I decided to use my laptop to assist with focusing last night (no special software – just the ability to see the image on a large screen) – this helped drastically – I used Jupiter as my focus object (shown below cropped but at FULL size – Jupiter is really tiny with my widefield setup). Then I moved on to the Eagle Nebula (Kerry this time it is the Eagle and not the Seagull) and took 2 x 5 minute and 2 x 10 minute exposures – I also used my LPR filter – the focus and clarity was so much better than the previous night I decided to re-image the Lagoon/Trifid – 1 x 5 minutes, 2 x 10 minutes, and (ooops – forgot to start the timer) 1 x 15 minutes. Even under a darksky sight such as Tobermory the LPR really made an improvement in contrast. I was going to do a set of the Omega (or Swan) Nebula but my camera battery ran out after the first 5 minute exposure so I only got one frame and thus can’t stack it. A good 4 hours of observing and imaging.

My focus target (at full size cropped):

M17: The Omega (or Swan) Nebula – single exposure:

M16: The Eagle Nebula – 2 x 5min, 2 x 10min:

…close up of the Eagle showing Pillars of Creation:

I will post the last image once processed – larger versions are being uploaded to my gallery.

It was a comfortable 10c with almost no wind, no bugs, and easily managed dew. I only imaged the Lagoon & Trifid Nebulae – but did some visual observing of the region afterward – what a rich area of sky – on low power you can starcluster hop all along the Milkyway (which was very clear up here). The weather for tonight is supposed to even be better than last.

My focus was off a little but the image still turned out reasonably good – especially when reduced. The Trifid is the blue and red smaller nebula on the top – the Lagoon is the big one on the bottom. A larger version is now on my website www.ArtisticDigitalScenery.com. I think I may try again tonight with my laptop connected for focusing and my LPR filter for contrast.

UPDATE: I’ve rotated the image as it would appear in the sky.

Imaged using Canon Digital Rebel XTi mounted prime focus on Celestron 80mm Onyx APO

3 x 5 minutes and 1 x 10 minutes – manually guided – stacked in Registax – colour balanced in Corel PhotoPaint – final clean up with NeatImage. Seeing was very steady and clear.

I did not use my LPR filter for this shot – light pollution was cleaned up digitally during colour balancing.

Another excellent night up in Tobermory. This time I started by imaging the setting moon and Venus while my dad and brother toured the sky with my GoTo.

Then I decided to do some visual observing for awhile too – such clear dark skies. Before packing up I shot 3 five minute and 1 ten minute exposure of a portion of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. On the full sized original I can make out over 30 positive matches for galaxies and about a dozen or so maybe’s.

Virgo Galaxy Cluster (Widefield)

Virgo Galaxy Cluster (Widefield) – labelled – see my gallery for large format image.

The sky was hazy and very unsteady when I set up last night – I thought the CSC may have been wrong again – but by the time I finished aligning things had settled down considerably and the haze was mostly moved to the distant horizon. I only imaged M101 (Spindle Galaxy) and M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) – although actually both widefield images yielded about 6 or so positive’s for other small gallaxies. I then decided to snap of an image of the setting Venus – it was casting a bright beam across the water. The beam was actually about twice as bright earlier but my camera was busy on my main scope and I didn’t want to disturb it.

Spindle (Widefield) – 3 x 4min and 1 x 5min @ ISO1600 on 80mm APO

Spindle (Cropped)

Whirlpool (Widefield) – 3 x 5min @ ISO1600 on 80mm APO

Whirlpool (Cropped)

The Lyrid meteor shower is due to reach its peak around 4:00am Sunday. The CSC is predicting very favourable viewing conditions.

KerryAnn invited a few members of the HAA over to observe from her driveway – unfortunately for most they had prior obligations to attend an HAA council meeting and missed out on the opportunity 🙁

Although KerryAnn’s place is very close to the bright Grimsby city lights – it’s high up on the escarpment and well above the majority of the light pollution – it’s not Binbrook, but it is a very nice alternative site. The viewing wasn’t the best last night – with high humidity/haze and the occasional cloud floating over – but even so, we were able to make out some very faint objects – and Saturn presented excellent views in both Kerry’s 6″ SCT and my 80mm APO. When I setup my equipment I could see my breath and gave KerryAnn’s 6″ corrector about 45 minutes before dew would hit (she doesn’t have a dew shield yet) – I was wrong – it wasn’t until near the end of a 3 hour observing session that dew struck.

I had originally planned on imaging the Pleiades, but with the moon only a few degrees away I decided to go for the Rosetta (or Rosette) Nebula instead. KerryAnn tried her hand at imaging M1, the Crab Nebula, but due to lack of a guide scope she was limited to very short exposures.

After about 3 hours the temperature dropped and the clouds rolled in – so we decided to pack up.

The Rosetta Nebula (click on Title link for larger image)
imaged by Tim Harpur March 22, 2007

Canon Digital Rebel XTi mounted prime focus with UHC/LPR filter on
Celestron Onyx 80mm EDF refractor
manually guided
3 x 10 minutes @ ISO1600 stacked

Sorry it took so long – I had a severe system crash and spent yesterday re-installing and restoring backed up files. I just finished data recovery on the memory card and now have some of the (cloudy) images of the last 15 minutes of the eclipse.

Lunar Elcipse (through clouds) 2007-03-03

Lunar Elcipse (through clouds) 2007-03-03

Lunar Elcipse (through clouds) 2007-03-03

Lunar Elcipse (through clouds) 2007-03-03

Lunar Elcipse (through clouds) 2007-03-03

Just starting into astrophotography, but getting a little discouraged by photos that are always washed out? Don’t be, the following is a typical long exposure image shot without the use of a filter.

This is the same image after having the colour space remapped (a process that literally takes less than a minute on a typical computer with the right software).

The only thing left to do to create the final picture is to stack a series of these images in software such as Registax and maybe do some final adjustments of the colour space.

So it was a little cool – but almost no wind – and properly dressed – not bad at all and well worth it. Jackie and Ben braved the cold also. Crisp and clear – for the most part – we did have some clouds roll in for about 15 minutes – then they vanished – in all we got about 2 hours of very clear skies before the clouds came back for good.

I took a little extra care on polar aligning and also, thanks to Mike, had new batteries for my illuminated guiding eyepiece. I spent most of the time imaging (6 minute exposures) the Flaming Nebula in Orion – then, before packing up, took a couple of shots of Orion’s sword again.

COLD
  CRISP
    CLEAR
      and very CALM

The seeing was very steady and clear – all four stars of the Trapezium in Orion were clearly visible in my 80mm achro guide scope – the view in my Onyx 80mm apo was pinpoint sharp. I quickly set up for imaging – only to discover the battery for my illuminated guiding eyepiece was dead – I had to do my imaging unguided with exposures limited to about 1 minute. It wasn’t the cold – it was my dead camera battery that ended my observing session (after about 3 hours).

No wolves to keep me company – but there were a lot of geese making quite a racket.

The following images are single frame shots – quickly processed – and drastically reduced in size – I will post the stacked and fully processed verions to my gallery in the next day or two. All imaging was done using my new Onyx APO 80mm refractor and Canon Digital Rebel XTi mounted prime focus.

Despite the cold I am planning on doing another run to Binbrook Saturday if weather holds for clear skies.

Great Orion Nebula

Flaming Nebula (and the Horsehead Nebula) in Orion