Hammerhead

Hey, I'm a bit late posting this one (sorry, forgot). Anyway...

This is a galaxy in Leo called NGC 3521. I imaged this with my new TEC 140 scope, which is capable of pulling out some of these "smaller" galaxies.

The cool thing about this target is I did not know much about it, and had seen only a few examples. The images I DID see merely featured the core. So I was a bit surprised and excited to see these cool stellar clouds surrounding this galaxy that I had never seen before!

I showed this image around and discovered it was indeed rarely imaged this wide/deep but certainly had been imaged before. In fact, the stellar cloud is referred to as the "hammerhead" because of the hammerhead-shaped formation in the lower right.

Stats:

TEC 140 w/flattener
STL-11000M -20C
LRGB (180,30,30,30) RGB binned 2x2
CCD Stack, CS4

And stay tuned... I have some exciting astro news coming : )

The Norse God

This nebula is affectionately referred to (or is that "humbly" referred to) as Thor's Helmet. It is a "bubble" nebula (the helmet part) that is generated by the intense radiation of the center Wolf-Rayet star carving this bubble out of the local gas and dust. The "wings" on either side of the helmet complete Thor's iconic head piece.

The nebula is about 30 light years across and resides in the Canis Major constellation -- be sure to visit when you are in the area : )

This image is the "first light" of my new TEC 140 scope. Though I got the scope back in November, my imaging attempts were thwarted by weather until last week -- but it was worth the wait! I am very impressed with this scope.

For all you "tech heads", here are my imaging specs...

TEC 140 w/ field flattener
STL-11000M -20C
LRGB (210,30,45,60) RGB binned 2x2
CCD Stack, CS4

Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus

I have volunteered at the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus (CSAC) several times and must say that it is an extraordinary facility.

Located in West Texas near Vernon, it has incredibly dark skies. But more than that, it is a place to study the night sky with good friends, and introduce the wonders of astronomy to the public (during public star prties held twice a month).

The campus contains a plethora of state-of-the-art astro gear -- four domes, a large roll-off observatory, and a powered viewing field... all filled with large aperture scopes. One of the domes is currently being wired for remote astrophotography (controlled via internet).

In addition to the observatories, there is also a classroom, bunkhouse, restrooms and showers, and a full-time staff. And the guys at Three Rivers Foundation (3RF) that are responsible for this incredible campus are just getting started -- there are dorms and a dining pavilion on the way.

But the best part of the CSAC is the folks that run the place and all the volunteers that show up every month -- a great bunch of folks who love the night sky and joyously pass their knowledge along to anyone making the trek out to CSAC.

It is about 4 hour drive from Dallas. I've been out there 3 times now and I hope to make the trip at least 4-6 times a year.

For more info on 3RF and their CSAC, check their website:
http://www.3rf.org/Sciences/sciences.htm

Horse, Flame, M78,and Loop

After a long dry spell (haven't completed a data set through my scope since September) I finally completed a new image -- yea!

This is a large field in Orion stretching from the Horse Head (upper right) to a chunk of Barnard's Loop (lower left). The blue reflection Nebula to the right of the Loop is M78.

This is my deepest image yet -- 10.5 hours of exposure! I collected 5 hours of Hydrogen Alpha (narrow band emission) data from home, then headed to the dark site at the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus (3RF) to collect another 5.5 hours of LRGB (color and luminance).

I had a great time at 3RF and one fabulous night of imaging (one out of three ain't bad). I'll post some DSLR images from the trip later.

Here's the stats:

FSQ 106EDX f/3.65
STL-11000M -20C
HaLRGB (300x150x60x50x60)
CCD Stack, CS4

Happy New Year!

Although I have not had good luck with the weather these past few months, I have managed to shoot some quick pics with my DSLR. These two images (Orion over my house and the Moon over the park across the street) were taken on Xmas Eve.

You will notice snow on the ground in the moon shot -- in my 47 years of living in Dallas this is the first white Christmas I've ever seen!

Both of these images were taken with my new Nikon D700 (awesome sensitivity and noise management). I decided to retire my Nikon D80 and get myself a Xmas present : )

Anyway, here's to a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year... and many more CLEAR nights!

Geminid Pair

Well, my astrophotographic offerings have been relatively slim the last few months. It seems whenever I have a chance to image, the weather reports LOOK good, but then it all falls apart as soon as I drive several hours, set up all my gear, then hit "start". Right on cue the clouds roll in -- just a run of bad luck : (

I went to the ranch for 3 nights of imaging AND to see and photograph the Geminid meteor shower. The weather reports looked good, skies were clear, the shower started, I got my new Nikon D700 rolling... 40 minutes later at the peak the sky was TOTALLY cloudy! Man, this hobby can be frustrating. But that's the way it works -- we are at the whim of fickle ol' Mother Nature.

Anyway, I at least captured 2 of the Geminid meteors before shutting down. Not the most spectacular image, but it keeps me in practice and provides me with a "momento". Too bad, the shower was getting pretty active and fun to watch. Maybe next year!

What a bunch of BULL!!!

Taurus, that is! Here is a shot of the Taurus constellation taken a couple of weeks ago at the 3RF Astronomy campus near Crowel, TX.

This field stretches from Orion's head (the red patch in the lower left called Sharpless 264) up to the Pleiades in the upper right. I used the new Star Spikes Pro to enhance the Taurus stars a little bit for better viewing.

Stats:
Canon XSI @ ISO 800
28mm Sigma Lens f/4
AstroTrac mount
10 x 5min
DeepSkyStacker, CS4, Star Spikes Pro