The Elephant Trunk Nebula (IC1396)

First the final Ha/OIII/OIII close up image:

Object: The Elephant Trunk Nebula (IC1396)

Telescope: Skywatcher ED80

Camera: ATIK 314L+, -10C

Exposures: Ha - 30 x 600s, bin1x1, 5hrs, OIII - 48 x 600s, bin1x1, 8hrs.    13hrs Total

Processing: DSS, PSCS5

Secondly, a widefield image taken back in 2009 showing the immense size of this nebula. I've inset the recent close up as well, hope you like it!

Object: IC 1396

Telescope: Canon 70-200L F/4

Camera: Modified Canon 350D

Exposures: 12x600s, 18x300s

Processing: Darks, Flats, Bias, DSS, PS CS3

Witches Broom Ha/OIII Finalised

Object: NGC 6960, "Witches Broom"

Telescope: Skywatcher ED80

Camera: ATIK 314L+, -11C

Exposures: OIII - 12 x 600, bin1x1, 2hrs, Ha - 11 x 600s, bin1x1, 1hr50mins

Processing: DSS, PSCS5

Pretty sure a mosaic of the veil region won't get finished this season. Oh well, it's not going anywhere fast!

Witches Broom in OIII

Second light for the 314L+ with another quick session. First got the polar alignment nailed, then managed 20mins in OIII of this part of the Veil Nebula before getting clouded out.

So impressed with this camera so far, the noise is so low!

Object: NGC 6960, "Witches Broom"

Telescope: Skywatcher ED80

Camera: ATIK 314L+, -11C

Exposures: OIII - 2 x 600, bin1x1, 20mins

Processing: DSS, PSCS5

Hope to be adding to this tomorrow night. Probably start with Ha just to get a colour picture, then come back to the OIII to go a bit deeper.

Big Changes!

DSLR imaging has been replaced by CCD for me now!!

A shiny (gold!) ATIK 314L+ is here!

And a quick tester:

M27 in Ha, starting to show the halo in 30sec subs!! This camera is sensitive!

Object: M27

Telescope: Skywatcher ED80

Camera: ATIK 314L+, -15C

Exposures: Ha: 152 x 30s bin2x2, 1hr16mins

Processing: Darks, DSS, PSCS5

NGC 6888 - The Crescent Nebula

My processing techniques seem to be improving over time, plus the weather is pretty bad at the moment.

Original with technical details: http://horizonastro.blogspot.com/2010/12/crescent-nebula-ngc-6888.html

M27 Reprocess

My processing techniques seem to be improving over time, plus the weather is pretty bad at the moment.
A slight colour tweak and crop

(click for larger)

Original wider version http://horizonastro.blogspot.com/2010/12/m27-with-outer-halo.html

NGC 7380 - The Wizard Nebula (Ha)

Dug up one last narrowband image from Les Granges
http://horizonastro.blogspot.com/2010/12/les-granges-2010.html

Found in the constellation of Cepheus. The nebula spans 110 light-years and is relatively young, with the stars having emerged from this star-forming region in the last 5 million years.

Object: NGC 7380 (7,000ly)

Telescope: Tak FSQ85

Camera: Atik 320E

Exposures: Ha-30x300s

Processing: Darks, Flats, Bias, DSS, PS CS3

IC1805 - Heart Nebula

This is my...

... first go with my newly modded 450D!

... first go with the new 7nm Ha filter from Santa!

... first 20min sub!

The Heart Nebula is an emission nebula located in the Perseus arm of the Galaxy in the constellation on Cassiopeia. The nebula's light output and shape are driven by the radiation of a small group of stars near the nebula's centre.

Object: IC1805 - The Heart Nebula (7,500ly)

Telescope: Skywatcher ED80

Camera: Modified Canon 450D

Exposures: Ha-1x600s, 2x1200s

Processing: DSS, PS CS3

IC1396 Reprocess

I feel my processing techniques have come along a bit since I started out and the weather is awful. This was one of my first images and was featured on the Sky At Night Magazine cover CD.

The new version is a bit toned down colour wise and smoother.

Crescent Nebula, NGC 6888

My last image from Les Granges trip 2010
http://horizonastro.blogspot.com/2010/12/les-granges-2010.html


Formed by the fast stellar wind from a Wolf-Rayet star (massive stars, 20x the solar mass which lose mass rapidly) colliding with and energizing the slower moving wind ejected by the star when it became a red giant about 400,000 years ago. It's an emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus.

Object: NGC 6888 - The Crescent Nebula (5,000ly)

Telescope: TEC140

Camera: Atik 4000 Mono

Exposures: R-12x300s; G-12x300s; B-12x300s; Ha-16x600s; OIII-24x600s

Processing: DSS, PS CS3

Processed as R(Ha)G(OIII)B(OIII), all added at 50% blend mode lighten.

NGC 6820 and NGC 6823 (Ha)

The last narrowband image from Les Granges
http://horizonastro.blogspot.com/2010/12/les-granges-2010.html

An interesting, not often imaged emission nebula (NGC 6820) and open cluster (NGC 6823) located in the constellation of Vulpecula. The centre of the open cluster contains very large and hot blue stars, which will last millions rather than billions of years (e.g. yellow stars such as the Sun) before burning themselves out. The large dust and gas pillars are probably formed when radiation from nearby stars pushes and erodes it away much like the well known "Elephant's Trunk" in IC 1396.

Object: NGC 6820, NGC 6823 (6000ly)

Telescope: Tak FSQ85

Camera: Atik 320E

Exposures: Ha-68x300s

Processing: DSS, PS CS3

The camera showed class here, picking up loads of the faint stuff!

Crescent Nebula (Ha)

Another from Les Granges, shot in Ha as the full moon was around.
http://horizonastro.blogspot.com/2010/12/les-granges-2010.html

Object: NGC 6888, Crescent Nebula (5,000ly)

Telescope: Tak FSQ85

Camera: Atik 320E

Exposures: Ha-24x600s, 31x300s

Processing: DSS, PS CS3

M27 With Outer Halo

Taken from Les Granges, Provence.
See here http://horizonastro.blogspot.com/2010/12/les-granges-2010.html

The Dumbbell Nebula was the first planetary nebula to be discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. The central White Dwarf is currently the largest known star of its type. It is located in the constellation of Vulpecula.

Object: M27- Dumbbell Nebula (1,360ly)

Telescope: TEC140

Camera: Atik 4000 Mono and OSC

Exposures: OSC-60x300s; Ha-51x600s; OIII-9x600s (bin 2x2)

Processing: DSS, RegiStar, PS CS3