Wide-Angle Shots

I've been experimenting with taking wide-angle long exposures with the camera mounted on the Vixen SP. Here is an image made in September 2012 of the Milky Way, with the constellation Cygnus on the left, and the constellation Aquila on the right. Prominent features include:

• The North America Nebula, on the left.
• The Great Rift (the dark lane that stretches across the middle of the image from left to right).
• The Cygnus Star Cloud (the bright region just above the middle, from about the center of the image and extending to the left)

This image also encompasses part of the area that is being studied by the Kepler mission.

Note, too, that the Great Rift appears less dark on the right. This is due to light pollution from town.

Milky Way from Cygnus to Aquila; Canon EOS Rebel XS on Vixen SP mount; 15x240; click here for full size

The following was a test image made after focusing the camera on Jupiter during a brief imaging session in early November 2012. Jupiter is the bright star near the center of the image. The reddish star to the upper-right of Jupiter is Aldebaran, in the constellation Taurus. Also visible are star clusters NGC 1746 (which is actually an asterism partially composed of two open clusters), NGC 1647 and the Hyades cluster. The vertical streak is the light trail made by an airplane.

Jupiter; Canon EOS Rebels XS on Vixen SP mount; 1x30

After focusing the camera, I pointed it at Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy:

Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy; Canon EOS Rebel XS on Vixen SP mount; 6x150

My primary goal was to image the area surrounding the constellation Perseus. My time was running short and Perseus had just cleared the trees, so I pointed the camera in that direction and got enough subs for the image below. Some of the items visible here are the Double Cluster (above and right of center), and the Heart and Soul nebulae (the faint red patches below and left of center):

Perseus Region; Canon EOS Rebel XS on Vixen SP mount; 11x150; click here for full size

Another Coathanger Redo

This is a reprocessed version of the Coathanger Cluster that I posted back in September 2010. I reduced the size a bit to hide some of the image noise.

Coathanger Cluster; Epsilon-200; 13x180

NGC 2169 and Some New Toys

How many stars are in open cluster NGC 2169? Well, according to 14 of them, the answer is 37!

This small cluster of about 30 (probably not really 37) stars lies about 3,600 light years away in the constellation Orion and can be seen through a small telescope. The unusual arrangement of these stars is simply by chance, of course.

NGC 2169, ST80 on Vixen SP, 16x60

Groups of stars that form familiar patterns and shapes, like the "37" in NGC 2169, are called asterisms. Asterisms are not constellations. They may be composed of stars from one or more constellations. Other well-known asterisms include the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, the Teapot, and the Coathanger.

I recently acquired an AccuFocus electronic focuser and an Orion SkyGlow Astrophotography Filter for my setup. This will make focusing much easier since I no longer have to touch the telescope to adjust it. The filter will come in handy by removing most of the light pollution "noise" that I get from the light domes of Huntsville and Houston.  The image above is the result of my first attempt at using the new equipment.

A Better Coathanger

I had the opportunity to re-image the Coathanger Cluster with the Epsilon-200.  Here is the new version:

Coathanger Cluster, Epsilon-200

The Coathanger

The Coathanger is an asterism in Vulpecula. Cataloged as Collinder 399, and also known as Brocchi's Cluster, it was thought to be an open cluster until fairly recently. This image was a test to see if I could fit the entire cluster onto my DSLR's CMOS chip using the Epsilon-200. I will go back and take longer exposures when I get a chance.

Coathanger Cluster, Epsilon-200

Here is an earlier image taken afocally with my ST80:

Coathanger Cluster, ST80