Veil Of Darkness

June 10, 2022 by grahamrob in Broadband, Dark Nebula, Deep Sky Objects, Imaging, Widefield Imaging and tagged Milky Way, Pleiades, Taurus Constellation | Leave a comment

Just northeast of the Pleiades star cluster within the northern Milky Way, lies the dark region of the Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC), which at 430 light years is the nearest star-forming region to Earth. Consisting of hundreds of solar masses of primordial hydrogen and helium gas, as well as heavier elements, this vast area of dense stardust obscures almost all light from behind. As such it forms an alluring target for astrophotography, with the complex rift-like dark structure of the TMC set against the broad starry background of the Taurus constellation.

Notwithstanding, perhaps because of the more popular objects that abound throughout its neighbour the Orion constellation, the TMC is somewhat neglected by astronomers; to be fair the TMC is also a more challenging imaging target than many of those found in Orion. Early this year, for the first time I decided to image the dark nebula Barnard 22, an iconic section of the TMC formed by a complex mass of dark stardust that appears to hang within the vast surrounding starfield.

Approaching the new moon in late January I obtained almost 11 hours of LRGB subs, though sadly was unable to incorporate another 6-hours of 10-minute luminance exposures which proved to be too bright to use: note-to-self – check settings for new objects before embarking on long imaging programme! To achieve a balance between the large black smudge that is B 22 and the brilliance of the surrounding stars processing was tricky but the final outcome satisfying. Also noteworthy in the image, just off centre is the small flame-shaped reflection nebula IC 2087, the light from which just manages to emerge from behind the otherwise dominant, though beguiling form of Barnard 22, which like night itself seems to casts a dark veil over the cosmos.

	IMAGING DETAILS
Objects	Barnard 22 dark nebula & IC 2087 reflection nebula
Constellation	Taurus
Distance	Approx.. 430 light years
Size	–
Apparent Magnitude	Varies

Scope	William Optics GT81 + Focal Reducer FL 382mm f4.72
Mount	SW AZ-EQ6 GT + EQASCOM computer control & Cartes du Ciel
Guiding	William Optics 50mm guide scope
	+ Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2 camera & PHD2 guiding
Camera	ZWO1600MM-Cool mono CMOS sensor
	FOV 2.65^o x 2.0^o Resolution 2.05”/pix Max. image size 4,656 x 3,520 pix
EFW	ZWOx8 EFW & 31mm Chroma LRGB filters
Capture & Processing	Astro Photography Tool + PHD2 + Deep Sky Stacker, PixInsight v1.8.8-12, Photoshop CC, Topaz AI DeNoise
Image Location & Orientation	Centre RA 04:39:00.365 DEC +26:00:13.426 Lower Left = North
Exposures	120 x 180 sec L, 19 x 300 sec R, 20 x 300 sec G & B Total Integration Time: 10hr 55 min
	@ 139 Gain 21 Offset @ -20^oC
Calibration	10 x 60 sec Darks 15 x LRGB Flats & Dark Flats @ ADU 25,000
Location & Darkness	Fairvale Observatory – Redhill – Surrey – UK Typically Bortle 5-6
Date & Time	27^th 29^th 31^st January + 4^th & 6^th February 2022 @ +18.30h
Weather	Approx. <4^oC RH >=75% 🌙 around New Moon

2021 The Year In Pictures

January 1, 2022 by grahamrob in AstroBin, Broadband, Dark Nebula, Deep Sky Objects, Galaxy, General Astronomy, Globular Cluster, Imaging, Narrowband, Nebula, Processing, Star Cluster, Supernova, Widefield Imaging and tagged Astrophotography, DSO Imaging | Leave a comment

Every year since 2014 I’ve published a retrospective blog of my astrophotgraphy year just ending called Reflections. It’s been a useful task that enables me to bring together the best and sometimes the worst of my images, in order to consider the good and bad points + progress made + set some objectives for the coming year. Eight years on, after which I believe I’ve now reached at least a respectable level of imaging and processing, I’ve decided to stop this format for the time being.

Notwithstanding, at this time of the year I also produce an astrophotography calendar for members of my family, which consists of the better images from the year just ending; I think they like them and certainly all use the calendar during the coming year. Moreover, I also recently started to compile a video of the said calendar images set to appropriate music, which we all watch together prior to seeing the actual calendar. It’s a great way to present the images, which look really stunning on today’s large Smart TV’s and is fun to watch with the family too.

The video for this last year 2021 can be viewed on YouTube HERE and below is a brief very general overview of each image. More detailed background information and imaging details for those interested can be found in relevant blogs posted on this site during the past year.

2022 CALENDAR

A new set of filters, improved processing techniques and access to data from a telescope at a dark sky site in New Mexico, USA (shown by an asterisk *) contributed to an exciting astrophotography year in 2021.

FRONT COVER	The Carnival of Animals: Special processing of the inner region of the Rosette Nebula highlights the ‘animals’ or Bok Globules – clouds of dust undergoing gravitational collapse as part of the process of new star formation.
JANUARY	LDN-1250 Dark Nebula*: Dark or absorption nebulae are a type of interstellar cloud which are so dense they obscure or absorb visible light emitted from objects behind or within and thereby contrast with the general light flux of the Universe as dark areas.
FEBRUARY	CTB-1 Supernova Remnant*: The overall structure of this supernova remnant is that of a circular shell, with a conspicuous rupture towards the north (lower right of image). The main red Ha-shell is composed of multiple interlocking filament limbs, with a blue / green OIII arc along one side.
MARCH	Jellyfish Nebula: Locatedin the Gemini constellation some 5,000 light years from Earth, this is a remnant of a supernova that took place during the past 30,000 years. With a diameter of 70 light-years, the object is visually speaking nearly twice the size of a full moon.
APRIL	Markarian’s Chain: The Virgo cluster consists of more than 2,000 galaxies, within which Markarian’s Chain forms a J-curve string of bright galaxies that share a common motion through space.
MAY	*M13 Great Globular Cluster of Hercules:** Consisting of several hundred thousand stars and 145 light-years in diameter, M13 is considered to be the finest cluster in the Northern Hemisphere.
JUNE	*Cave Nebula**: Located along the plane of the Milky Way is the diffuse emission nebula referred to as the Cave Nebula. The Cave at the centre is critically located at the boundary of the Cepheus molecular cloud and the hot, young stars which ionize the surrounding gases to great effect.
JULY	Orion Widefield: Framed around the area of Orion’s Belt, the Horsehead Nebula and the Great Orion Nebula, look hard and the refection nebula M78 can also be seen in the lower left corner.
AUGUST	*Elephant’s Trunk Nebula**: A very large emission nebula, the so-called Elephant’s Trunk Nebula is rightly viewed as one of astrophotography’s most iconic images. The ‘trunk’ itself dominates the centre of this image and is illuminated from behind by a bright star forming region.
SEPTEMBER	M31 Andromeda Galaxy: The full benefit of new filters, improved guiding, clear skies over 6-nights and extensive use of new processing techniques can be seen in my best image yet of Andromeda.
OCTOBER	Butterfly Nebula: Situatedwithin the Orion Arm of the Milky Way is the Gamma Cygni nebula, a diffuse emission nebula surrounding the star Sadr. Either side of the dark rift which divides the image from top to bottom are two large bright areas that together form the so-called Butterfly.
NOVEMBER	M33 Triangulum Galaxy: Like it’s neighbour Andromeda, better data and processing has produced an exciting new image of M33 this year, the red areas highlight Ha-rich star-forming regions
DECEMBER	Flying Bat & Giant Squid Nebula*: This very faint OIII emission nebula Ou4 required an imaging time of 40-hours. For obvious reasons Ou4 has become known as the Giant Squid Nebula which, moreover, lies within the much larger SH2-129 HII emission region or the Flying Bat Nebula.

HAPPY NEW YEAR + CLEAR SKIES IN 2022

Orion In A New Light

February 19, 2021 by grahamrob in Deep Sky Objects, DSLR, Equipment, General Astronomy, Nebula, Universe, Widefield Imaging and tagged Orion Constellation | Leave a comment

In ancient history Orion’s stars were considered to form a pattern that resembled a hunter holding a club above with his right arm and a shield in front with his left. The appearance of Orion each year marks the highlight of the astronomy for many including me but for the second year running months of continuous cloud have precluded any astronomy since October; I note from comments online far-and-wide that this phenomenon has prevailed across much of the northern hemisphere, no doubt resulting in a lot of unhappy astronomers.

Finally the clouds briefly relented over Fairvale Observatory in February but only for a few hours each time, thus eliminating the possibility of imaging with a CMOS mono camera. Faced with these problems I therefore returned to my somewhat neglected modded Canon 550D camera and suitable lenses for appropriate widefield compositions, in order to image some classic targets around the Orion constellation in a broader context. Having first whetted my appetite with the Samyang 135 f2 and its large 9.45^o x 6.30^o FOV to successfully image the iconic area that encompasses Orion’s belt, the Horsehead Nebula and M42 (see Going Big), it was time to go really big in order to capture the entire constellation literally and figuratively in a new light.

Seven bright stars define the area which outlines the torso and upper legs of Orion the Hunter: Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Rigel and Saiph at the top and bottom, connected across the centre by his ‘belt’ formed from Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. The H-shape thus created by these stars is a familiar sight over the winter months but like so many asterisms of the night sky all is not what it seems. Plotting the distance from Earth of each star it is immediately obvious that their spatial relationship significantly changes the shape of the constellation compared to what as we perceive by eye. It is a sobering thought that with the passage of time those asterisms familiar to astronomers today will look very different in the future as the stars move though space and therefore continue to change their relative positions, look and shape.

Star	Betelgeuse	Bellatrix	Rigel	Saiph	Alnitak	Alnilam	Mintaka
Distance from Earth* (light years)	643	243	772	724	800	1,359	900

*Source: Royal Greenwich Observatory

Click HERE for annotated version of the Orion Constellation in 3D ref. Space Science Telescope Instititue

The Canon ‘Nifty Fifty’ 50mm f1.8 fixed aperture lens is perfect for an ultra widefield image of Orion. Whilst the glass is excellent, focus leaves a lot to be desired and once achieved needs to be secured with tape

Aside from the said visual perspective of Orion, like so much of space we only see a fraction of what is really present in the Universe but can nevertheless often be disclosed by astrophotography. And so I next decided to image the entirety of Orion, this time with a basic Canon 1.8 50mm lens – the so called “nifty fifty”- with the purpose of capturing in one shot the constellation with which we are all familiar, together with vast spectacular HII-regions that encompass much of the constellation but usually remain unseen. This camera-lens combination provides an enormous 25.5^ox 17.0^o field-of-view (x7 > Samyang lens, x83 William Optics GT81!) albeit with lower resolution, which perfectly encompasses most of Orion and therefore the entire arc of Barnard’s Loop on the left and the Angelfish Nebula (Orion’s “head”) located above and between Betelgeuse and Bellatrix.

Above: Orion constellation from Fairvale Observatory 24th December 2014 (Left) compared with long exposure image + modded camera 10th February 2020 (right)

Barnard’s Loop is an emission nebula, forming part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex which also contains the dark Horsehead and bright Great Orion Nebulae M42. The Loop is believed to have originated from a supernova explosion about 2 million years ago, which is now ionized by stars from within and around the Orion Nebula and takes the form of a large arc centred approximately on the Orion Nebula. Discovered and photographed by E. E. Barnard in 1894, this vast feature extends over some about 600 arcminutes when viewed from Earth or physically up to 300 light years across, depending on the distance from Earth.

The Angelfish Nebula SH2-264 is centred on the young star cluster of Lamda Orionis, of which Meissa is the brightest. An HII-region with an apparent size of 5 degrees and actual size of 150 light years, it is also an emission nebula that is energised by the aforesaid star cluster and is considered to form the so-called head of Orion.

Having previously imaged notable parts throughout Orion, I’ve long wanted to capture the full extent of this wonderful constellation in all its glory and am very pleased with the outcome on this occasion.

DSLR IMAGING DETAILS*
Object	Orion Constellation
Constellation	Orion
Distance	243 to 1,360 light-years
Size	594^o2
Apparent Magnitude	Varies

Lens / Scope	Canon 50mm f1.8
Mount	SW AZ-EQ6 GT + EQASCOM computer control & Cartes du Ciel
Guiding	No Guiding
Camera	Canon 550D modified
	FOV 25.5^o x 17.7^o Resolution 17.72”/ pixel
Capture & Processing	Astro Photography Tool + PHD2 Deep Sky Stacker, PixInsight, Photoshop CS3 & Topaz Denoise AI
Image Location & Orientation	Centre RA 05:37:37.3 DEC +00:48:50.26 Top = North Right = West
Exposures & Aperture	42 x 120 sec @ ISO800 Total: 1hr 24 min F1.8
Calibration	5 x 120’ Darks, 20 x 1/4000 sec Bias 20 x Flats
Location & Darkness	Fairvale Observatory – Redhill – Surrey – UK Typically Bortle 5-6
Date & Time	10^th February 2021 @ +21.00h
Weather	Approx. <=0^oC RH <=65% 🌙 NEW MOON

*For higher resolution and plate-solving data go to Astrobin HERE and click on image

Going Big – Widefield Imaging

February 7, 2021 by grahamrob in DSLR, General Astronomy, Nebula, Widefield Imaging and tagged M42 Great Orion Nebula, Orion Constellation | 2 Comments

After considering the limitations created by UK weather, I chose to purchase a Samyang 135 f/2 lens last year, rather than typically moving to a larger aperture / focal length scope. Unfortunately because of the aforesaid poor weather conditions that have since prevailed its use has so far been restricted. However, after literally months at last the clouds briefly relented over Surrey recently and I was able to get a couple of hours imaging the Orion constellation.

I really enjoy the widefield aspect of astrophotography, particularly without resorting to a mosaic which is too often impractical given the lack of favourable imaging conditions in the UK. Such images can produce another perspective of favourite targets previously imaged with a telescope or are just fascinating in their own right. For the moment I’m using the Samyang lens at f2.8 with a modded Canon 550D, manual focus and no guiding but eventually intend to pair it with a mono CMOS camera. This combination results in a whopping 9.45^o x 6.30^ofield-of-view, no-less than 11x that of my standard William Optics GT81 and ZWO1600 set-up. Whilst using the lens at its maximum f/2.0 aperture would be even better, stopping down to f2.8 improves focus quality and removes any possibility of vignetting.

In this instance I chose to frame the image around the area of Orion’s Belt and the Great Orion Nebula M42 but such is the lens’ extensive field-of-view that M78 and part of Barnard’s Loop have also sneaked into the lower left corner. Even though this was something of a ‘quick & dirty’ session resulting in just 112 minutes integration time, looking closer at M42 (see cropped version) the detail and colours achieved with this lens has far exceeded my expectations. As well as the detail of M42 and the Horsehead Nebula, I’m also impressed at how well the lens has dealt with the usually difficult large bright stars of Orion’s Belt & others in the image.

The quality produced with this small lens is quite extraordinary and it is definitely one of my star astronomy purchases. Going forwards the challenge will be to find suitable targets that can fill its very large field-of-view, as well the inevitable wait for clear skies!

DSLR IMAGING DETAILS*
Object	Orion: M42, Horsehead, M78 & Barnard’s Loop
Constellation	Orion
Distance	243 to 1,360 light-years
Size	594^o2
Apparent Magnitude	Varies

Lens / Scope	Samyang 135 f/2
Mount	SW AZ-EQ6 GT + EQASCOM computer control & Cartes du Ciel
Guiding	No Guiding
Camera	Canon 550D modified
	FOV 9.45^o x 6.30^o Resolution 6.45”/pix
Capture & Processing	Astro Photography Tool + PHD2 Deep Sky Stacker, PixInsight, Photoshop CS3 & Topaz Denoise AI
Image Location & Orientation	Centre RA 05:36:48 DEC -03:11:30.4 Right = North Top = West
Exposures & Aperture	56 x 120 sec @ ISO800 Total: 1hr 52 min F2.8
Calibration	5 x 120’ Darks, 20 x 1/4000 sec Bias 20 x Flats
Location & Darkness	Fairvale Observatory – Redhill – Surrey – UK Typically Bortle 5-6
Date & Time	3^rd February 2021 @ +22.00h
Weather	Approx. 6^oC RH +85% 🌙 67% waning

*For high resoluton image go to Astrobin HERE and click on image

Reflections 2020

December 29, 2020 by grahamrob in Autoguiding, Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Equipment, Imaging, Narrowband, Nebula, Processing, Software, Viewing, Widefield Imaging and tagged PixInsight, Starnet++, Topaz Denoise AI | Leave a comment

After starting astronomy in 2014, Watch This Space (Man) was launched shortly thereafter as a personal record of my then nascent astronomy journey. Apart from the main blog about my progress or otherwise, links to other astrophotographers, astronomy tools, astronomy weather, scientific papers etc. can also be found on this website; I was suprised to see that to-date 152 items have been published on this site.

I always like to hear from others – comments, questions, help or just to say hello – and can be contacted via: graham.s.roberts@gmail.com or just leave a comment at the end of any item if you prefer.

Vistor map 2020: In this most difficult of years for everyone, it’s especially heartening to see so much interest from all corner’s of the world and hope to see you and others again in 2021 – Clear Skies!

REFLECTIONS is a review of my astronomy and astrophotography during the past year, together with some thoughts on possible future developments.

2020 Overview, Images & Goals for 2021

For the world 2020 was a year like no other. Notwithstanding the obvious problems and dire consequences of Covid-19 for everyone, there have been surprising benefits for astronomy. Although I am retired, under lockdown there was even more time available for hobbies. Furthermore, as I live close to Gatwick and Heathrow airports + underneath numerous high altitude long-haul overflight paths, a massive reduction in air travel resulted in a very obvious improvement in seeing conditions, which was confirmed by guiding results. Located in a Bortle 5 to 6 area I ordinarily achieve at best average RMS error guiding of 0.90” to 1.50”/pixel, guiding improved markedly during lockdown to between 0.50” to 0.75”/ pixel. Of course such seeing conditions also resulted in better quality imaging itself and on a number of occasions I was able to achieve integration times of 10-hours or much more over a number of nights. The result was better images but less of them and inevitably, a lot more cloud throughout the rest of the year!

Having previously got to grips with plate solving, using the new CdC planning function I intended to develop the use of mosaics this year. However, such is the weather in the UK (see above) that it’s obvious to me that creating mosaics is probably not the best use of what imaging time we get. Undeterred, during January I planned and shot a 15x panel mosaic of Barnard’s Loop in Ha-wavelength. Unfortunately the unpredictable occurrence of patchy cloud invalidated some of the panels, though I was finally able to compile a 7x panel mosaic of the upper easterly section of Barnard’s Loop – see below. Notwithstanding, there were lessons learned: (i) restrict mosaics to one or two panels and / or (ii) where wider view images are required use a wide FOV set-up rather than a large mosaic.

Most of my other objectives for 2020 turned out to be pipedreams e.g. a new observatory or perhaps a larger telescope or dual rig. Despite this there were important developments on other fronts.

After eventually coming to the conclusion that mosaics were probably an unwise way to go considering UK conditions, it became clear that a suitable high-quality camera lens might produce similar coverage with less imaging time and hassle. Thus also inspired by the images of others on the SGL Forum using such equipment, I set out to build a new rig based around the excellent Samyang 135 f2 lens. This project remains work-in-progress but so far using the lens with a bespoke 3D printed rig and micro focuser made by Astrokraken and a modded DSLR, it’s apparent that this lens produces excellent widefield images in a relatively short time.

Initial Samyang 135 f2 set-up with modded DSLR

With the time and ‘opportunity’ afforded by lockdown throughout most of the year, I finally decided to do something about improving my processing, namely learning PixInsight. Unfortunately the rumours were correct – it is a steep learning curve and altogether a less than user friendly software. However, after many weeks of toil and expletives I’m pleased to say I can now process an entire image with PixInsight, the impact of which has been nothing less than profound. However, whilst PixInsight is an excellent processing facility, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is often best used together with other process software where appropriate for specific tasks:

Deep Sky Stacker for calibration, alignment and stacking; the equivalent PixInsight process is just too complicated and time consuming;
Photoshop can be very helpful finessing colours and stretching (Levels & Curves);
Starnet++ is useful for creating starless images, which then help to get the best from processing nebula separately before re-combining with the stars;
Topaz AI Denoise has been very effective and easy to use for noise reduction and sharpening at any point during the workflow.

This combination for processing has turned out to be something of a game changer and almost certainly was the most important astrophotography development of the year for me, which augurs well for 2021 and beyond.

Favourite Images

Continuing with the theme of less is more, I imaged just 13 objects this year – of which three were experimental & three with a DSLR – but still with a total integration time of 80 hours (2019 17 objects & 65 hours, 2018: 25 objects & 43 hours). Having worked through many of the astronomer’s favourites by now, images in 2020 consisted of: a new approach to old favourites, difficult / small objects for my equipment e.g. galaxies or less popular and widefield targets.

I’m pleased to say that most of these images turned out well and it’s difficult to choose a favourite. The so-called ‘favourites’ below therefore represent those images from this year that portray an important development in my astrophotography journey. More detailed reviews of these and all other images from 2020 can be found in specific articles that can be accessed using the links found below or via the Blog Index, located under the dropdown menu ABOUT.

Heart Nebula: Although imaged in 2018, this version has been re-processed using mainly PixInsight, thus transforming the original SHO Hubble Palette image from something rather dull to one with warm, vibrant colours, as well as much great detail – demonstrating the significant impact of my new PixInsight based processing abilities.

LBN 325: Numerous emission nebulae populate this small part of a very extensiveHII-Region, which forms an exciting LRGB image. Processing was complex and difficult, in order to bring out exciting features that abound in this spectacular but less popular area of the Cygnus constellation. Integration time of 10-hours was obtained over three nights and is my first LRGB image processed using PixInsight.

M63 Sunflower Galaxy: At 12.6’ x 7.2’and apparent magnitude of +9.3,this small flocculent galaxy in the Canes Venatici constellation is a challenge for my equipment. However, with 8 hours 20 minutes exposure over three nights in April and careful processing, the all-important detail within the galactic disc is clear. Topaz Denoise AI and Gigapixel software played an important role in maintaining the colour and delicate detail in this +50% cropped image.

Taken from last year’s REFLECTIONS 2019:

“Although you never know, I don’t see any major breakthroughs in the coming year”. Just goes to show what I know, fewer but better images were obtained in 2020:

RECORD CARD 2020

Goal	Specifics / Results	Outcome
Improve image capture	Further Improvements in overall quality + much longer integration times + better guiding accuracy = less but better images.	MUCH BETTER
*Better processing*	Using PixInsight software combined with Photoshop, Starnet++ and Topaz Denoise AI has led to major processing improvements and much better final images.	MUCH MUCH BETTER
Widefield Imaging	Initial results from new imaging rig based around Samyang 135 f2 lens were very promising but there’s more to do.	BETTER

My main objectives for 2020 were largely fulfilled (see above), so what about 2021?

Imaging: Other than maintaining the aforesaid improvements achieved over the past two years – guiding & longer integration times – two items that still need to be addressed are: (i) upgrade filters to remove star bloating and all round better images, (ii) improved focussing.

Widefield: Complete Samyang-rig build and switch from DSLR to CMOS mono camera.

Consolidate processing improvements: Whilst the move to PixInsight and other software was very successful in 2020, I’m still only scratching the surface of what’s possible.

Upgrade mono camera – there’s a new generation of colour CMOS cameras starting to appear, hopefully soon to be followed by their mono equivalents !

Hardly a year I and the rest of the world will want to remember, though more than ever astrophotography played a big role in providing relief from the trauma going on around us all.

The major increase of integration times achieved and the use of PixInsight has proved transformative for my astrophotography and will justify returning to reimage some old favourites in future years. I had often thought about upgrading my OTA to something bigger but given the lack of a permanent observatory here at Fairvale Observatory, combined with long periods of bad / cloudy weather, the penny finally dropped and I now have high hopes for the little wonder that is the Samyang 135 f2 lens when I complete its set-up in 2021.

Looking back I have to be happy with my astrophotography in 2020 but more importantly, look forwards to an even better year which holds great promise building on the positive developments of the past 24-months. Moreover, I hope for the sake of everyone that we will be able to deal with Covid-19 soon and return to something of a normal life once again. These are big ambitions and I hope that WTSM’s Reflections 2021 will record such success.

Watch this space!

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY INDEX OF 2020

To access each blog, click on the title required below highlighted in RED:

JANUARY & FEBRUARY – Jinxed: Barnard’s Loop Mosaic (+ NGC 1333 reflection nebula & LDN 1622 Bogeyman Nebula)

MARCH – Nice but Dim: Medusa planetary nebula / Abell 21

MARCH & APRIL – Return of the Lion: Leo Triplet M65, M66 & NGC 3628

MAY – Galactic Bloom: M63 Sunflower Galaxy

JUNE – Canine Capers: M51 Whirlpool Galaxy

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER – The Big Picture: First Light Samyang 135 f/2 NAN, Cygnus & Veil Nebula

OCTOBER – Reach For The Sky: LBN 325 emission nebula

NOVEMBER – Swan Adventures: NGC 6914 reflection nebula

DECEMBER – Image Redux: HST re-processing – Pacman, Heart, Rosette, NAN & California Nebula

Swan Adventures

November 12, 2020 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Nebula, Widefield Imaging and tagged Cygnus | 2 Comments

I first visited the constellation of Cygnus soon after starting astrophotography, inevitably to image the Veil Nebula and North America (NAN) & Pelican Nebula, or parts thereof. As my abilities and equipment improved I’ve often returned to each of these popular targets, in the hope of obtaining a better image each time and I’m sure I will continue in this pursuit. However, such is the draw of these iconic objects that it’s easy to overlook other equally exciting targets within the same constellation.

Last year (2019) my attention was drawn to such a target in the form of DWB 111 or the Propeller Nebula, which I successfully imaged and thereby ignited my interest in the rich, very large HII-region of Cygnus (see above), within which imaging possibilities are almost endless. I therefore recently went back during this September to image two less popular targets located within the aforesaid HII-region; I had already imaged the NAN and Veil Nebula again in early September, on which occasion using my new Samyang 135mm f2 lens set-up to obtain wide-field shots.

After first imaging LBN 325 and other emission nebulae across the adjacent area, I turned my attention to a neighbouring part of the said HII-region of Cygnus, likewise found in the quadrant of Cygnus defined by the stars Deneb – Sadr – Delta Cygni. Similarly this area is full of numerous emission nebulae but furthermore here strikingly intercalated with dark nebula, star clusters and in particular reflection nebulae. Most prominent of these near the centre of the image is NGC 6914, vdB 131 & vdB32 (Main image top-of-the-page), which are conspicuously highlighted by associated bright blue nebulosity. Dotted throughout the rest of the image the use of HaLRGB picks out many other blue and rare yellow refection nebula and stars that all together make for an exciting image (Ha starless image above). Such is the quality and vastness of this part of Cygnus for potential image targets that I feel sure I’ll be coming back to this region for many years to come.

	IMAGING DETAILS
Category / Object	Reflection Nebula NGC 6914
Constellation	Cygnus
Distance	6,000 light-years
Size	2.5^o x 1.90^o
Apparent Magnitude	?

Scope	William Optics GT81 + Focal Reducer FL 382mm f4.72
Mount	SW AZ-EQ6 GT + EQASCOM computer control & Cartes du Ciel
Guiding	William Optics 50mm guide scope
	+ Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2 camera & PHD2 guiding
Camera	ZWO1600MM-Cool mono CMOS sensor
	FOV 2.65^o x 2.0^o Resolution 2.05”/pix Max. image size 4,656 x 3,520 pix
EFW	ZWOx8 + ZWO LRGB & Ha OIII SII 7nm filters
Capture & Processing	Astro Photography Tool + PHD2 + Deep Sky Stacker + PixInsight + Photoshop CS3 + Topaz AI Denoise
Image Location & Orientation	Centre: RA 20h 25’ 23.097” DEC +42^o 22’ 41.092” Top of image = approximately North
Exposures	36 @ 300 sec Ha + 37 x LGB 36 x R @ 180 sec Time: Ha 3hr LRGB 7hr 21min = Total 10hr 21 min
	@ 139 Gain 21 Offset @ -20^oC
Calibration	5 x 300 sec Ha + 10 X 180’ LRGB Darks, 20 x 1/4000 sec Bias 10 x HaLRGB Flats @ ADU 25,000
Location & Darkness	Fairvale Observatory – Redhill – Surrey – UK Typically Bortle 5-6
Date & Time	17^th 20^th 21^st September 2020 @ +21.00h
Weather	Approx. 15^oC RH = 45- 70% 🌙 New – 22% waxing

The Big Picture

September 9, 2020 by grahamrob in Deep Sky Objects, Equipment, General Astronomy, Imaging, Widefield Imaging | 3 Comments

I’ve been very happy with my main imaging set-up for nearly 4-years: Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 GT Mount + William Optics GT81 + ZWO1600MM-Cool mono camera. Nevertheless, thoughts inevitably stray towards the big and usually expensive question – what next? Given the said equipment, a natural move is likely to be the addition of a larger telescope to get at those faint fuzzies and I have been toying with such an idea for some time – probably another refractor in the 100mm to 130mm range. However, I’ve always been held back by a number of nagging issues:

Without a sightline of Polaris for polar alignment from the main location at Fairvale Observatory, guiding is always going to be sub-optimal – I can get away with it with the smaller William Optics but a larger aperture / focal length would be more challenging;
Being a set-up / take-down observatory each night, the increased technical demands of a larger OTA would certainly take longer and in general be more difficult to undertake – as I get older moving the mount is already taking its toll on my back;
Time is short as there’s simply no getting away from the problem we all suffer in the UK – cloud and lots of it! It’s been normal to go weeks, even months without a clear night sky and as a result last year I managed to image just 18 objects over some 27 nights, of which some were only over a few hours before the clouds rolled in;
A static observatory would help enormously but my garden is unsuitable: apart from the aforesaid problem that my house obscures a northerly view, there are also houses and substantial trees and very high hedges on all the other sides.

Regretfully I have therefore always come to the same conclusion, that unless I moved house it was best to continue with my current set-up – until now! Inspired by a fascinating thread on the Stargazers Lounge Forum the solution was blindingly obvious, or at least it was once I understood there was another way, a larger field-of-view rather than larger telescope, achieved with a traditional though far from ordinary camera lens.

As a life-long photographer on land and underwater, astrophotography surprisingly came as something of a shock, as it’s just so contrasting to the aforesaid disciplines and requires quite different technical knowledge and aptitude. Of course, I’ve often used my camera equipment to image the night sky, particularly the Milky Way and started out astrophotography using a modded DSLR but otherwise did not consider that a camera lens could form the basis for my astrophotography going forwards – then I discovered the Samyang 135 f2 lens. Moreover, looking at what others achieved matching this lens with a tracking mount and mono camera, the decision to join the Samy club was a no brainer.

Located in South Korea, Samyang Optics has been manufacturing good camera lenses since 1972. Also sold under the Rokinon brand name, the Samyang 135 f2 stands out for two reasons:

The optics of the lens are top drawer, consisting of 11-elements in 7-groups using very high quality glass;
The lens is very well suited to gathering photons with a maximum f2 aperture – though most users stop down to 2.8 in order to achieve good star shapes right into the corners.

The optical quality produces sharp image quality from corner to corner but combining this with a 135mm focal length achieves an enormous 9.45^o x 6.30^o field of view @ f2 with a Canon 550D compared with my current set-up of 2.67^ox 1.78^o, opening up whole new imaging possibilities.

Inner rectangle: FOV using William Optics GT81 + focal reducer & ZWO 1600MM-Cool camera
Outer rectangle: FOV using Samyang 135 f/2 & CAnon 550D DSLR camera
It would take approximately a 9 x panel mosaic from the WO to cover the Samyang area!

Furthermore, this much smaller rig is lighter, easier and thus quicker to set-up and break-down. Put together it’s a powerful combination that I hope to fully exploit in the future.

Camera	Equipment	FOV	Resolution
ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool	WO GT81 + 0.80 FR*	2.65^o x 2.00^o	2.05”/px
ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool	Samyang 135 f/2	7.50^o x 5.67^o	5.80”/px
Canon 550D DSLR	WO GT81 + 0/80 FR*	2.67^o x 1.78^o	1.85”/px
Canon 550D DSLR	Samyang 135 f/2	9.45^o x 6.30^o	6.45”/px

*Current set-up

By today’s standards this lens might be considered somewhat old fashioned with no autofocus or image stabilisation etc., but the intrinsic high manufacturing standards and manual focus are excellent for those who know how to handle such a lens and perfect for astrophotography. For such a purpose users generally either create their own rig by adapting various astronomy bits and pieces or use one of a growing number of bespoke brackets that are being made for this increasingly popular lens.

For the moment I chose to use a 3D printed bracket and integrated manual microfocuser, made by the French company AstroKraken and its founder Philippe Leca. Therein the lens is cradled by two hinged rings, which when screwed down hold the lens firmly to either a Vixen bar or Losmandy plate. The microfocuser then fits snuggly around and then clamps onto the focus ring, so that two screws on either side can be adjusted so as to push against a bridge located above and between the two rings, thus providing fine control over the focus ring; the said bridge also has a Synta fitting shoe on top to fix a finder / guide scope. Altogether it’s a neat and very effective design that provides an easy-to-use tailor made platform for the lens, which can then be combined either with a DSLR or mono camera on the back; users of mono cameras tend to recommend changing the lens’ bayonet for a screw fitting and possibly add a third ring for the camera in order to eliminate the possibility of any flexure.

Whilst the AstroKraken bracket works well, the structural layout is inevitably tight making it difficult to view the focus ring settings but once established close to focus, subsequent use of the microfocuser is excellent in finessing the job of focussing before locking down the adjustment screws. In addition, I’ve acquired a second Starlight Express Lodestar X2 autoguiding camera for use with a Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED guidescope but so far have not needed it with short exposures currently being used.

As a project for the new rig I had intended to spend the late summer imaging the suitably large Cygnus HII region but in the end conditions limited my time on this wonderful area of the sky at this time of the year and will have to wait for another time. Notwithstanding, first light using my modded Canon 550D DSLR camera of the said Cygnus area was briefly achieved at the end of July, with promising results (see above – uncropped). More recently, in early September I was able to obtain images of the Veil Nebula (see below – cropped to 70%) and North America Nebula (see top-of-the page, cropped to 80%), in all cases taken at 120sec exposures and ISO 1600. Unfortunately all integration times have been just under 60 minutes for each target and in the long run the real magic of this lens will be unlocked with the addition of a mono camera and much greater imaging times.

Looking back personally and professionally, it’s apparent to me that the concept of the big picture, metaphorically or otherwise, has played a central role in my life and is an area I like to work with; it’s the big picture that provides context, understanding and opportunity. Perhaps it should therefore not be a surprise that in the end my next step in astrophotography will now follow such a path. The detail provided with my current equipment is fulfilling and beautiful but the additional context provided by the Samyang’s extensive FOV can be more insightful and even breathtaking in scope. After something of a slow start, I’m now really looking forwards to spending more time with this new and exciting rig in the future.

Reflections 2019

December 21, 2019 by grahamrob in Broadband, Deep Sky Objects, Galaxy, General Astronomy, Imaging, Mosaic, Narrowband, Nebula, Processing, Software, Solar system, Widefield Imaging and tagged Andromeda, Horsehead Nebula, M101, M42 Great Orion Nebula, M51, M74, M78, Milky Way, Wizzard Nebula | Leave a comment

The website Watch This Space (Man) began in 2015 as I started out in astronomy and is a record of my personal journey, comments and thoughts. Apart from the main blog, the website also contains links to other astrophotographers, astronomy tools, astronomy weather, and scientific papers etc., which can be accessed from the top menu.

Whilst there is a photo gallery of my work in this website, an overview of the better images can be found in the My Astrophotography FLICKR album, which can be found in the GALLERY menu. Furthermore, this year I took the plunge and joined the Astrobin community, where my images can be found using the appropriate link also in the GALLERY menu.

Heat Map 2019

During the past year the site was visited from 64 different countries, literally from every corner of the world. I always like to hear from anybody out there – comments, questions, help or just to say hello – and can be contacted via details given in the ABOUT menu section or just leave a comment on any item if you prefer.

Reflections is compiled at the end of each year as a review of my astronomy and astrophotography during the previous twelve months, together with some thoughts on possible future developments.

Overview, Images & Goals for 2020

The past year’s plan was simple: build-on and experiment with developments from the previous year, in particular using Plate Solving to achieve longer integration times and explore further the north sky, which I could now see from the new Shed Observatory and operates during the spring and summer months.

By routinely using Plate Solving integration times, now obtained over a number of nights or even months, have increased by up to four-fold compared to previous years. As a result I concentrated on less objects but for longer time, achieving between 6 to 8 hours of subs on some occasions, the limiting factor as ever being British weather. Although quite modest compared to those able to use fixed observatories, or in clear, dry climates with Bortle 1 or 2 skies, I was very pleased with the positive impact this had on my images.

Starting astronomy and astrophotography somewhat late in the day a few years ago, like many others after retirement, the learning curve was steep and often frustrating. There were times I’ve almost considered giving up but with perseverance I’ve made progress and often get great pleasure from some of the results, as well as just enjoying and learning about this wonderful subject. For me it is just a hobby but recognising some of my achievements and abilities acquired since starting out in 2014, I was especially proud this year to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. For all the help in reaching this point, I’d like to thank all those who have helped me from the astronomy community, wherever they are.

Favourite Images

My weakness in astrophotography remains processing but having at last obtained some good integration times, this year I made a greater effort to improve these techniques – with some success. Adopting the theme less is more, I imaged just 17 different objects this year – of which nine were full narrow or broadfband images, with the rest being experimental or DSLR – with a total integration time of 65 hours (2018: 25 objects & 43 hours). The resulting images turned out well, achieving Picture of the Week on the British Astronomical Association website on six occasions. It’s therefore difficult to choose favourites from this select group based on merit alone, so this year’s favourites (see below) represent those good images that also mark a significant milestone in my astrophotography. Detailed reviews of these and all other images from 2019 are discussed in dedicated articles that can be found via the Blog Index under the ABOUT dropdown menu.

SHO2 CompF (Large)

Horsehead & Flame Nebula: Usually imaged in LRGB broadband, this narrowband SHO version produced a very different affect and colours, whilst also showing the beauty of the accompanying clouds of interstellar gas and dust. Taken over three nights, at nearly 7-hours, this image was also one of my longest integration times to date.

M101 HaLRGB final Closeup

M101 Pinwheel Galaxy: Given Bortle 5-6 skies, being on the Gatwick Airport flightpath and a using a small refractor, I struggle to image galaxies and often LRGB images in general from Fairvale Observatory. However, on this occasion the combination of 5-hours HaLRGB subs and new processing techniques to enhance the colours, M101 proved the exception and is perhaps my first decent classic spiral galaxy imaged from home. Moreover, the HII regions light up along the spiral arms with the addition of Ha wavelength, producing a dazzling and dynamic image.

Picture saved with settings embedded.

Heart & Soul Nebula: Combining existing data from 2018 of the Heart Nebula and new 2019 data of the Soul Nebula + the intervening space, this is my first albeit modest mosaic, which promises to open up significant possibilities in the future.

RECORD CARD – 2019
Goal	Specifics / Results	Outcome
Improve broadband and narrowband imaging	Achieved major increase of image integration times and overall quality.	MUCH, MUCH BETTER
*Improve processing*	Continuing to make slow improvements, with greater use of new Photoshop techniques.	BETTER
Expand & Improve Widefield Imaging	Despite some good images of the Milky Way in the USA, I never used the Vixen Polarie tracking mount and did not make it to any other dark sky sites = disappointing.	FAILED

My objectives in 2019 mostly went well in (see above), so here goes for 2020:

Imaging: There’s always scope to improve imaging techniques but probably most of all I still need to improve guiding quality and increase exposure and image integration times even further.

Mosaic: Expand the use of mosaic imaging using Plate Solving and new CdC planning software.

Improve processing: I expect this will continue to be something of a challenge for some time to come unless I go to the dark side and adopt software such as PixInsight & / or APP.

New Observatory: Unfortunately this will not be a fixed obsy whilst I continue to live here at Fairvale which is unsuitable. However, I’m hopeful that another location between the Main (North) Observatory and the Shed Observatory might open up the north sky better and by getting away from the high hedges that surround the garden allow longer imaging sessions than can be currently obtained at the Shed.

Other: My mind is always thinking about larger telescopes or a dual rig and / or a new high-end encoded mount but probably not until I make further progress with the above goals and / or move to a better dark sky location – dreaming is part of astrophotography = watch this space!

Although you never know, I don’t see any major breakthroughs in the coming year but more of the same – revisiting familiar objects in order to obtain new image versions based on greater integration time and hopefully using mosaic techniques to build-out images in order to encompass wider areas of the sky. This year I was surprised to discover objects that I had hitherto considered out of reach from my location (M101, M51 etc.), as well as exciting features that were completely new to me and still hold great promise e.g. DWB 111 AKA the Propeller Nebula.

Looking back I’m very happy to say 2019 was an excellent year for astronomy and astrophotography, almost certainly my best yet. You can’t ask for more than that and I hope that WTSM’s Reflections 2020 will record further such success.

Watch this space!

2019 CHRONICLE

Below is a quarter by quarter summary of my astronomy and astrophotography for the year, followed by an imaging record.

JANUARY TO MARCH

Towards the end of 2018 I decided to undertake a project, with the prime objective to gather a much longer period of integration than hitherto achieved by using my newly developed skill of Plate Solving. I’d previously imaged the Horsehead and Flame Nebula in the more traditional colour palette, either with a modded DSLR or by LRGB broadband. However, I’d recently seen this iconic image undertaken using the Hubble Palette to great affect and was inspired to do the same myself. Thereafter, for more than 2-months the clouds rolled in and I thought my project would then be impossible, not least because by now Orion had crossed the Meridian in the early evening and imaging times were at best limited. But as is often the case with astrophotography everything suddenly changed and it was game on!

The first evening of clear skies since 11^th November 2018 coincided with the full lunar eclipse on 21^st January, which I was therefore able to image once again. Then six days later a very untypical clear and quite warm period of weather arrived and I was able to complete my intended project after all, with further time to image both the Great Orion Nebula and the reflection nebula M78 + Barnard’s Loop (see images below).

HaLRGB2FINALcrop (Large)

Combined +180 degrees 3+5min HaLRGB (Large)

Achieving much longer integration times of between 5 and nearly 8-hours, the impact on the resulting images was transformative. I was especially pleased with the outcome of the Horsehead project in SHO (see Favourites Images section) but found the Ha-only starless version of the same scene (see below) particularly mesmerising, as the large HII structures throughout this region bring the image to life.

NGC 2024 Ha Starless2

By the end of February the night sky at 51^o latitude has moved inexorably on to the so-called Galaxy Season, which provides something of a dearth of imaging opportunities for my 81mm telescope. However, with a good patch of weather at the end of March, whilst experimenting with the Leo Group I noticed that small areas of Ursa Major region could be seen directly above for a couple of hours, which to my surprise opened up a whole new world of possibilities hitherto considered unavailable. Shortly after I managed to obtain almost 5-hours of data on M101 the Pinwheel Galaxy, which is one of my best galaxy images taken from Fairvale Observatory (see Favourite Images section).

APRIL TO JUNE

Having discovered the albeit limited possibilities of seeing Ursa Major, I moved to the Shed Observatory early in April, which by then afforded slightly better views of the same area of sky and thereby to my great joy provided the possibility of imaging the wonderful Whirlpool Galaxy, M51. Unfortunately time was somewhat limited but it was better than nothing and I was thrilled to obtain an image of this wonderful object for the first time. Weather permitting I’ll be back for more data in 2020 with which to build on the promising result obtained this year.

LRGB Image FINALX2 (Large)

By the end of April just 8-weeks away from the summer solstice astronomical darkness is in short supply. Fortunately having moved earlier to the Shed Observatory this year, I was in a good position to return to inaging the Bodes and Cigar Galaxies (see below), which had been my first ever image of north sky objects in 2018.

LRGBFinal (Large)

JULY TO SEPTEMBER

From May until late July the absence of Astronomical darkness makes astronomy difficult and frankly having progressed from the time of being a beginner, it is quite refreshing to take a break. Therefore it was only after an evening viewing the partial eclipse on 16^th July and a brief experiment with the Wizzard Nebula (something for the future) at the beginning of August, that much later I returned to astrophotography seriously.

SHO2SCcrop (Large)

Having messed up imaging the Soul Nebula with poor framing in 2018 and being at the Shed Observatory, I decided to re-image the Soul properly, together with some of the adjacent sky in order to combine the new data with last year’s adjacent Heart Nebula to form a mosaic of both objects. I don’t know why but this was my first attempt at a mosaic. Only very recently has integrated software for mosaic planning combining Cartes de Ciel and Astrophotography Tool for image capture has been released. However, on this occasion I planned and implemented the said mosaic imaging manually, with a satisfying outcome (see Favourite Images section) but with the new software now available I hope to embark on more extensive mosaic projects in the near future.

This year’s astrophotography has followed two themes, the aforementioned ‘less is more’ with the aim of producing better images using much greater integration times. The second has been largely determined by chance, being the discovery of new objects that had hitherto either been unknown to me or considered to be out of view from Fairvale Observatory; the combination of my house, very high hedges + trees and adjacent houses obscures large swathes of the night sky. Earlier in the year such chance had led me to the M101 and M51 galaxies and in the autumn it was first the iconic Pacman Nebula and then an exciting area of Cygnus constellation.

Pacman is not particularly large for my equipment but nevertheless produced a decent narrowband image, my last from the Shed Observatory for this year. Not until late September did the clouds again relent for my next project that initially seemed something of a long shot but actually turned out very well. The Propeller Nebula is located in a vast HII region of the Cygnus Constellation, which from my point-of-view was a complete surprise. At some 25 arc seconds the nebula is again on the small side for my equipment but the complexity of the adjacent HII region transforms the wider image into something really spectacular (SHO version below), which I certainly intend to visit again next year to build on the current data and explore further afield the HII region which presents exciting possibilities.

SHO F HLVG (Large)

A subsequent long trip to the USA stopped all astronomy in Surrey but a couple of evenings out in Wyoming and Utah produced some incredible dark skies and DSLR Milky Way images (see below). Despite the remoteness of Spilt Mountain in the UTAH section of the Dinosaur National Monument – designated a Dark Sky Area – whilst imaging at 20 second exposures only one-in-ten images were without a plane track, very sad.

IMG_2345 ComboX

OCTOBER TO DECEMBER

Prior to the arrival of Orion and other fun objects of the mid-winter night skies, imaging opportunities are sparse with my equipment but it’s been a couple of years since I last imaged M31 the Andromeda Galaxy and therefore for two evenings in late October it was time to give our neighbour the extended integration treatment. At 7½ hours data acquisition went well but although the processed image is probably my best yet of this object, there’s room for improvement, which I suspect will require a move to more advanced processing software?

HaLRGBx5b (Large)

ASTROMINAGING RECORD 2019

No	Date	Type	Object	Name

1	21/01/19	DSLR	Full Lunar Eclipse

2	27/01/19*	NB	Barnard-33 & NGC 2024	Horsehead & Flame Nebula

3	23/02/19*	Combo	M42	Great Orion Nebula

4	25/02/19*	Combo	M78	Reflection Nebula Orion

5	12/03/19	BB	NGC443/444	Jellyfish Nebula

6	24/03/19	Combo	M95/96/105	Leo-1 Group

7	29/03/19*	Combo	M101	Pinwheel Galaxy

8	10/04/19	Combo	M51	Whirlpool Galaxy

9	13/04/19	BB	M81 & m82	Bodes & Cigar Galaxies

10	16/07/19	DSLR	Partial Lunar Eclipse

11	02/08/19	NB	NGC 7380	Wizzard Nebula

12	23/08/19*	BB	IC 1848	Soul Nebula + Mosaic Link

13	26/08/19	NB	NGC 281	PacMan Nebula

14	05/09/19*	NB	DWB 111	Propeller Nebula

15	Sept	DSLR	Milky Way	Split Mountain Utah

16	22/10/19*	Combo	M31	Andromeda Galaxy

17	18/11/19	BB	M74	Galaxy

18	18/11/18	NB	SH2-240	Spaghetti Nebula

*multiple evenings Combo = HaLRGB Underlined = BAA published

POSTSCRIPT

The ones that got away – imaged but not seen in WTSM this year – warts and all

RHB_2ajelly (Medium)

I saw some wonderful narrowband versions of the supernova remnant IC 443 Jellyfish Nebula this year, in particular adopting a wider view to incoporate its sentinel-like parner stars Tejat (Mu Geminorum) left and the tripple star Propus (Eta Geminorum) right, together with the reflection nebula IC 444 in the background. As an experiment I think it may hold promise but will require a lot more integration time to improve the quality, colour and bring out more of IC 444.

M95_96_105 (Medium)

I’ve tried the Leo-1 group (M95/96/105) before but, as they say, if you don’t succeed try again. Unfortunately the passage of time didn’t help – I need a larger telescope to do these critters justice!

IMG_2336 (Large)

Dinosaur National Monument – Split Mountain, Utah. Even at this wonderfully remote location, which is one of the darkest places in the USA, passing planes still get in the way of a good image – just like at Fairvale Observatory!

M74 LRGBx (Medium)

At <=10 arc minutes the spiral galaxy M74 is too much for my equipment.

SH2-240 AB combined Ha Stretch (Large)

Located between the constellations Auriga and Gemini, SH2-240, Simeis 147 AKA the Spaghetti Nebula is a very large (+3 degrees) supernova remnant but it’s very low brightness makes imaging extremely difficult. In fact prior to and during capture in Ha-wavelength, I had no idea if it was even within the image frame. Aggressive stretching shows that it was there but only much darker skies and probably longer exposure time is likely to produce a more viable picture.

Howling Wolf

January 22, 2019 by grahamrob in General Astronomy, Imaging, Solar system, Viewing, Widefield Imaging and tagged Camera, Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse, Moon, Photography | 1 Comment

lunar eclipse mosaic 210119x

I have a theory that at or about the time of each full moon the night sky is almost always clear, I don’t have the data but it just seems that way most of the time. As an astrophotographer I am more than usually aware of the full moon as it makes all except narrowband imaging impossible, when it floods the night sky with its brilliant white light. Apart from a brief and somewhat futile attempt on 14^th December – the Moon and mixed cloud curtailed imaging on that occasion – my last astronomy at Fairvale Observatory was on the 17^th October, thereafter being plagued by persistent cloud and bad weather; after a promising start at Les Granges Observatory in early November no further astronomy was possible during the rest of the week due to cloud and poor weather conditions. I’m beginning to think I need a new hobby, one that is not weather dependent at least!

Given the disappointing lack of astronomy conditions I paid little attention to the upcoming lunar eclipse on the early morning of 21^st January. However, as the day approached various weather forecasts were inevitably mixed but at least two out of five held some promise of clear skies during part of the eclipse. I therefore started to at least undertake some preliminary planning, only to discover that much of the eclipse might be obscured by houses and tall trees to the west of my location; Plan-B was to travel to nearby Reigate Priory Park which has a decent westerly outlook closer to the horizon.

As it turned out on the 20^th a clear, sunny but cold and clear day preceded a clear evening and at about 3 a.m. on the 21^st shortly before the action was due to start, the sky was still clear, thankfully proving my theory correct on this occasion. Furthermore, my concerns over obscured views turned out to be mostly unfounded, with the Moon higher in the sky than envisaged and good sightlines up until the end of totality, at which time the cloud eventually rolled in anyway. As a result I was able to enjoy over two hours viewing and imaging time, which encompassed the entire penumbral and totality stages of the eclipse.

Having obtained excellent images of the last lunar eclipse on 28^th September 2015, tracking with a DSRL and the William Optics GT81 + another static, tripod fitted DSLR and 250mm zoom lens, this time I decided to adopt a different, more mobile set-up, in case Plan-B was necessary. In 2017 I purchased a Canon 300mm f/4 L-Series telephoto lens to use for astronomy and wildlife photography. The Canon’s Series-L lenses are a high quality, professional line especially made for APS-C cameras such as the 700D. With no less than 15 lens elements and a fixed focal length, the picture quality for terrestrial imaging is fantastic, further assisted by a very accurate and quite image stabilizer.

This time I mounted the lens directly onto the tripod, with the camera further back so as to provide good balance between the two components. As the autofocus and IS functions cannot be used in a dark sky for astrophotography, focus can be tricky and a compromise is required between the aperture setting for sharpness and a low ISO for quality. As I discovered last time, the light quality diminishes significantly whilst the eclipse progresses across the face of the Moon and the aforesaid settings need to be constantly adjusted to compensate, especially during totality. In the end I was pleased with the outcome of imaging the so-called Super Blood Wolf Moon (see mosaic above and image below).

img_1235x

As pleasing as imaging the eclipse is, like a solar eclipse viewing is an entirely different experience. It is a pleasure to just watch the whole phenomena play out but the dramatic changes of light also has a profound effect on both the night sky itself and, in particular, the very nature of the Moon as perceived by the naked eye. On a clear night the full moon floods the night sky with its very bright light, thereby effectively hiding all but the very brightest of stars from view. As the penumbral stage progresses (see diagram below) for about an hour the dark night sky is slowly revealed in all its glory, it’s as if someone has pulled the curtains and a new world has appeared.

total-lunar-eclipse-jan-2019-plot

Furthermore, as the moon darkens and eventually enters totality it takes on a completely different and eerie feeling, as well as a red hue caused by Raleigh scattering. As is often the case with astrophotography the camera sensor is able to capture much greater colour and detail than the naked eye can see, thus producing beautiful images of one of nature’s best shows. However, to the naked eye the moon takes on a different, somewhat strange nature during totality – something of a 3D effect occurs as it seems to float in the night sky like a big red balloon – something that an image cannot ever capture, making the night time adventure more exciting and worth all the effort.

Lunar eclipses are not that rare but we now have to wait 10-years for the next one in the UK which will take place on 20^th December 2029, with or without cloud!

	IMAGING DETAILS
Object	Lunar eclipse – Super Blood Wolf Moon
Distance	<238,000 miles (30,000 miles closer than usual)
Size	31’or 1/2^o
Apparent Magnitude	-12.74 @ mean full moon

Scope / Lens	Canon L-Series 300mm f/4
Mount	Manfrotto tripod
Camera	Canon 700D
Capture & Processing	Manual, Photoshop CS3- Extended
Exposures	x50: Penumbral f/8 1/125’ ISO 100 Totality f/5.6 0.80’ ISO 400

Location & Darkness	Fairvale Observatory – Redhill – Surrey – UK Typically Bortle 5
Date & Time	21^st January 2019 @ approx. 03.30h
Weather	<= 1^oC RH <=95% 🌙 Eclipse

Lost In Space

April 22, 2018 by grahamrob in General Astronomy, Widefield Imaging and tagged Milky Way, New Zealand | 1 Comment

IMG_9267 (Large)

Night produces a very different feeling to day. Familiar locations take on a distinct atmosphere created by the absence of light, as the darkness imbues a sense of being in another world. With restricted sight other senses of sound, temperature and smell become more vivid. Furthermore, as my familiarity with the night sky has improved through astronomy, I’ve felt an increasing impression of physical separation. Just being outside at 3.0 a.m. in the morning when most others are in bed, one becomes not only more aware of the night’s unique senses but a magical feeling of Earth’s movement through space itself.

IMG_9999x (Large)

The Milky Way & Magellanic Clouds from Slab Hut Creek, South Island, New Zealand

When travelling I like to read and learn about the new places I visit, in order to gain insight into the people, their culture, what’s happening and what makes them tick. For this purpose during my recent trip to New Zealand I enjoyed reading two very different but equally fascinating books:

Long Cloud Ride by Josie Dew, which describes Josie Dew’s epic 6,000 mile cycle journey around New Zealand, and…

Squashed Possums by Jonathan Tindale. ‘Written’ by a caravan (that’s right!) assisted by its occupant. Possums describes life off the beaten track in New Zealand, specifically Jon’s life in a semi-derelict caravan in the wilderness. The experience provides an amusing but insightful description of New Zealand, New Zealanders and the impact of living in such a remote location on humankind. Apart from the practical and physical issues, the impact is sometimes profound – for the caravan and Jon – I was particularly struck by the description of their experience of the night sky in the back country, which powerfully captures something of my own feelings of being outside on a clear night, alone in the darkness.

SQP

I put my book down, pulled not one but two jumpers on and ventured outside to look at the cloudless night sky. Brrr! True, it was cold, freezing probably but the view was breathtaking. The Moon was out, or at least some of it was, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky like a colossal halo embracing the planet. The Southern Cross stood proud, forever pointing north (?). I turned around to look at my caravan, its windows filled with light, surrounded by the stars and darkness, reminding me of a satellite. Lost and far away, suspended in space, I imagined an astronomer observe me from afar.

I stood there a while, quietly watching and taking in the view. I tasted the chilled air, with a sense of time winding down a gear. The there was a palpable jolt, like a quite earthquake that left no physical impression. There was no crack in the earth, but there had been a change nonetheless – a profound and intoxicating sensation.

For a moment, I was disconnected. I felt strangely without form, somehow insubstantial and insignificant. Lost, like a speck on a rock in the darkness. At least it might have been a moment, it may well have been much longer. Moments may have been minutes, minutes might have been hours. Time ceased to have any meaning.

I’d stumbled across something that is not easy to express. It was the feeling of utter isolation, of removal not just from society, but from the world and then finally being removed from my own sense of self. And yet, something intangible was filling this void and it pushed a tickle up my spine.

The sense of isolation quickly dissipated and instead of feeling lost, I had the profound experience of being part of everything – the earth, air and stars – all of it. I was utterly overwhelmed by this new awareness. My subconscious struggled desperately to find a cultural reference point to cling to. David Bowman swam past, cast adrift in the final moments of 2001: Space Odyssey, calling out to Bowie’s Major Tom.

And then, as quickly as it happened, the moment passed. I was returned to reality, with something like an elastic twang. I’d not so much been thrown but catapulted back to this small patch of damp grass on a cold night, having been in an unexplained place. What on earth was that? One thing I was sure of, I was desperate for a steaming hot mug of tea.

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