Patrick Holland
5/22/2012 10:12:03 PM
Here is my first attempt at solar imaging. I used the AT72mm APO With Baader Solar Film with the Orion Star Shoot Solar System Imager III and a Baader HA 7nm filter. Solar imaging is very different from deep space imaging in many regards. Anyway, as bad as the image is, I am learning and hope to be a "pro" by the time Venus transits the sun.
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Jim Aldrich
5/18/2012 8:57:40 PM
Here is a shot of NGC 5364. It is a face-on galaxy in Virgo about 80 mly away. I invested about 8 hours of LRGB imaging to try and capture some details.
Journey's End Observatory
14" Meade LX200ACF
CGE-Pro Mount
SBIG STL-11000M Camera
MOAG & AO-L Guided
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Jim Aldrich
4/25/2012 5:59:53 PM
M 13 is a globular cluster located in Hercules about 25,000 ly from Earth. LRGB image consisting of 40 (1 min) subframes.
Journey's End Observatory
14" Meade LX200ACF
CGE-Pro Mount
SBIG STL-11000M Camera
MOAG & AO-L Guided
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Jim Aldrich
4/25/2012 5:15:52 PM
NGC 5033 contains a active galactic nucleus (AGN) that is beleived to include a supermassive black hole. It is located in Canes Venatici and its distance is estimated to be between 38-60 mly. The core is bright but the arms are dim, making it a difficult galaxy to process.
LRGB image was processed with about 14 - 10min
subframes per filter.
Journey's End Observatory
14" Meade LX200ACF
CGE-Pro Mount
SBIG STL-11000M Camera
MOAG & AO-L Guided
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Patrick Holland
4/24/2012 10:40:54 PM
NGC4565 AKA Caldwell 38 - an interesting, relatively close (31 million light years away - give or take a few million light years) edge-on galaxy in the constellation of Coma Berenices. This was taken on 4-23-12. 50-2 minutes light frame subs, 10 darks, 10 flats and 10 bias frames. Taken with the C8 SCT with hyperstar on a Celestron CGEM and the Atik 450C camera. Guided with the AT72 and the Orion SSAG. All calibration and alignment and stacking done in Maxim DL Pro 5.14, All post processing done by Mark Sibole in Photoshop CS3.
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Patrick Holland
4/12/2012 1:35:59 AM
Tonight (4-11-12) I worked with a test of some new gear. My Moonlite CLS focuser just got back with a new modification - T-thread mounting. This allows me to screw the camera into the focuser t-threads rather than just using thumbscrews centering a camera nosepiece. Also, tonight was the first time use of the Antares .7X 2" focal reducer. Despite balancing issues of my own making, and focus shift the image (M3) did not turn out too bad. Imaging scope was the Meade 10" ACF scope and LX200 mount, with Moonlite CLS focuser (focal reducer adjusted inside the focuser). The Antares .7x focal reducer (brought the focal length down to 1775mm). Guiding was the Explore Scientific 80mm APO and Meade DSI-C camera. Imaged with the Orion Starshoot Pro V2 camera with 3 minute subs (35 light subs total). Darks, Bias and Flats all calibrated and aligned and stacked in Images Plus 3.82. Processed in Photoshop CS3.
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Patrick Holland
3/26/2012 11:39:09 PM
Well, here's M95, complete with the supernova. This image did not turn out well, focus had drifted through the night (3-25-12) and I had some pretty wicked banding on the image (from the DSLR). Imaged with the Meade 10" ACF scope @ F6.2 (with Optec Lepus FR for corrected optics). Canon XSi (Hap Griffin Modded) was used for the exposures. Guided by the Meade DSI-1 with the Explore Scientific 80mm APO. 24-10 minute exposures, 5 darks, 20 flats and bias frames. Calibrated and stacked in Images Plus 3.82a and processed in Photoshop CS3 by Mark Sibole (his expertise was needed to get the banding under control).
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Patrick Holland
3/18/2012 11:54:50 PM
NGC7000 (North American Nebula) taken back in August of 2011. I did not get enough time on this object and thus held off for processing. This image was taken with the Explore Scientific 80mm APO with the Canon XSi (Hap modded) with the Televue TRF-2008 FF/FR (F4.8). Guided by the Meade 10" ACF scope with the Orion Starshoot autoguider at F6.3. 19 - 5 minute subs, 7 - 5 minute darks, no bias or flats. Image calibrated and stacked in Images Plus 3.82a, Post processing in Photoshop CS3. I stretched it very hard to get the dimmest parts of the Hydrogen. I will definitely add more to this image this summer.
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Patrick Holland
3/18/2012 3:17:26 PM
Another older image I never did process until now. The core of M8 (the Lagoon Nebula) which was shot on 4/2/11 but never finished. This image was taken with my C8 OTA, Canon XSi camera (Hap Griffin modded), with the Meade F6.3 focal reducer. The image consists of 15-300 second subs, darks, flats and bias frames. Captured with Backyard EOS, calibrated in Images Plus 3.8 and post processed in Photoshop CS3.
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Patrick Holland
3/18/2012 10:38:55 AM
Here's an image I took of M33 back on 10-16-10 that I never did process due to lack of subs. Clouds came in while I was trying to get this one. It was taken with the Explore Scientific 80mm APO with the ATFF and Canon XSi. 14 subs at 2 minutes each, calibrate with darks and flats in Images Plus 3.82. Post processing in Photoshop CS3. I was not able to remove the banding from the flats but it ended up being a half-way decent image.
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