SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2021/11/06-07

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC.

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, F=420, ASI294MC.

Image taken on August 2020. Reprocessed in September.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2021/11/06-07

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Canon 500D

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC, 2021/11/01

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, F=420, ASI294MC

The furthest Messier object, some 83.5 Million light-years away.

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC.

The furthest Messier object, some 83.5 Million light-years away.

Note Galaxies PGC 3401354 and PGC 2437949: 1,100 million light-years away (!)

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC.

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC.

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2021/05/04

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC, 2021/05/04

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, F=420, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2022/07/01

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, F=420, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2021/11/06-07

SkyWatcher 1200/250 mm + ASI294MC.

7,000 to 11,000 light-years away

SkyWatcher 1200/250 mm + ASI294MC.

12 Million light-years away.

M87 relativistic Jet power by the black hole at its core

2022/06/01

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2022-07-01

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2022/06/01

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2022/06/01

SkyWatcher D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

2021/11/18

Saturn’s marvelous hexagon is barely visible.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI174MM

SkyWatcher 1200/250, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI120MM

SkyWatcher 1200/250, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI120MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI174MM

Jupiter time-lapse on 2020/08/26 22:04 to 22:42 UTC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, ASI294MC

With RGB Filters + ASI174MM

Jupiter and Calisto (top left)

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI174MM

SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Eyepiece 10mm + RGB Filters + ASI120MM.

Mars on 2020/09/28, re-processed.

SkyWatcher 1200/250+10mm eyepiece+RGB Filters+ASI120MM

SkyWatcher 1200/250, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI120MM

SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Eyepiece 10mm + RGB Filters + ASI120MM.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher 1200/250

Jupiter 2020/09/04 20:47UTC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI174MM

Mars time-lapse 2020/08/25 0217-0437.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, ASI294MC

Mars. Testing with Barlow + Eyepiece Projection.

SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Barlow x2 + Eyepiece 10mm + RGB Filters + ASI120MM. (Barlow and Eyepiece are ‘cheap’ non-Apochromatic).

Mars. Testing with Barlow + Eyepiece Projection.

SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Barlow x2 + Eyepiece 10mm + RGB Filters + ASI120MM. (Barlow and Eyepiece are ‘cheap’ non-Apochromatic).

Mars, on 2020/08/23-0444.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, ASI294MC

Mars, annotated. 2020/10/16

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI290

Mars 20201016 23:10UTC -20201017 01:14UTC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI290

Mars. 2020/10/16-2020/10/17

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI290

Mars. 2020/10/17

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, 10mm Eyepiece, RGB Filters, ASI290

Mars 2020/10/31

SkyWatcher 1200/250 (10’’) + 10 mm Eyepiece + RGB Filters + ASI290

Mars 2020/10/31

SkyWatcher 1200/250 (10’’) + 10 mm Eyepiece + RGB Filters + ASI290

Venus on 2020/10/03 04:39 UTC

Mars: Comparing the south polar cap roughly 3 weeks apart. It reduced to about half.

Both images taken with a Newtonian (SkyWatcher focal length 1200mm / diam. 250mm) 10'' F/4.8 + 10 mm Eyepiece + RGB Filters + ASI290.

Just about 11.5 Arc-Seconds (i.e. only 0.0032 degrees), that is half of the size it was at the peak of the approach a few weeks ago.

Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction (+1 day), 2020/12/22

Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction (+1 day), 2020/12/22

A high resolution image of the Moon, composed of 11 areas, stacking 4000 images for each area. All in the Red Channel.

The Moon itself is about 3450 pixels wide.

Wolf Moon, taken with my old Canon 500D handheld

Detail of Luna taken on 2020/12/22.

One pixel of the original image corresponds to about 170 meters.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, RGB Filters, ASI174MM

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, Canon 500D

Combination of 2 images.

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, F=420, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

The sky was actually already bright blue when I took this photo so I had to darken it. The closest the Moon and Mars came was little after, at about 08:10 UTC, and unfortunately my neighbor’s tree joined the party. The corresponding photo is not good.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

This is about the closest the Moon and Mars came from my location. Unfortunately, I had no time to re-arrange the optical setup to have a good close-up, the sky was already bright blue (darkened here with processing) and, in addition, my neighbors tree joined the party. Still, an interesting photo.

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, ASI294MC

The Moon on 2020/09/02

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

SkyWatcher, D=250 mm, F= 1200 mm, Eyepiece=10mm, ZWO ASI174MM

Moon & Mars, on 2020/10/03

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, Canon 500D

Moon & Mars, on 2020/10/03

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, Canon 500D

Moon & Mars, on 2020/10/03

SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED, D=72mm, Canon 500D

SkyWatcher 1200/250 + ASI294

Wolf Moon, taken with my old Canon 500D handheld

The Sun in Hydrogen Alpha.

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromosphere + ASI174

The Sun in Hydrogen Alpha.

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromosphere + ASI174

The Sun in Hydrogen Alpha, reprocessed.

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromosphere + ASI290

The Sun in Hydrogen Alpha.

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromosphere + ASI290

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromosphere + ASI290

Sun Spot on 2020/11/22.

First sun images with my new home-made white-light filter.

First sun images with my new home-made white-light filter.

Sun-Spots on 2020/11/29

Sun-Spots on 2020/11/29

Full sun, made by combining 2 images (North and South halves).

Actually, my first full sun ever.

Group of Sun-Spots on 2020/11/29

The Sun in H-Alpha, on 2020/12/12.

Composing 2 images, one of them over-exposed to reveal the flare.

The Sun in Hydrogen-Alpha, 2020/12/13

SkyWatcher 72ED (420 mm Focal Length) + DayStar Quark Chromo + ASI290.

Approx. 246 km/pixel

The Sun, on Hydrogen-Alpha (656 nm).

SkyWatcher 72ED (420 mm Focal Length) + DayStar Quark Chromo + ASI290.

Approx. 246 km/pixel

The Sun, on Hydrogen-Alpha (656 nm). 10 images, 5 minutes apart each.

SkyWatcher 72ED (420 mm Focal Length) + DayStar Quark Chromo + ASI290.

Approx. 246 km/pixel

Collage of some of the images of the solar system.

The Sun in H-Alpha, on 2020/12/13.

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromo.

The Sun in H-Alpha, on 2020/12/13. Color-inverted image

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromo.

The Sun in H-Alpha, on 2020/12/13. Processed Colors.

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromo.

The Sun in H-Alpha, on 2020/12/13. Color-inverted image

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromo.

The Sun in H-Alpha, on 2020/12/20

SkyWatcher 72ED + DayStar Quark Chromo.

Canon 500D + EFS18-200mm lens. No guiding.

Canon 500D + EFS18-200mm lens. No guiding.

Canon 500D + EFS18-200mm lens. No guiding.

Canon 500D + EFS18-200mm lens. No guiding.

This is the first photo I could take of comet Neowise with my newly arrived telescope (SkyWatcher 1200/250). It was the night of 2020/08/04 and unfortunately the tails were already very dim. The low altitude and the cloudy conditions did not help either. In any case, one can still see, even if barely, the straight gas/ion tail and the wider dust tail extending ‘upwards’. There is a short time-lapse movie in the videos section of the rapid movement of Neowise against the background sky.

This videoclip is a little and quick "thought experiment" to show what it could look like leaving our Milky Way galaxy towards the Andromeda galaxy, M31. Of course, it does not take into account any real physical limitation, like the speed of light ... Just having fun with the idea.

With the bad weather one can take the opportunity to learn new things or re-visit the images taken in the past and do something new with them.

I recently learned how to separate the star field in a photograph, using StarNet and PixInsight, from the main deep-sky object.

The star fields in the two original photos are of course stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. In the hypothetical "flight" to M31, once you leave the Milky Way behind, the image you'll see from the Andromeda galaxy is free from the Milky Way stars.

If the trip to the Andromeda galaxy would continue, at some point when close enough, you would again be able to resolve (see) individual stars, this time belonging to M31. That final part of the "trip" is not included in the short videoclip, as with my telescope it is not possible to resolve individual stars in M31.

To make this short movie, i had first to separate the star fields from the 2 original photos, taken earlier in summer. Then mixed everything with some video editing, to simulate the "flight", and done !

The result is fun, so I decided to give it a try and share it.

Clear Skies,

David

Time-lapse of the September 6th approach, Moon-Mars

Jupiter time-lapse.

Time-lapse of Comet NEOWISE moving through during about 10 minutes

Mars time-lapse 2020/08/25 0217-0437.

The gaps were due to the cloudy conditions.

A closeup to planet Earth.

The Sun, on Hydrogen-Alpha (656 nm). 10 images, 5 minutes apart each.

SkyWatcher 72ED (420 mm Focal Length) + DayStar Quark Chromo + ASI290.

Approx. 246 km/pixel

Today was a bit cloudy, but between cloud and cloud, I could take a few movies of the #Sun. This is one of them, after processing for color and overlaying 'an earth' for scale comparison. Used a Daystar Quark Hydrogen-Alpha (H-Alpha) filter.

Gear: Skywatcher 72ED, DayStar Quark Chromo, ASI290.

Spectrum obtained with SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Star Analyser 100 + ASI174MM.

Image before processing. Zero Order (dots on the left) and First Order (spectra on the right).

Spectrum obtained with SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Star Analyser 100 + ASI174MM.

Note: Castor is actually a 6-star system. With small telescopes one can only resolve the 2 main stars (A and B).

Spectrum obtained with SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Star Analyser 100 + ASI174MM.

Note: Castor is actually a 6-star system. With small telescopes one can only resolve the 2 main stars (A and B).

Spectrum obtained with SkyWatcher 1200/250 + Star Analyser 100 + ASI174MM.

Canon R5+24mm Objective

Orion at center

Canon R5+24mm Objective

Andromeda at the center, Milky Way on the right side