August 21st partial eclipse

August 21st partial eclipse from Livermore Falls, Maine. Canon T2i 1/400 sec f/7.1 at 270mm.

Sunrise through trees

Sun rising from Livermore Falls Maine.

Image taken with an iPhone 6, Pro HDR and Snapseed.

June 30, 2016

Town of Livermore Falls, Maine

Town of Livermore Falls, Maine.

Canon T2i and ProOptic 8mm fish eye lens f/3.5.

Bracketed exposures of 10 seconds, 5 seconds and 15 seconds.

Processed in PhotoShop CS5 HDR Pro

Backyard Moonscape

Imaged from my backyard using Canon T2i and ProOptic 8mm fish eye lens f/3.5.

Livermore Falls, Maine

Moon setting over Livermore Falls, Maine

Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i, f/7.1 @119 mm, 1/20, ISO 200

M101 the Pinwheel galaxy

M101 the Pinwheel galaxy

M101, the Pinwheel galaxy, is a face on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major measured at a distance of 21 million light years.  The bright structure to the right of M101 is the peculiar galaxy NCG 5474.  Peculiar galaxies are dwarf galaxies that form as a result of galaxies interacting.  The gravitational pull from nearby galaxies causes the peculiar galaxy to be of unusual shape size or composition.

This was imaged from dark skies of Chiefland, Florida and light polluted skies of Ocala, Florida.

Luminance:  combination of 8 minute, 15 minute and 30 minute subs totaling 11 hours and 8 minutes.

Red 6min x3 and 8min x3

Green 6min x3 and 8min x3

Blue 6min x3 and 8min x3

Imaging telescope:  Orion 80mm EON

Imaging camera:  QSI 683 wsg-8

Losmandy G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount.

M81/M82 Bode's galaxy and Cigar galaxy

M81/M82 Bode's galaxy and Cigar galaxy

Constellation: Ursa Major

~11.8 million light years distant

The galaxy center is active with high rate of star formation caused by the gravitational effect from nearby spiral galaxy, M81.

Ocala, FL and Chiefland, Florida

RGB 6 min subs for a total of 1 hour each channel

Luminance (with IDAS LP filter) combination of 4 min, 6 min and 10 min subs totaling 6 hours and 16 min

Ha 15 min subs for a total of 1 hour

Additional 30, 15 and 6 minute subs in Luminance added from Chiefland, Florida totaling 4 hours

Photoshop CS5 CS5

Imaging telescope: Orion 80mm EON

Imaging camera: QSI 683 wsg-8

Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II

M106 in Canes Venatici

M106 with accompanying galaxies NGC 4217, NGC 4248, NGC 4232, NGC 4231 and NGC 4220.

Spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici

~23.7 million light years distant

Ocala, FL (RGB)

Chiefland, FL (LUM)

Combination of 6 min and 10 min exposures stacked in DeepSkyStacker for a total of 6 hours 40 min

1 hours each RGB

3 hours and 40 min Luminance

2 hours 20 minutes Ha

Additional 15 minute subs in Luminance was added from Chiefland, Florida totaling 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Photoshop CS5

Imaging telescope: Orion 80mm EON

Imaging camera: QSI 683 wsg-8

Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II

Hutech IDAS Light Pollution Suppression (LPS) Filter

Click here to view retired image

Markarian's Chain

Markarian's Chain

Markarian's chain is a chain of galaxies that form part of the Virgo cluster located in the constellation Virgo.

Imaged from Chiefland Star Party Group field (Luminance and RGB)

Luminance 6 minute (totaling 2 hours and 36 minutes) and 8 minute subs (totaling 4 hours and 8 minutes) unbinned

RGB 4 minute subs in each channel (totaling 120 minutes) binned 2x2

Imaging telescope Orion 80mm EON

Imaging camera: QSI 683 wsg-8

Processed in Photoshop CS5

Losmandy G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount

Wide field of Pac Man

NGC 281 the Pac Man nebula (field of view 118 arcmin x 154 arcmin)

Emission nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia

RGB data captured on October 29 and 31, 2011

H-Alpha data captured on November 1 and November 2, 2011

Ocala, FL

RGB data: Combination of 60 sec, 120 sec and 180 sec. exposure stacked in DSS for a total of 4 hour 7 min with 10 minute

H-Alpha data: 10 minute exposure stacked in DeepSkyStacker for a total of 2 hours and 10 min.

PhotoShop CS5

Orion 80mm EON

Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG

Canon T1i (modified)

Losmandy G11 with Gemini II

Hutech IDAS Light Pollution Suppression (LPS) Filter

Astronomic 6nm H-Alpha clip filter for Canon EOS

Additional data adding detail to the inner nebula was accomplished using an Astro-Tech 8 inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope (Ha data) and Explore Scientific 127mm CF APO (RGB)

Imaging camera: QSI 683wsg-8

Ha data 3 hours

RGB data 40 min each Red, Green and Blue channel binned 2x2

Melotte 15 in the Heart nebula

Melotte 15 is an emission nebula with star cluster in the center of the Heart nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Imaged from Ocala, Florida through Ha, Red, Green and Blue filters.

30 minute exposures (unbinned) in Ha combined for a total of 3 hours.

6 minute exposured (binned 2x2) totaling 1 hour Red, 1 hour Green and 1 hour Blue.

Processed in Photoshop

Imaging telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm CF Apochromatic refractor

Imaging camera: QSI 683 wsg-8

Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II German equatorial mount

NGC 2174, the Monkey Head nebula

NGC 2174, or the Monkey Head nebula, is an emission nebula in the constellation Orion located around 6,400 light years from Earth.

Ha 30 min subs x 6 (unbinned)

OIII 30 minute subs x6 (binned 2x2)

SII 30 minute subs x6 (binned 2x2)

Red, Green and Blue 4 minute subs x6 (binned 2x2) for star color

Imaging telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm CF APO refractor

Imaging camera: QSI 683 wsg-8 cooled CCD camera

Losmandy G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount

M78 in Orion

M78 is a reflection nebula in Orion located around 1,600 light years from Earth.

Imaged from Chiefland Star Party Group Field in Chiefland, Florida.

Luminance: 8 minute subs x 18 (unbinned)

Red/Green/Blue: 4 minute subs x 10 (binned 2x2)

Imaging telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm CF Apochromatic refracter

Imaging camera: QSI 683wsg-8 cooled CCD camera

Losmandy G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount

NGC 2174, the Monkey Head nebula (BiColor)

NGC 2174, the Monkey Head nebula

NGC 2174, or the Monkey Head nebula, is an emission nebula in the constellation Orion located around 6,400 light years from Earth. 

This is a bicolor image taken through Hydrogen alpha and Oxygen 3 filters.  A "synthetic green" channel was created by using data from the Ha (Red) and OIII (blue).  My plan is to add SII data to create the Hubble palette and to also image through Red, Green and Blue filters to correct the star colors.

Ha 30 min subs x 6 (unbinned)

OIII 30 minute subs x6 (binned 2x2)

Imaging telescope:  Explore Scientific 127mm CF APO refractor

Imaging camera:  QSI 683 wsg-8 cooled CCD camera

Losmandy G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount

M33 the Triangulum galaxy (widefield)

M33 the Triangulum galaxy is a spiral galaxy ~3 million light years distant in the constellation Triangulum.

This was imaged October 21 and 22, 2012 and November 21, 2014 from Ocala, FL and Chiefland, FL.

Luminance 48min, Red 60min, Green 60min, Blue 60min and 60min of Ha using the Orion 80mm EON

An additional 8 minutes luminance (x15) was imaged November 21, 2014 with the Explore Scientific 127mm APO from Chiefland Star Party Group field.

IC 1871 the Soul nebula (Hubble palette)

IC 1871 the Soul nebula (Hubble palette)

The soul nebula is an emission nebulae located in Cassiopeia ~7,500 light years from Earth.

Ha: 1800 second subs x 10

OIII:  1800 second subs x 6

SII:  1800 second subs x 6

Imaging telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm Apochromatic refractor

Imaging camera: QSI 683wsg-8

Losmany G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount

IC 1871 the Soul nebula

IC 1871 the Soul nebula

The soul nebula is an emission nebulae located in Cassiopeia ~7,500 light years from Earth.

RGB: 360 sec x 10 subs in each channel

Ha: 1800 second subs x 6

Imaging telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm Apochromatic refractor

Imaging camera: QSI 683wsg-8

Losmany G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount

IC 63 the Ghost of Cassiopeia

IC 63 the Ghost of Cassiopeia

IC 63 is an emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia located around 600 light years from Earth. The cloud formation (resembling a ghost) is caused by ionized Hydrogen ions from nearby star, gamma Cas, also known as Navi.

Imaged from Ocala, Florida

Imaging telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm apochromatic refractor.

Imaging camera: QSI 683wsg-8 cooled CCD camera

Losmandy G112 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount.

M33 the Triangulum galaxy

M33 the Triangulum galaxy

Spiral galaxy int he constellation Triangulum located around 3 million light years from Earth.

Imaged from Chiefland Star Party Group field (Luminance) and Ocala, Florida (RGB)

Red, Green and Blue imaged October 21 and 22, 2012 with the Orion 80mm EON

Luminance imaged November 21, 2014 with the Explore Scientific 127mm APO

Imaging camera:  QSI 683 wsg-8

Processed in Photoshop CS5

Losmandy G11 with Gemini 2 German equatorial mount

NGC 281 the PacMan nebula

NGC 281 the Pac Man nebula is an emission nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia about 9,500 light years from Earth. NGC 281 is home to IC 1590, a star cluster, and several Bok globules. Bok globules are areas of dark, dense dust found in HII regions. These dense areas ungo gravitaional collapse which in turn forms double stars or multiple star systems.

Imaged from Ocala, FL

Imaging telescopes: Astro-Tech 8 inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope (Ha data) and Explore Scientific 127mm CF APO (RGB)

Imaging camera: QSI 683wsg-8

Ha data 3 hours

RGB data 40 min each Red, Green and Blue channel binned 2x2

PS CS5

Losmandy G11 with Gemini II