Monthly Archives: November 2015

Venus, Jupiter, and Mars

 in Blog

People in some parts of the world are, no doubt, enjoying the sight of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars all within 3 degrees of each other in recent mornings. Here in the Portland area we’ve had either clouds or thick fog every morning, so we haven’t seen it. I got up at 5:30 this morning because the forecast was for relatively clear skies. I couldn’t tell if there were any clouds – the fog was so thick that I couldn’t see my neighbor’s house! Tomorrow morning will almost certainly be cloudy, so the only way to get a picture of this […]

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2)

 in Gallery / Solar System

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

 in Gallery / Solar System

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)

 in Gallery / Nebulae

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

 in Gallery / Nebulae

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)

 in Gallery / Nebulae

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)

 in Gallery / Nebulae

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