The Lion Kings: Leo Triplet

June 12, 2026 by grahamrob in AstroBin, Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Galaxy, Imaging, Widefield Imaging and tagged astronomy, Astrophotography, DSO Imaging, Galaxies, Leo Constellation, nasa, Science, space | Leave a comment

Located 35 million light-years from Earth, the Leo Triplet is a beautiful galaxy group that is suitable even for my equipment, combining interesting structures and good framing that results in a balanced composition. Unsurprisingly situated in the constellation Leo, the group consists of three prominent spiral galaxies: M65, M66 and NGC 3628, often called the Hamburger Galaxy!

There is evidence of mutual gravitational influence between each of these galaxies, although M65, M66, and NGC 3628 remain distinct systems. Good data and careful processing can bring out the delicate dust structures of NGC 3628 and the intricate spiral patterns of M66, which is generally considered to be the most distorted member of the group. By contrast, M65 has retained a more regular appearance. Viewed edge-on, NGC 3628 is prized for its broad dust lane which creates a strong visual contrast against the bright stellar disk and results in the aforesaid nickname.

I have successfully imaged this beguiling group of galaxies before, but the benefit of Somerset’s dark skies has again brought out much more of the fascinating details and colours after just 4-hours integration time, compared previously with nearly 8-hours in Surrey. Notwithstanding, I had hoped for more but the clouds inevitably curtailed imaging and I therefore hope to be back again for more photons from the lions before not too long.

FOOTNOTE:

This being Galaxy season and having recently discovered PixInsight’s magic in identifying chosen types of objects, in the case galaxies, I had to run the process over this image too. The outcome (see below) was astonishing / frightening; by my count, including the Leo Triplet, there are 142 galaxies in the image!!!

IMAGING DETAILS
Object	Leo Triplet: M65, 66 & NGC3628
Constellation	Leo
Distance	35 million light-years
Size	M65 8.71’ x 2.45’ M66 9.1’ x 4.2’ NGC 3628 15’ x 3.6’
Apparent Magnitude	M65 +10.3 M66 +9.97 & NGC 3628 +9.4

Scope	William Optics GT81 + Focal Reducer FL 382mm f4.72
Mount & Control	ZWO AM5 + ASIair
Guiding	William Optics 50mm guide scope
	+ ZWO 120MM Mini
Camera	ZWO ASI294MM CMOS sensor
	FOV 2.87^o x 1.96^o Resolution 2.50”/pix Max. image size 4,144 x 2,822 pix
EFW	ZWOx8 EFW & 31mm Chroma Ha, OIII, SII 3nm & RGB filters
Capture & Processing	ASIair, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9.3 Lockhart
Image Location & Orientation	Centre = RA 11: 19: 18.1 DEC +13:24:18.1 Bottom Right = North
Exposures	L x 23 + RGB x20 each @ 180 sec Total Integration Time: 4hr 9min
	@ Gain 120 & 30 Offset 21 @ -15^oC
Calibration	10 x 180 sec Darks + 20 x LRGB Flats & Dark Flats @ ADU 32,000
Location & Darkness	Castle Farm Observatory, Wookey, Somerset – UK Typically Bortle 4
Date & Time	21^st & 23^rd April 2026 @ +22.00h
Weather	Approx. <=5^oC RH =<60% 🌙 +24% waxing

M106 & Friends

May 23, 2026 by grahamrob in Broadband, Equipment, Galaxy, General Astronomy, Imaging, Software, Widefield Imaging and tagged astronomy, Astrophotography, Canes Venatici, DSO Imaging, Galaxies, Science, space, Universe | Leave a comment

Continuing the galaxy season theme, I returned to image Messier 106 last month, one of the brightest galaxies in the northern sky. Located about 24 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici, it is similar in size and luminosity to the much closer Andromeda Galaxy (2.5 million light-years), which therefore appears much larger. Classified as an active Seyfert galaxy, M106’s core contains a supermassive black and thereby, energetic activity produces unusual arms made of hot glowing gas, which is only visible in radio and X-ray wavelengths.

The region around M106 is also very rich with other galaxies, I counted many more. One close companion is NGC 4248, a smaller irregular galaxy gravitationally linked to M106. Nearby in the same field is NGC 4217, an edge-on spiral galaxy appearing thin and elongated through telescopes. More distant background galaxies such as NGC 4220, NGC 4231, and NGC 4232 can also be seen in deep astrophotography images, giving the area a crowded and dramatic appearance.

It’s been six years since my first and only image of M106, which can be see here. At the time I was thrilled to capture this exciting galaxy but this time the Bortle-4 sky of Somerset has unveiled much more detail and colour than before; it’s always good to see progress with my imaging. Notwithstanding, it was something of a shock that after pre-processing the data using PixInsight’s WBPP calibration and stacking software, the High Rejection from the luminance revealed numerous satellites that had passed overhead, which does not bode well for astronomers in the future!

FOOTNOTE:

After publishing this image in Stargazers Lounge, a number of people commented that there were a lot more galaxies in this image than I had initially suggested (x7). I therefore returned to Pixinsight and with Image Solver + Annotate Image (which included the main catalogues & added the Principal Galaxy Catalogue), created a more detailed illustrated image shown below. This indicates there are 109 galaxies in the image! Now I really feel even smaller.

IMAGING DETAILS
Main Objects	M106 etc
Constellation	Canes Venatici
Distance	24 million light-years
Size	18.6’ x 7.2’ actual diameter approx. 135,000 light years
Apparent Magnitude	+8,4

Scope	William Optics GT81 + Focal Reducer FL 382mm f4.72
Mount & Control	ZWO AM5 + ASIair
Guiding	William Optics 50mm guide scope
	+ ZWO 120MM Mini
Camera	ZWO ASI294MM CMOS sensor
	FOV 2.87^o x 1.96^o Resolution 2.50”/pix Max. image size 4,144 x 2,822 pix
EFW	ZWOx8 EFW & 31mm Chroma HLRGB filters
Capture & Processing	ASIair, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9.3 Lockhart
Image Location & Orientation	Centre = RA 12:18:20.84 DEC +47:16:25.3 North = Bottom Left
Exposures	Ha x 8 X 600 Sec + L x 43, RGB x14 each @ 300 sec Total Integration Time: 8hr 25min
	@ Gain 120 & 30 Offset 21 @ -15^oC
Calibration	5 x 600 sec & 5 x 300 sec Darks + 20x Flats & Dark Flats @ ADU 32,000
Location & Darkness	Castle Farm Observatory, Wookey, Somerset – UK Bortle 4
Date & Time	8^th 9^th 12^th & 13^th April 2026 @ +21.30h
Weather	Approx. <6^oC RH >=>70% 🌙 <= 65% to 30% waning

Extragalatic Space: NGC2403

May 10, 2026 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Galaxy, General Astronomy, Imaging, Supernova, Widefield Imaging and tagged astronomy, Astrophotography, camelopardalis, DSO Imaging, Galaxies, Galaxy, Science, space | Leave a comment

Who doesn’t wonder at the majesty of galaxies and what might exist therein? Unfortunately, with a few exceptions my astrophotography equipment struggles to image most of these beguiling objects of the night sky; galaxies are very, very big but also very far away and thereby, very small from our perspective on Earth. Notwithstanding, the so called ‘galaxy season’ runs from March to May and now being in the darker Bortle 4 skies of Somerset it seemed the right thing to do this year.

In this case NGC 2403, a mid-size spiral galaxy with an apparent magnitude of about 8.9, the 11^th brightest in our sky, it is just bright enough for small to mid-sized telescopes and benefits more from darker skies than focal length. Its oblique orientation reveals a wealth of structures: loosely wound spiral arms, over 100 prominent H II regions, a mottled core but lack of distinct dust lanes, not unlike the Triangulum Galaxy M33 in many ways (see close-up image below).

NGC 2403 is in the northern constellation Camelopardalis, approximately 10 million light-years away from Earth, and a member of the M81 Group of galaxies. Numerous bright star-forming regions and nebulae can be observed throughout its spiral arms, which are highlighted in the final image by the addition of Ha wavelength data. One of the most notable features of NGC 2403 is its abundance of supernova remnants, indicating a high rate of stellar birth and death, of which SN 2004dj was a particularly famous event.

This was a difficult object to image and process but helped by Somerset’s excellent dark skies, I was pleased with the result.

IMAGING DETAILS
Object	NGC 2403
Constellation	Camelopardalis (Giraffe)
Distance	10 million light-years
Size	21.9′ × 12.3′ or 50,000 light-years
Apparent Magnitude	+8.9

Scope	William Optics GT81 + Focal Reducer FL 382mm f4.72
Mount & Control	ZWO AM5 + ASIair
Guiding	William Optics 50mm guide scope
	+ ZWO 120MM Mini
Camera	ZWO ASI294MM CMOS sensor
	FOV 2.87^o x 1.96^o Resolution 2.50”/pix Max. image size 4,144 x 2,822 pix
EFW	ZWOx8 EFW & 31mm Chroma Ha, OIII, SII 3nm & RGB filters
Capture & Processing	ASIair, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9.3 Lockhart
Image Location & Orientation	Centre = RA 07:37:02.68 DEC +65:35:45.5 Bottom Right = North
Exposures	L x13 @ 600sec + R x10, G x10, B x10 @ 300sec + Ha x10 @ 600sec Total Integration Time: 6hr 20min
	@ Gain 120 & 30 Offset 21 @ -15^oC
Calibration	5 x 600 sec & 5 x 300sec Darks + 10 x Ha LRGB Flats & Dark Flats @ ADU 32,000
Location & Darkness	Castle Farm Observatory, Wookey, Somerset – UK Typically Bortle 4
Date & Time	5^th 6^th 8^th April 2026 @ +21.30h
Weather	Approx. <5^oC RH >=<60% 🌙 approx. 90% to 80% waning moon

Starstruck

April 15, 2026 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Earth, General Astronomy, Open CLuster, Widefield Imaging and tagged DSO Imaging, Gemini | Leave a comment

I recently wrote about the wonderful dark Bortle 4 skies at my new home in Somerset and, for the moment, the trstricted views to the west and north; I hope to establish a new location further down the garden this summer which will provide a southerly view and thereby longer transits of objects. Meanwhile, I am enjoying imaging northern circumpolar targets regularly for the first time and some suitable western objects, which is exactly what I did on this occasion.

Messier 35 AKA Shoe Buckle Cluster (?), is a bright open star cluster in the constellation of Gemini. M35 lies about 2,800 light-years from Earth and is approaching us at 5 km/sec. It is estimated to be between 100 and150 million years old, making it a relatively young open cluster in astronomical terms and spans 24 light-years across. As the stars are formed from the same giant molecular cloud, they are roughly the same age and chemical composition; some post main-sequence are yellow and orange giants of spectral type G and K, while its hottest main sequence star is of spectral class B3.

A notable feature of imaging M35’s is its apparent proximity to NGC 2158, which however, is a much older and more distant, metal-poor open star cluster located some 11,000 to 16,000 light-years from Earth. It contains over 3,000 stars of some 2 billion years age, which are dominated by yellower stars.

Intriguingly, when commencing to image these clusters, the guiding software could not recognise a star to lock onto as there were just too many close together! I’m pleased to say that over three nights I managed to obtain some excellent data that resulted in this exiting image.

IMAGING DETAILS
Object	M35 AKA Shoe Buckle Cluster & NGC 2158
Constellation	Gemini
Distance	M35 2,800 light-years & NGC2158 16,500 light-years
Size	M35 28 arc minutes (24 light-years) & NGC2158 5 arc minutes (16 light-years)
Apparent Magnitude	M35 +5.0 & NGC2158 +8.6

Scope	William Optics GT81 + Focal Reducer FL 382mm f4.72
Mount & Control	ZWO AM5 + ASIair
Guiding	William Optics 50mm guide scope
	+ ZWO 120MM Mini
Camera	ZWO ASI294MM CMOS sensor
	FOV 2.87^o x 1.96^o Resolution 2.50”/pix Max. image size 4,144 x 2,822 pix
EFW	ZWOx8 EFW & 31mm Chroma Ha, OIII, SII 3nm & RGB filters
Capture & Processing	ASIair, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9.3 Lockhart
Image Location & Orientation	Centre = RA 06:08:51.94 DEC +24:15:16.9 Bottom Right = North
Exposures	L x142 @ 60sec + L x30 &30sec + R x37, G x35, B x30 @ 120sec Total Integration Time: 6hr 1min
	@ Gain 120 & 30 Offset 21 @ -15^oC
Calibration	10 x 120 sec, 20 x 60 sec & 20 X 30 sec Darks + 10 x NB Flats & Dark Flats @ ADU 32,000
Location & Darkness	Castle Farm Observatory, Wookey, Somerset – UK Typically Bortle 4
Date & Time	17^th 18^th * 19^th March 2026 @ +21.30h
Weather	Approx. <5^oC RH >=<60% 🌙 approx. New Moon

Messier Magnificence: M81 & M82

March 21, 2026 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Equipment, General Astronomy, Imaging and tagged astronomy, Astrophotography, DSO Imaging, Galaxies, M81, M82, Photography, Science, space, Ursa Major | Leave a comment

H.G. Wells knew a thing or two about the concept of time travel when he published his book The Time Machine in 1895. Since starting astrophotography in 2014, reflecting on the progress I have since made can also feel like a journey through time.

In May 2018, I managed to obtain my first image of the northern sky, which at my previous location in Surrey was completely obscured from view at my main imaging location. The result then obtained under a Bortle-6 night sky, was a modest 2hr 45m image of Messier 81 & 82 seen here. Notwithstanding, it was something of a breakthrough for me and I was – at the time – very pleased with the result. Nearly 8-years later, now located in the wonderful Bortle-4 dark skies of Somerset, I recently chose to image these two magnificent Messier objects once again.

M81 and M82 are two well-known galaxies in the northern sky, which being just 20^o from Polaris are also circumpolar. Located in the constellation Ursa Major, they appear near each other in the sky and interact gravitationally. Both galaxies were discovered in 1774 by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode and later included in the Messier Catalogue. Together, M81 and M82 form the central members of the M81 Group, a small cluster of galaxies located not far from our own Local Group.

M81, also called Bode’s Galaxy (see above), is a spiral galaxy around 12 million light-years from Earth and one of the brightest galaxies visible from the Northern Hemisphere. The diameter is about 90,000 light-years, slightly smaller than the Milky Way, with a supermassive black hole at the centre. M82 or the Cigar Galaxy, is a starburst galaxy, thus forming new stars at an extremely high rate. This intense star formation is believed to have been triggered by the aforesaid gravitational interactions with M81. This activity creates powerful stellar winds and explosions from massive stars going supernova, that eject huge streams of gas and dust out of the galaxy to form dramatic red plumes that extend thousands of light-years above and below the galactic disk.

New equipment, software, greater processing experience and a dark sky location, have resulted in an exciting image that highlights the progress I have made on my astrophotography journey since 2018.

IMAGING DETAILS
Object	M81 AKA Bode’s Galaxy & M82 AKA Cigar Galaxy
Constellation	Ursa Major
Distance	12 million light-years
Size	M81 26.9 x 14.1arcminutes (90.000 light-years) M82 11.2 x 4.3 arcminutes (37.000 light-years)
Apparent Magnitude	M81 +6.9 M82 +8.4

Scope	William Optics GT81 + Focal Reducer FL 382mm f4.72
Mount & Control	ZWO AM5 + ASIair
Guiding	William Optics 50mm guide scope
	+ ZWO 120MM Mini
Camera	ZWO ASI294MM CMOS sensor
	FOV 2.87^o x 1.96^o Resolution 2.50”/pix Max. image size 4,144 x 2,822 pix
EFW	ZWOx8 EFW & 31mm LRGB filters
Capture & Processing	ASIair, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9.3 Lockhart
Image Location & Orientation	Centre = RA 09:55:12.64 DEC +69:20:55.1 Top Right = North
Exposures	L x 12 @ 600 sec & R x 12 + G x 9 + B x 8 @ 300 sec Total Integration Time: 4hr 25min
	@ Gain 120 & 30 Offset 21 @ -15^oC
Calibration	5 x 600 sec & 5 x 300 sec Darks & 10 x LRGB Flats & Dark Flats @ ADU 32,000
Location & Darkness	Castle Farm Observatory, Wookey, Somerset – UK Typically Bortle 4
Date & Time	24^th February 2026 @ +18.30h
Weather	Approx. ❤^oC RH >=<60% 🌙 53% Moon

SOUTHERN CROWN

February 20, 2026 by grahamrob in Broadband, General Astronomy, Nebula and tagged Corona Australis, DSO Imaging, Emission Nebula, Reflection Nebula, Southern Hemisphere | Leave a comment

Located in the constellation Corona Australis (Southern Crown), the spectacular object NGC 6729 (AKA Caldwell 68) is a combined reflection and emission nebula, set within the Australis Molecular Cloud. Being just south of Sagittarius, it is inaccessible from my observatory in Somerset, so this excellent data was consequently acquired from the dark skies of Chile in the Southern Hemisphere, using a superb Planewave CDK200 f/6.8 508cm aperture telescope at the El Sauce Observatory.

The star illuminating NGC 6729 is a T Tauri star – a type of young star whose brightness fluctuates over time. The fan-shaped nebula opens-up between the variable stars R Corona Australis (R CrA) and T CrA to the south-east (see skymap below ref. Robert Mura). R CrA is a pre-main-sequence star within the Corona Australis molecular complex, which is one of the closest star-forming regions to the Milky Way galaxy. Intriguingly, this wonderful, hazy looking nebula exhibits both variable brightness and morphology over time.

IMAGING DETAILS
Object	NGC 6729 Corona Australis Molecular Cloud
Constellation	Corona Australis
Distance	Approximately 420 light-years
Size	2.50 x 2.0 arc minutes (actual 0.30 light years)
Apparent Magnitude	+9.5

Scope	Planewave CDK20
Mount	Planewave L500
Focuser	Optec Gemini
Camera	QHY600PH-M
Filters	Chroma LRGB + Ha 3nm
Processing	Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9-3
Image Location & Orientation	Centre: RA 19:01:42.392 DEC -36:59:48.53 Up = North
Exposures	L x 77, R x 50, G x 50, B x 50 @ 5mins Total Integration Time: 19hr
Location & Darkness	Obstech El Sauce Observatory, Chile
Date	July 2024

2025 The Year In Pictures

January 1, 2026 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, DSLR, Earth, Equipment, Galaxy, General Astronomy, Imaging, Narrowband, Night Scapes, Solar system, Widefield Imaging and tagged astronomy, Astrophotography, Cygnus, DSO Imaging, Galaxies, Milky Way, Nebulae, Orion, Photography, Science, space | Leave a comment

The year 2025 was like no other. Starting with a knee replacement operation in January, shortly after we finally found a new house in March and moved to the lovely dark skies of Somerset at the end of June. Unfortunately, the ensuing turmoil left only a limited time for astronomy. Notwithstanding, I was able to supplement images from Redhill and our new home in Wookey, with some excellent data from Texas, USA and Chile to produce, what I hope you will agree, is an exciting 2026 calendar.

For other pictures and information, go to my website https://watchthisspaceman.com/ or a video of the calendar can be found here on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3ls_s71lQ and is best accessed on a PC or smart TV screen. Background music this year is Massive Attack’s track Atlas Air.

COVER	*NIGHT SKY MONTAGE AT CASTLE FARM OBSERVATORY:* All these images (at the top of the page) were taken at various times from the same location at our house in Wookey, Somerset. Clockwise from bottom left: (1) Nightscape of a small coppice looking south (2) Double Cluster – a pair of open star clusters in the Perseus constellation (3) Star trails (4) Sunset looking west.
JANUARY	THE GREAT ORION NEBULA, M42 ⁽¹⁾ The Orion Nebula is a gigantic cosmic cloud of interstellar dust and gas, which is the basis for the birth of numerous new stars or a “star nursery”. Being the brightest nebula in the northern hemisphere and just over 1,300 light-years distance from Earth, it can be seen with the naked eye on a clear night.
FEBRUARY	FLAMING STAR NEBULA, IC405 ⁽¹⁾ This nebula is illuminated by a powerfully bright blue variable star, AE Aurigae. The object’s epithet comes from the brightly lit ripples of gas and dust at the top of the image, illuminated by AE Aurigae and glowing hydrogen gas. This “runaway star” was ejected by a collision two million years ago from the Triangulum region of The Great Orion Nebula.
MARCH	CRAB NEBULA, M1 ⁽³⁾ This small but beautiful supernova Remnant (SNR) was the result of the explosion of the star CM Tau just over 970 years ago. Located at the centre of the nebula, the remaining Crab Pulsar neutron star spins at the rate of 30 times per second.
APRIL	PINWHEEL GALAXY, M101 ⁽³⁾ At nearly twice the size of the Milky Way and containing at least an estimated trillion stars, M101 is the second largest galaxy of the Messier catalogue and certainly one of the highlights of the spring galaxy season.
MAY	SCULPTOR GALAXY, NGC 253 ⁽³⁾ One of the advantages of obtaining data from Texas, USA, is that it enables views of objects in the Southern Hemisphere that are impossible from the UK. Also known as the Silver Dollar, it is one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky, which results from very high rates of star formation that are fed by the abundance of thick dust lanes.
JUNE	NEEDLE GALAXY, NGC 4546 ⁽³⁾ Seen edge-on from Earth, the Needle Galaxy is thought to be a barred spiral galaxy, some 33% larger than the Milky Way. It has at least two satellite galaxies and 240 globular clusters. Seen through a telescope the Needle Galaxy appears like a thin streak drawn across the dark night sky but look closer and its detailed magnificence is revealed.
JULY	WIZARD NEBULA, NGC 7380 ⁽²⁾ Formed only a few million years ago, the gases of this young emission nebula glow due to intense radiation from hot, massive stars within. Interwoven within this glowing gas are dark, dense regions of dust that sculpt the nebula’s dramatic and somewhat mystical appearance, in this case a wizard – which marks my first image from Somerset.
AUGUST	LOBSTER CLAW & BUBBLE NEBULAE, SH2-157 & NGC 7635 ⁽²⁾ Located in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way, the Lobster consists of ionized hydrogen gas energized by ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot, young stars. The nebula’s distinctive claw-like shape arises from intricate filaments of glowing gas and dark dust. Nearby the Bubble Nebula owes its distinctive looks to a single, massive star, which emits fierce stellar winds that sweep up the surrounding gas into a nearly perfect, glowing shell.
SEPTEMBER	MILKY WAY ⁽²⁾ The night sky in Somerset is three times darker than Redhill, providing significantly better astronomy views. In this case a spectacular image of the Milky Way’s galactic centre.
OCTOBER		THE CYGNUS WALL ⁽²⁾ The Wall is a prominent ridge located within the much larger North America Nebula in the Cygnus constellation. It is an active star-forming region, about 20 light-years long, composed of gas and dust that glows from the energy of young stars.
NOVEMBER		GREAT BARRED GALAXY, NGC 1365 ⁽⁴⁾ A double-barred spiral galaxy located 56-million light-years away, spans over 200,000 light-years across, twice the Milky Way. The most distinctive feature is its massive central bar, which plays a crucial role in channelling gas and dust into the galactic core. As a Seyfert galaxy the nucleus is extremely bright due to energetic processes around its black hole.
DECEMBER		CORONA AUSTRALIS, NGC 6729 ⁽⁴⁾ This spectacular image is a combined reflection and emission nebula, set within the Australis Molecular Cloud. This wonderful, hazy looking nebula unusually exhibits both variable brightness and morphology over time.
*Image Data Source:* ⁽¹⁾Redhill, Surrey ⁽²⁾Castle Farm, Somerset ⁽³⁾USA ⁽⁴⁾Chile
HAPPY NEW YEAR + CLEAR SKIES FOR 2026

The Needle Galaxy

June 1, 2025 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Galaxy, Imaging and tagged Coma Berenices, DSO Imaging, Galaxies, Universe | Leave a comment

Perspective is everything – in life and so it is, with astronomy. Hipparchus first pointed the way in 127 BC when he described the procession of the equinoxes and, as they say one thing led to another as, Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543), Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), Johannes Hevelius (1611–1687), Giovanni Cassini (1625-1712), John Flamsteed (1646-1719) and others opened our eyes to the night sky and what lay beyond Earth. Notwithstanding, it was Edwin Hubble’s discovery of galaxies in 1924 that ultimately led to mankind’s recognition that there was much, much more, that we now take for granted to be the Universe. However, even to the experienced modern astronomer the scale, complexity and beauty of the Universe can be somewhat overwhelming, like when we consider that the observable Universe may consist of 2 trillion galaxies!

Since Hubble’s work we have become familiar with many types of galaxies, which the average person might describe as a colourful spinning firework-like disc, consisting of vast gravitationally bound systems of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust and dark matter. This stereotypic impression arises because most galaxy images are viewed face-on or at an inclined angle, so that we can see the structures and processes that have created it. However, given the number of galaxies and therefore the many possible views, it is not surprising that some can only be seen edge-on from our perspective on Earth, the Needle Galaxy AKA NGC 4546 is one of these.

Thought to be a barred spiral galaxy, NGC 4546 is some 33% larger than the Milky Way. It has at least two satellite galaxies, about 240 globular clusters (Milky Way ~ 150) and is the brightest of the Coma 1 Group of galaxies. Seen through a telescope or when imaged the Needle Galaxy it appears like a thin streak drawn across the dark night sky but look closer and its magnificence is revealed, as in the image above.

Here ribbons of dust can be seen criss-crossing along the edge of the thin galactic disc, thereby blocking much of the from light behind. However, it is the bright central bulge that inevitably catches the eye but remains something of an enigma, as little can be seen from within. This excellent data set obtained using the MOANA 10” Newtonian telescope located in Texas’ dark skies, reveals such exquisite details that are provided by the less common edgewise perspective of this intriguing galaxy.

Footnote & credit: Following a knee replacement I’m currently unable to set-up and use my astronomy equipment, fortunately I havve been able to continue processing using this excellent public amateur data from the MOANA project located near Fort Davis, Texas https://erellaz.com/moana/. Many thanks to its creator Elleraz.

IMAGING DETAILS
Object	Needle Galaxy AKA NGC 4565
Constellation	Coma Berenices
Distance	40 million light-years
Size	15.9 x 1.85 arc minutes
Apparent Magnitude	+10.4

Scope	MOANA 10” f/4.5 Newtonian
Mount	Astro-Physics 1100GOTO
Guiding	Off axis guider + QHY 5L2M
Camera	ZWO1600MM Pro
	FOV 45’ x 35’ Resolution 0.5915”/pix Image size 4,656 x 3,520 pix
Filters	Baader 36mm RGB
Capture & Processing	NINA, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9-3
Image Location & Orientation	Centre RA 12:36:08.12 DEC +25:55:59.31 Left = North
Exposures	R x 45, G x 47, B x 45 @ 300 sec Total Integration Time: 11hr 25 min
	@ 90 Gain
Calibration	300 sec Dark & RGB Flats
Location & Darkness	Near Fort Davis, Texas, USA
Date	May 2023

Sculptor Galaxy

May 6, 2025 by grahamrob in AstroBin, Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Galaxy, Imaging and tagged astronomy, Astrophotography, Galaxies, MOANA, Sculptor, space, travel | Leave a comment

One of the advantages of obtaining data from Texas, USA, is that it enables views of objects in the Southern Hemisphere that are impossible from my location in Surrey, UK. Located close to the University of Texas’ renowned McDonald Observatory at latitude 30.6795^o, the MOANA project is more than 20^ofurther south and, furthermore, boasts some of the best dark skies in North America, what better place to image the exciting spiral Sculptor Galaxy? Also known as NGC 253 or the Silver Dollar, it is one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky, which results from very high rates of star formation that are fed by the abundance of thick dust lanes.

Footnote & credit: Following a recent knee replacement I’m currently unable to set-up and use my astronomy equipment, fortunately I’m still able to continue processing using the excellent public amateur data from the MOANA project located near Fort Davis, Texas https://erellaz.com/moana/. Many thanks to its creator Elleraz.

IMAGING DETAILS
Object	Sculptor Galaxy AKA Silver Dollar or NGC 253
Constellation	Scuptor
Distance	11.4 million light-years
Size	27.5 x 6.8 arc minutes
Apparent Magnitude	+8.0

Scope	MOANA 10” f/4.5 Newtonian
Mount	Astro-Physics 1100GOTO
Guiding	Off axis guider + QHY 5L2M
Camera	ZWO1600MM Pro
	FOV 45’ x 35’ Resolution 0.5915”/pix Image size 4,656 x 3,520 pix
Filters	Baader 36mm RGB
Capture & Processing	NINA, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9-3
Image Location & Orientation	Centre RA 00:47:37.993 DEC -25:17:36.49 Right = North
Exposures	RE x 102, G x 99, B x 98 @ 120 sec Total Integration Time: 9hr 58 min
	@ 90 Gain
Calibration	120 sec Dark & RGB Flats
Location & Darkness	Near Fort Davis, Texas, USA
Date	November & December 2023

Pinwheel Galaxy

April 21, 2025 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Equipment, Galaxy, Imaging and tagged astronomy, DSO Imaging, Galaxies, Milky Way, Ursa Major | Leave a comment

This time of the year is perfect to observe the spectacular face-on spiral M101 or Pinwheel galaxy. At nearly twice the size of the Milky Way and containing at least an estimated trillion stars, M101 is the second largest galaxy of the Messier catalogue and certainly one of the highlights of the spring galaxy season.

A loosely bound cluster of galaxies known as the M101 Group, primarily located in the Ursa Major constellation, is also dominated by the Pinwheel Galaxy, which moreover, is considered to form part of a larger structure within the Virgo Supercluster. Many of the other galaxies in this group are companions to M101, orbiting and interacting with it gravitationally.

Despite its size, M101 is challenging for my William Optics GT81, though I did manage a reasonable image in March 2019. On this occasion using nearly 17 hours of data from the much larger MOANA 10” Newtonian based at the Dark Sky Observatory in Texas, USA, the resulting image shows the galaxy’s beauty to good effect.

Footnote & credit: Following a recent knee replacement I’m currently unable to set-up and use my astronomy equipment, fortunately I’m still able to continue processing using the excellent public amateur data from the MOANA project located near Fort Davis, Texas https://erellaz.com/moana/. Many thanks to its creator Elleraz.

IMAGING DETAILS	IMAGING DETAILS
Object	M101 (NGC 5457) Pinwheel galaxy
Constellation	Ursa Major
Distance	20..9 light-years
Size	29 x 27 arc minutes or 170,000 light-years
Apparent Magnitude	+7.9

Scope	MOANA 10” f/4.5 Newtonian
Mount	Astro-Physics 1100GOTO
Guiding	Off axis guider + QHY 5L2M
Camera	ZWO1600MM Pro
	FOV 45’ x 35’ Resolution 0.5915”/pix Image size 4,656 x 3,520 pix
Filters	Baader 36mm RGB & SHO 6.5nm
Capture & Processing	NINA, Deep Sky Stacker & PixInsight v1.9-2
Image Location & Orientation	Centre RA 14:03:12.0 DEC +54:20:34 Top = North
Exposures	R x 61, G x 73, B x 69 @ 300 sec Total Integration Time: 16hr 55 min
	@ 90 Gain
Calibration	300 sec Dark & LRGB & SHO Flats
Location & Darkness	Near Fort Davis, Texas, USA
Date	May 2023