Daily Archives: November 10, 2015


Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2)

Comet Lovejoy was visible to the naked eye (under dark skies) in December 2014 and January 2015. The tail extended much farther than is shown here. Scope: AT111EDT at f/5.6 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI583 Exposure: LRGB, 1 hr 18 mins total


Full Moon

This was captured just before a Lunar eclipse, when the Moon is really “full”.  The color is exaggerated. Scope: AP142 at f/7.5 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI583 Exposure: LRGB, (exposure not recorded)


Sadr to Crescent (IC1318/NGC6888)

Cygnus (The Swan) is right along the path of the Milky Way and is rich in stars, gases, and dust. Although it is a relatively wide shot, this image shows only a small portion of the Cygnus constellation.  Sadr is the bright star at top left and IC1318 is the surrounding nebulosity.  The Crescent (NGC6888) is the potato-shaped object on the right. Scope: William Optics Star71 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI583 Exposure: H-a/G/B, 2 frames of 3 hrs, 6 hrs total


NGC6914

This small blue island of reflection nebulosity is often overlooked, as it resides in a huge area of red hydrogen emission nebulosity. Scope: EdgeHD 8″ at f/7 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI583 Exposure: LRGB, 3 hrs total


Heart & Soul Nebulae (IC1805/IC1848)

A pair of emission nebulae, the Heart was named for its similarity to a heart shape, but the Soul name probably just satifies the urge to use the phrase “heart and soul”. Scope: Tamron 70-200mm at 200mm, f/4 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI583 Exposure: H-a/OIII/SII, 5.75 hrs total


Flying Bat & Squid Nebulae (Sh2-129/Ou4)

The Flying Bat is often overlooked in favor of the nearby and brighter Elephant’s Trunk nebula, but interest has increased since the 2011 discovery of the Squid Nebula (the faint blue portion) within the Bat. Scope: WO Star71 at f/4.9 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI683 Exposure: H-a/OIII/SII, 20 hrs total


Flame to Orion

This relatively wide shot was captured with a 200mm camera lens to include multiple beautiful objects in the Orion constellation.  From left to right is the Flame Nebula, the Horsehead Nebula, the Running Man Nebula, and the Orion Nebula.  The background is actually just a small part of the molecular cloud around the Orion constellation. Scope: Tamron 70-200 lens at 200mm, f/4 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI583 Exposure: H-a/LRGB, 2 hrs H-a, 1 hr LRGB


Rho Ophiuchi Nebula (IC4603/4604)

Rho Ophiuchi is the name of the group of 3 bright stars on the right. The blue reflection nebula around it is IC4604 and the combination reflection/dark nebula on the left is IC4603. Scope: AT111EDT at f/5.6 Mount: AP Mach1 Camera: QSI583 Exposure: LRGB, 2 hrs total