Simulated Eyepiece Views
Albireo, Double Star in Cygnus
Albireo, or Beta Cygni, the famous colourful double star in Cygnus. This is a blend of two sets of three exposures: 4 minutes and 1 minute, to bring out the background star field while not overexposing Albireo and losing its colour. All with the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. Star spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions. Taken July 8, 2018. Processed to simulate a telescope eyepiece view.
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.
Arcturus in Twilight - Eyepiece View
Arcturus in summer twilight, in early July 2018, shot with the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 and Canon 6D MkII. A stack of 3 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 800. The processing is done to create an image that simulates an eyepiece view. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions.
Auriga Clusters, M36, M37, M38 (Bino Field)
Trio of open clusters in Auriga (left to right): M37, M36 and M38 and at right, the Little Fish asterism of stars aka Melottle 31. This is a stack of 5 x 4 minute exposures with Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and Canon 135mm lens at f/2.8. Taken January 6, 2011. Field of view simulates a binocular field.
Pipe Nebula area, field oriented equatorially, with Hutech-modified Canon 5D camera with 135mm f/2 Canon L lens at f/4 for 6 minutes each at ISO400. Stack of 4 exposures, averaged stacked. Taken from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, July 2006.
B142 & B143 Barnard's E Dark Nebula & Altair
Barnard's E, the Double Dark nebula B 142-143, off Altair and Tarazed in Aquila, in a wide-field image simulating the field of binoculars. Taken July 24, 2012, from home with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and Canon L-series 200mm lens at f/3.5 for a stack of 5 x 4.5 minute exposures.
Barnard's E Dark Nebula (B142 and 143) in Aquila
5-inch Astro-Physics apo refractor at f/4.5 for 14 minutes at ISO400 with Canon 20Da camera. Stack of two exposures but second exposure hit by haze. But it did help smooth out noise.
The Belt and Sword of Orion (200mm Bino View)
The Belt and Sword region of Orion, with the Orion Nebula, Messiesr 42 and 43, at bottom. Below the left star of the Belt, Alnitak, is the famous Horsehead Nebula, while above it is NGC 2024, aka the Flame Nebula. The field is filled with faint red emission and blue reflection nebulas. The large loose open cluster Collinder 70 surrounds the middle star of the Belt, Alnilam. The field is similar to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 5 x 2.5-minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1250 and 200mm Canon L-Series lens at f/2.8. Some light haze passing through in some exposures added the natural star glows.
Belt and Sword of Orion (Simulated Binocular Field)
A simulated binocular field of the Belt and Sword of Orion processed to resemble the view through binoculars with minimal colour. Taken with the 200mm lens and Canon 6D MkII for a stack of 8 x 1-minute exposures at ISO 400.
Belt of Orion & B33 Horsehead Nebula (92mm 6D)
The Belt of Orion, enmeshed in nebulosity, emission and reflection, including the famous Horsehead Nebula at left below Zeta Orionis, aka Alnitak, and with NGC 2024 the Flame Nebula above Zeta. Numerous bits of dark and reflection nebulosity fill the area as well as a large cluster of blue stars, Collinder 70.
Crux, the Southern Cross, and the Coal Sack
The Southern Cross, Crux, and the Coal Sack, plus associated star clusters in and around Crux, such as the Jewel Box, NGC 4755. This is a stack of 5 x 3 minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 800 with Canon 5D MkII and 135mm Canon lens. This field simulated the field of view of binoculars. Taken from Atacama Lodge, Chile, May 2011. A couple of the frames had light cloud which added the star glows naturally (no filter employed here).
Coma-Virgo Galaxy Field (Bino Field)
A telephoto lens image of the galaxy field in Coma Berenices and Virgo centered on Messier 84 and Messier 86 and the Markarian’s Chain of galaxies at the heart of the Coma-Virgo Supercluster. This is shot to simulate the field of view of binoculars for illustration purposes. This is a stack of 11 x 1-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800, tracked but unguided on the Mach 1 mount, on April 24, 2019.
Coma Berenices star cluster Mel 111
Coma Berenices star cluster aka Melotte 111. This is a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600 with the Canon 7D on the TMB 92mm apo refractor with Borg 0.85x reducer/flattener for f/4.5. Taken on a slightly hazy night, April 22, 2011 using AP 600E mount and SG4 autoguider.
Cr399 Coathanger aka Brocchi's Cluster
Taken with 4-inch apo refractor at f/4.5 with Canon 20Da camera at IS0800 for 5 minutes. Stack of two exposures. One layer median filtered and gaussian blurred to enhance glows around stars.
Cr399 Coathanger Cluster or Brocchi's Cluster, with 135mm Canon L-lens at f/2.8 and Canon 20Da camera at ISO 800 for stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures. Taken Sept. 8, 2007; contains NGC 6802 cluster; Glow layer added to emphasize stars.
The Dark Horse & Snake Nebulas (135mm 5DII)
The region around the Pipe Nebula (B78), the main part of the naked-eye formation of dark nebulas called the Dark Horse. In photos it breaks up into patches of dark nebulosity, including the tiny Snake Nebula (B72) at centre in Ophiuchus. I shot this the morning of May 5, 2014 from the Four Bar Cottages near the Arizona Sky Village near Portal, Arizona. This is a stack of 5 x 3 minute exposures with the 135mm telephoto lens at f/2.8 and filter modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 1600. It is one segment of a larger multi-panel mosaic.
Delta Cephei, double star, with 5-inch AP refractor at f/6 and Canon 20Da camera at ISO 800 for stack of 3 x 75 second exposures, unguided. Taken July 27, 2007 from home in moonlight. Wires placed in front of objective to add diffraction spikes to stars. Processed to simulate an eyepiece view.
The Double Cluster and Stock 2 - Eyepiece View
The bright Double Cluster, at bottom, aka NGC 869 and NGC 884, below the large and scattered open star cluster, Stock 2, aka the Muscle Man Cluster, with a chain of stars between them. Stcok 2 is over the border in Cassiopeia. These are obvious in binoculars but less so in a long exposure photo. High haze this night added the natural star glows. The field simulates the appearance and field of view of higher-power binoculars. This is a stack of 7 x 8-minute exposures at ISO 800 with the Canon EOS Ra through the Borg 77mm f/4 astrograph, guided with the Lacerta MGEN-3 stand-alone autoguider and dithered, so no LENR or darks were employed. This was on the Mach1 mount.
Epsilon Lyrae (Double-Double Star) - Eyepiece View
Epsilon Lyrae, the Double-Double Star in Lyra, here resolved into just the main wide pair, but each of those stars is also a tight double. Taken from home Nov. 25, 2016 with the 130mm AP f/6 apo refactor with the 6x7 field flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures.
North America and Funnel Cloud Nebulas in Cygnus
A contrasting region of the Milky Way — with the bright emission nebula, the North America (aka NGC 7000), below the dark mass of the Funnel Cloud Nebula at top, aka LeGentil 3, an obvious naked-eye sight under a dark sky. To the right of the North America below bright Deneb is the less obvious dark region known as the Northern Coalsack. This is a stack of 10 x 3.5-minute exposures with the 135mm Canon L lens at f/2.5, on the old (2009-vintage!) Canon 5D Mark II camera at ISO 1600. The 5D II is a filter-modified camera from AstroHutech. The camera was on the Star Adventurer tracker. About 1/3 of the frames were slightly trailed. I used the best 10 for this stack. Light cloud or haze added the natural star glows, However I did have a NiSi Natural Night light pollution filter in place to further enhance the contrast and nebulosity. Faint nebulosity brought out with luminosity masks. A mild Orton Glow artistic effect added with Luminar AI. Taken from home September 7, 2021.
Garnet Star in Cepheus (Binocular View)
The IC 1396 nebula area of southern Cepheus, along with other faint nebulas such as Sharpless 2-129 at far right, and NGC 7380 at top left. Opaque dark nebula above centre is the B169-170-171 complex. Dark nebula below IC1396 is B160. Orange star on top edge iof IC 1396 is Mu Cephei, the Garnet Star. This is a stack of five x 5 minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 1600 with the Canon L-series 135mm telephoto lens, and Canon 5D MkII. Taken from Cypress Hills as the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party, August 2012.
Grus Quartet of Galaxies (NGC 7599, 7590, 7582, 7552)
Grus Quartet of galaxies in Grus the crane. They are from left to right, east to west, NGC 7599, NGC 7590, NGC 7582 (largest and brightest) and NGC 7552 (farthest away from main trio). This is a stack of 5 x 12 minute exposures at ISO 800 with Canon 5D MkII and Astro-Physics 105mm Traveler apo refracrtor at f/5.8. Taken from Timor Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW. Australia, December 11, 2012.
Hyades star cluster in Taurus - with Canon 20Da and 135mm Canon L-series telephoto at f/2.8 for stack of 4 x 4 minute exposures at ISO 400. NGC 1647 at upper left. Glow layer added to emphasize stars.
IC 443 Jellyfish Nebula & M35 (92mm 6D)
IC 443, a supernova remnant in Gemini (aka the Jellyfish Nebula) and associated nebulosity such as IC 444 and LDN 1565, plus the Messier open cluster M35 at right, with its companion cluster NGC 2158 below it. This is a stack of 12 images, with the TMB 92mm and Borg 0.85x flattener for f/4.7, and filter modified Canon 6D at ISO 800. 8 shots were 6 minutes and 4 shots were 8 minutes.