 Cygni is the tiny blue Blinking Planetary Nebula, NGC 6826. The odd curving arcs at upper right must be internal reflections from a nearby star, though there is no bright star just outside the frame here.
Abell 21, the Medusa Nebula in Gemini
This is the faint but large planetary nebula known as the Medusa Nebula, but officially Abell 21 or PK 205+14.1 in Gemini. It was discovered in 1955 and was once classified as a supernova remnant. The very sparse open cluster NGC 2395 is at upper right from the nebula. The nebula is thought to be 4 light-years across and 1500 light-years away. This is a blend of filtered and unfiltered exposures: a stack of 4 unfiltered at ISO 1600 for 8 minutes each, and a stack of 8 filtered shots at 10 minutes each and ISO 3200, through the Optolong L-Enhance filter. All with the red-sensitive Canon EOS Ra camera through the SharpStar 100QII astrographic refractor at f/5.8, a quadruplet lens apo refractor. All stacked, aligned and blended in Photoshop.
Abell 21, the Medusa Nebula, a large but faint planetary nebula in Gemini. Above and to the right of it is a very loose open cluster NGC 2395. This is a stack of 15 x 8-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the TMB apo refractor and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600. Taken from the backyard of the Silver City, New Mexico, house, March 15, 2015.
Abell 426, the Perseus Galaxy Cluster
Abell 426, the populous cluster of galaxies in Perseus, that includes the active radio source galaxy, NGC 1275, aka Perseus A, at the heart of the cluster. To the right of 1275 is slightly dimmer NGC 1272. The galaxies are about 235 million light years away, and appear as fuzzy stars scattered across this field. This is a stack of 10 x 8-minute exposures with the Quattro 8-inch astrographic Newtonian reflector at f/4 with the coma corrector. The camera was the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800. While shot with 800mm of focal length even that is not really enough to do the cluster justice — the galaxies are small smudges.
Abell 426, the Perseus Galaxy Cluster
Abell 426, the populous cluster of galaxies in Perseus, that includes the active radio source galaxy, NGC 1275, aka Perseus A, at the heart of the cluster. To the right of 1275 is slightly dimmer NGC 1272. The galaxies are about 235 million light years away, and appear as fuzzy stars scattered across this field. This is a stack of 10 x 8-minute exposures with the Quattro 8-inch astrographic Newtonian reflector at f/4 with the coma corrector. The camera was the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800. While shot with 800mm of focal length even that is not really enough to do the cluster justice — the galaxies are small smudges.
Alpha Cruxis, or Acrux, the brightest star in the Southern Cross, Crux. It is a blue-white star 320 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. Small star clusters NGC 4349 (above) and NGC 4609 (at left) appear near Acrux. The area is also rich in dark nebulas near the Coal Sack. I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600.
Alpha and Beta Centauri and the Dark Lanes of Centaurus
The bright stars Alpha Centauri (left) and Beta Centauri (right) at the end of the dark lanes of Centaurus in the southern Milky Way. The star cluster NGC 5617 is between Alpha and Beta; the cluster NGC 5822 in Lupus is at upper left; the trio of clusters NGC 6087, NGC 6067 and NGC 6025 are at far left in Triangulum Australe and Norma. This is a stack of 4 x 2.5-minute exposures with the 85mm Rokinon lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2000. Tracked on the AP400 mount. Some high cloud added the natural star glows. Taken just at moonrise from Australia.
Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to the Sun (at left and aka Rigel Kentaurus) and Beta Centauri (at right, aka Hadar) in Centaurus, and together known as the Pointer Stars. The open cluster NGC 5617 is to the right of Alpha. The field simulates a binocular field of view. This is a stack of 4 x 2-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2500. Tracked on the AP 400 mount.
A panorama mosaic from Alpha Centauri (at left) to Alpha Cruxis (at right) and the stars of the Southern Cross, Crux. Alpha and Beta Centauri are together called The Pointers because they point to the true Cross, to distinguish from the False Cross farther to the west. The dark nebula of the Coal Sack is to the left of the Southern Cross. The field contains several star clusters, including the Jewel Box, NGC 4755, to the left of Beta Cruxis This is a two-panel mosaic, each panel being a stack of 4 x 3-minute exposures with the 135mm telephoto lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600. Two other exposures taken through the Kenko Softon A filter were layred in to add the star glows. Tracked on the AP 400 mount. Taken April 13, 2016 from Tibuc Cottage, Australia. The original is 9,200 by 3,400 pixels.
Andromeda in a stack of 5 x 4 minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and 50mm Sigma lens at f/3.2. Plus two exposures taken thru the Kenko Softon filter for the star glows. Takes in the Andromeda Galaxy, M31, at upper centre, plus Triangulum Galaxy, M33, below centre, and NGC 752 star cluster (left of centre), and M34 cluster at left edge. The small constellation of Triangulum is bottom left. Taken from home Oct 5, 2013.
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.
The Milky Way, from Andromeda to the Pleiades
The northern autumn Milky Way from Cassiopeia (at top) to Perseus (at bottom), running along the left, with Andromeda and the Andromeda Galaxy at upper right, and the Pleiades in Taurus ar lower right. The red streak is the California Nebula, NGC 1499, in Perseus. The Milky Way here is rife with dark lanes and dust clouds. The star cluster below the Andromeda Galaxy is NGC 752. This is a stack of 5 x 2.5-minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 1600 with the 35mm lens and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, plus two other exposures taken through a Kenko Softon filter to add the star glows. Taken from the Quailway Cottage near Portal, Arizona.
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.
Aquila and SO-Double Cluster area. Serpens-Ophiuchus Double Cluister at right consists for IC4756 (left, east) and NGC 6633 (right, west), a little known but nice binocular object. Double Dark Nebula visible above Altair at upper left. 50mm lens at f/3.5, Fuji Provia 100F slide film, about 30 minute exposure. September 2001, taken from home in Alberta
Aquila (50mm 5DII) Sept 29, 2013
Aquila in a stack of 5 x 4 minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and 50mm Sigma lens at f/3.2. Plus two exposures taken thru the Kenko Softon filter for the star glows. Includes the Serpens-Ophiuchus double cluster (SO Double Cluster) of IC 4756 and NGC 663 at right. Altair and Terazed are at top. Taken from home Sept, 29, 2013.
The constellation of Aquila the Eagle with the small constellation of Scutum the Shield below, with its bright starcloud, in the northern summer sky, with parts of Serpens and Ophiuchus at right. The Serpens-Ophiuchus Double Cluster is at right, made of NGC 6633 (right) and IC 4756 (left). Altair is the bright star at left. This is a stack of 4 x 1-minute exposures with the 50mm Sigma lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D at ISO 1600, plus an additional 1 min exposure through the Kenko Softon filter to add the star glows. All tracked on the MSM SiFo Tracker from China. Taken from home July 24, 2019.
Aries & Triangulum (50mm 5DII)
Aries (below) and Triangulum (above) in a stack of 5 x 4 minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and 50mm Sigma lens at f/3.2. Plus two exposures taken thru the Kenko Softon filter for the star glows. Takes in the Triangulum Galaxy, M33, above centre, and NGC 752 star cluster (upper left). The small galaxy NGC 772 is just visible right of centre as a tiny non-stellar spot. Taken from home Oct 5, 2013.
One of the “Big Four” asteroids, 3 Juno , in Virgo, about 3 weeks after it was at opposition. It appears here as the small streak above centre due to its orbital motion over the 80 minutes of accumulated exposure time of the image. This was April 24, 2020. The faint galaxy at left is NGC 4688. This is a stack of 8 x 10 minute exposures with the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800 through the Astro-Physics 130mm apo refractor at f/6.
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.
The Clusters and Nebulas of Auriga
The field of clusters and nebulosity in Auriga, with — from left to right — Messier 37, Messier 36, and Messier 38, as the main open star clusters here. Below M38 is NGC 1907. The nebulosity at right is IC 410 and IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula. In between them is the colourful asterism known as the Little Fish. Messier 38 is also known as the Starfish Cluster while Messier 36 is called the Pinwheel Cluster. The bright red nebula at top is Sharpless 2-235. The litttle nebulas at centre are NGC 1931 and IC 417. The field is similar to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 5 x 3-minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and 200mm Canon L-Series lens at f/2.8. Taken with the Fornax Lightrack tracker as part of testing. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions. Taken from home on a rare fine and mild winter night, January 4, 2019.
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.
Wide-angle view of the array of classic autumn constellations: Andromeda, Pegasus, Perseus and Cassiopeia. Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy, is visible at centre, as is the large star cluster NGC 752 below and left of centre. The Perseus Association of bright blue stars around Mirfak is prominent at left, as well as the Double Cluster above between Perseus and Cassiopeia. Taken Sept. 11, 2010, with 24mm lens at f/4 and Canon 5D MkII camera at ISO 800 for stack of 2 x 6 minute exposures plus 2 x 6 min exposures taken thru Kenko Softon A diffusion filter for the star glows. Re-processed in February 2020.