2014 

I started this image with mono data obtained on 23rd November 2014. With the terrible season, it was not until 9th February 2015 that I finally managed to get colour data to complete the image. NGC 1333 in Perseus forms the central part of a complex surrounded by the dark dust of Barnard 205. This image was taken with my QSI 683 camera on TS RC10 Truss with AP reducer giving 1540 mm focal length at f6. Cropped a little - severe vignetting in the corners. Luminance 10 x 10 minutes, RGB each 5 x 10 minutes, all binned 2x2. Phew!! Full size.

I first came across this interesting Camelopardalis galaxy, NGC2655 also classified as Arp 225, in October 2014, and collected several monochrome subs. But ran out of time and sky to finish the job. This has been a very poor season with few imaging opportunities, but the night of 16th February 2015 was beautiful, and although I had a previous engagement and wasn't able to start imaging until 22:30, I was able to keep going the rest of the night - the target is only 12 degrees from Polaris, so at my 55 deg latitude stays nicely high all night. The main body of the galaxy has very little structure - quite uninteresting. But what makes it special is the surrounding clouds of displaced stars. Difficult to bring out from the background - really needs a dark mountaintop! But I ended up with a total of 35 x 10 minutes Luminance subs, all binned 2x2. Colour is from 5 x 10 minutes binned subs for each of RGB. All with QSI 683wsg and Starlight Xpress AO on 10" RC Truss (2000 mm fl). Full Size. The central section of this image containing the galaxy appeared in the December 2018 issue of Astronomy Now in an article about Northern galaxies.

Another target which was delayed finishing from October 2014 to February (20th) 2015 was the interesting nebulous area NGC 1579 in Perseus. Also known as the 'Trifid of the North' due to its similarity to the well known Trifid nebula in Sagittarius. Although it appears to be a Hydrogen-alpha emission nebula, the red colour is in fact produced by scattering of light in dust clouds surrounding a very powerful star. The blue light is reflection. QSI 683 on RC10. Luminance 17 x 10 minutes, RGB each 5 x 10 minutes, all binned 2x2. This image featured as Picture of the Month in the April 2015 issue of Astronomy Now magazine, and also appeared in the September 2019 issue. Full Size

I'd never heard about this until I saw an image in early February 2015. The Waterfall nebula (also known as Herbig-Haro 222). But oh boy is it difficult! It's situated directly below the Orion Nebula, so maximum altitude for me is 28 degrees. Very faint, but would seem to glow in a variety of colours as seen in other images. So far only limited H-alpha obtained. Hardly ever clear when I was home, sod's law saw to it that on some good clear evenings I had other engagements. Will now probably have to wait until next Winter. But definitely worth it - a very interesting object! So far 7 x 20 minutes Hydrogen-alpha over a couple of evenings, last one 24th. February, binned 2x2, QSI 683 on RC 10" truss (f8). A long way to go - I reckon I'll need at least 10 hours of good clear sky to get a decent Luminance, never mind the colour! Not worth posting the full size at the moment. Just click on the thumbnail as usual for a mid size version.

The night of 8th March 2015 was beautifully clear, but with a bright Moon rising I turned my attention to a striking open cluster approximately 100 degrees away which I hoped would be unaffected by the moonlight. And that turned out to be the case. NGC2266 is a lesser known compact open cluster in Gemini, relatively small at 5 arc-minutes. Compare this with the well known M35, also in Gemini, which measures approximately 25 arc-minutes. So I imaged it at the full 2 metre focal length of the RC10. This image is cropped from the original - due to the need for a good guide star the cluster was off centre. QSI 683 on RC10 with SXAO unit. Luminance 12 x 5 minutes, RGB each 5 x 5 minutes, all unbinned. Larger size

  

NGC 188 in Cepheus is only 5 degrees from the North Celestial Pole, and as such is available to Northern hemisphere observers throughout the year. But of course the further North one lives, the Summer nights are twilit and short, so imaging is generally restricted to the Winter months. This image was compiled over a few nights ending March 11th 2015. Despite a last quarter Moon, the sky was clean and the image was little affected if at all by Moonlight. The cluster is considered to be one of the oldest in the Milky Way Galaxy, and is quite large (15 arc-minutes) and scattered. QSI 683 on RC10, L 24 x 5 minutes, RGB each 5 x 5 minutes, all unbinned. Larger size

NGC's 3226 and 7 are a pair of interacting galaxies in Leo, magnitudes 11.4 and 10.4 respectively. 3227 is the larger of the pair. As can be seen the interaction has thrown out faint tidal tails of stars around the galaxies. I imaged them on 21st March 2015, but overlooked posting this on my web site until May 1st 2021. Better late than never! QSI683 on RC10 with SX AO unit. Luminance 17 x 10 minutes, RGB each 5 x 10 minutes, all binned 2x2. North is approximately up. Full size

 

Some targets would appear to be simply unsuitable for imaging in the UK - they need very contrasty dark clear sky. And this is one of them! LBN552 in Cepheus is a dusty area about 11 degrees from Polaris, so accessible all year and reasonably high from my latitude. But in early spring it is South of Polaris most of the night, so 22 degrees lower than in the early Autumn. And for me it lies directly above Hexham which although a small town still has its own share of light pollution. So an awful lot of processing and stretching was necessary to show up the dust, with the stars suffering to a certain extent as a consequence. Such is life! Luminance 25 x 10 minutes, RGB each 4 x 10 minutes, QSI 683 unbinned on TS65 Quad over the nights of 23rd and 25th March 2015. The small orangy glow about 1/3rd from the top is separately classified as GN 21.00.4 Larger size

NGC 3953 is a barred spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, near the better known Messier 109, also a barred spiral, though more 'open' in its aspect. This image was started in February 2015. At that time clouds prevented completion. However a revisit on 20th April completed the data set which consists of 14 x 10 minutes Luminance, RGB each 6 x 10 minutes, all unbinned. QSI 683camera on RC10 telescope at 2 metres focal length with Starlight Xpress AO unit and Baader filters. Unfortunately on both occasions the seeing was poor, so the larger image is not full size - finer details not captured. Large image

Abell 1656 is a densely populated galaxy cluster in Coma Berenices containing numerous small NGC galaxies as well as dozens of fainter PGC galaxies. NGC 4884 is the brightest at magnitude 11.5. I have labelled several of the brighter NGC ones in a 'mouseover' image, click on the thumbnail. 21st April 2015 was again a still clear night and I used the little TS Quad 65 for this rich field image which consists of 14 x 10 minutes Luminance unbinned, and 7 x 5 minutes each of RGB binned 2x2. QSI 683 camera. Close study of the Larger image will reveal many more tiny galaxies.

The run of fine weather in April 2015 continued for yet another clear night - 3 in a row!! Alas the Moon was starting to wax but the night of 22nd April was clear and steady, so I revisited the barred spiral galaxy NGC 4725 in Coma Berenices, previously imaged in 2007 with my Artemis camera. This bright (magnitude 9.3) galaxy is particularly unusual in having only one spiral arm. The smaller neighbouring galaxy is NGC 4712, and is unrelated, being much further away. QSI 683 on RC10 at f8. Luminance 10 x 10 minutes, RGB each 4 x 10 minutes, all binned 2x2. Off-axis guided with Lodestar X2 and Starlight Xpress AO unit. North approximately up in this orientation, governed by the requirement for a suitable guide star. Full Size

It's been a l o n g  time since I imaged a globular cluster, and a particularly long time since I imaged Messier 5 in Serpens. That image is here. I have never before imaged Messier 10 in Ophiuchus. It follows M5 across the sky about an hour and 40 minutes behind. The night of 26th April 2015 was particularly clear and despite a bright first quarter Moon the sky away from the Moon remained decently dark. These bright globulars are a joy to image - only 2 minute subs needed so much of the star colour is retained. I had to wait a while for the targets to rise - they are quite low at my location, and for Messier 5 I perhaps went a bit over the top with Luminance at 20 x 2 minute subs, which left me a little short of time for colour and M10 data. But I persevered, and although by the time I had finished M10 I was half an hour into Astronomical twilight I could still easily see the Cygnus Milky Way in the clear air (the Moon had set by then). So M10 has 15 x 2 minute Luminance subs. For both globulars 6 x 2 minutes each RGB. All with the QSI 683 and SX AO unit, binned 2x2 on RC10 at f8 native resolution. M5 full size M10 full size

At my latitude, Astronomical twilight is now the best I get, and even that gives way to Nautical twilight for a few weeks at the height of Summer. So imaging is strictly limited to bright objects, or some narrow band subjects. But the brighter Globular clusters are still a nice target in Astro twilight, and the night of 12th May 2015 was particularly clear so a couple of hours were devoted to Messier 92 in Hercules. My previous image was taken in 2003, monochrome with an MX716 camera! So overdue for an update. The chip in that main imaging camera is now used in the Lodestar guide camera. How things have moved on! The old one was 40 x 20 second subs unguided on an LX90. The new one, Luminance 21 x 2 minutes, RGB each 7 x 2 minutes, QSI 683 on RC10 guided with LodestarX2 and SX AO unit. All binned 2x2. Full Size A bit of a difference!

After I'd collected that data, I had a quick look at M16, the famous Eagle nebula in Serpens. Only 5 x 10 minute binned 2x2 H-a subs as nautical twilight was fast approaching, but if there are a few more clear nights before I lose astro twilight I may get some more data. It's very low for me, never rising above 21 degrees altitude, so seeing is poor - I don't expect ever to get a crisp image here. But still worth a visit! Full Size

I'm quite enjoying these astronomical twilight nights - another beautifully clear one on 16th May 2015. A pity we couldn't have had more of them during the previous Winter. But although clouds arrived later and prevented me finishing my M16, I was able to complete a full set of data for Messier 12 bright globular cluster in Ophiucus (which I started three days previously). Replaces an earlier attempt in 2005. More colourful than I expected! Luminance 25 x 2 minutes, RGB each 7 x 2 minutes, all binned 2x2. QSI 683 with SX AO unit on RC10. Full size This image featured in the August 2015 issue of Astronomy Now magazine.

This image of the Pelican nebula, IC5070 in Cygnus, is the first image captured using my TMB105 refractor with the Teleskop Service TSFlat2 flattener which has enabled me to use the QSI 683 camera with that telescope - previously it would have been badly distorted in the corners. See the TMB page . The monochrome image is Hydrogen-alpha data using 20 x 10 minute subs binned 2x2, TMB 150, QSI 8300, Baader H-a filter from 6-7 August. The colour is mapped H-a to R, OIII to G and SII to B. The colour data, 10 x 10 minutes each OIII and SII was captured on the night of 11th August, but had to wait until 27th August for the Flats. Full sizes here: H-alpha HOS colour

Barnard 150 in Cepheus is a dusty nebula also appropriately named the 'Seahorse nebula'. Nicely situated high overhead in the Autumn, but with varying weather conditions it took me some time to collect the data. Some luminance from 25th July 2015 at home, some from the Kelling Heath Autumn star camp on 12th September and the remainder on the night of 21st September at home. Some frames were discarded, but in the end a total of 25 subs were used. Colour was also obtained on 21st September, 8 subs for each colour. All subs 5 minutes binned 2x2. QSI 683 on TMB105 refractor with TSFlat2 flattener. Full size

This interesting dusty nebula, LBN 438 in Lacerta, is the result of two sessions, the first at the Dalby Forest Star Party on 15th August, where 16 Luminance subs were captured. A further 7 Luminance subs and 7 subs each of R G and B on 7th October at home. Each sub 10 minutes binned 2x2, QSI 8300on Meade 127 with TSFlat2 flattener. Full size

        

Open cluster NGC225 in Cassiopeia is associated with the dusty nebula VdB4. The bright stars of the cluster tend to overpower the nebulosity - such is life! But a lot of data was required to keep noise to a reasonable level when stretching to show the faint areas. Luminance 24 x 10 minutes, RGB each 5 x 10 minutes, all binned 2x2. Taken over two nights, 8th and 11th October 2015, QSI 683 with SX AO and Baader filters on RC10 at f8. Full Size

    

NGC1491 is an emission nebula in Perseus, also classed as Sharpless 206, nicely situated in the late Autumn sky. But proved elusive when I went for it - weather played unfair, and I had to capture data over a number of visits. Initially in November 2013 (!) then a revisit in August 2015, and finally towards the end of October 2015. Ultimately 21 x 15 minutes H-alpha, and 7 x 15 minutes each OIII and SII, all binned 2x2. Combined RGB = HOS. Even with all that data difficult to bring up the fainter areas and balance the colours - I think this target really needs extremely dark contrasty skies. QSI683 on Meade 127 with TSFlat2 field flattener and Starlight Xpress AO unit. Full size

The human brain is very good at seeing shapeswithin images, witness constellation figures! I see a fiery face in the centre of this image - here it is, rotated slightly and enlarged! (Click on the thumbnail as usual)

LDN (Lynd's dark Nebula) 1251 is a quite large dusty area in Cepheus, nicely overhead in the late Autumn months, but like all this type of object needing quite dark contrasty skies. I gathered initial Luminance data at Kielder on October 17th 2015, with a further session at home on 6th November. Altogether 38 x 10 minutes Luminance and 8 x 10 minutes each RGB. All binned 2x2, QSI683 on TS65Quad which with its relatively short 420 mm focal length was able to encompass much of the dusty area. North is up. Full size

Sharpless 2-224 is a quite faint supernova remnant in Auriga with an interesting asymmetric shape. Like many of these emission nebulae it required the use of narrow band filters, even so a lot of quite long sub exposures were needed to avoid excessive 'noise' in the final image. This consists of 20 x 20 minutes luminance (Hydrogen-alpha) subs taken over two nights, 9th and 12th November 2015, and 3 each OIII and SII of 20 minutes. Colour mapped RGB as H-a, OIII, SII. all subs binned 2x2, QSI 683 camera on TMB 105 refractor (650 mm fl) with TSFlat2 flattener. North is to the right. Full size

I started imaging this mid November (18th), but due to bad weather and other commitments didn't get final data until 8th December! No narrow band in this - it's surprising how much RGB colour is in the Bubble. And M52 makes a pretty companion to it. I had to scrap several subs due to poor conditions, but this consists of 20 x 10 minutes Luminance unbinned, and RGB each 6 x 5 minutes binned 2x2. QSI 683 camera on TMB105 with TSFlat 2 field flattener. That flattener is working very well with the TMB. The loosely defined cluster below and to the left of M52 is Czernik 43. Larger image

There is a considerable amount of Hydrogen alpha emission from gas in the volume covered by this image, and I was able to obtain some Ha data over the following week. So with 7 x 10 minute binned 2x2 sub frames I was able to blend in the extra data. To a certain extent it has overwhelmed the more delicate colours of the nebula, but certainly more clearly defines the emission area. Larger image

     

SH2-241 (Sharpless 241) in Auriga is quite a challenging object, but because to me it looks like a fat comet with a broad tail I wanted to capture it! Relatively faint, and even the magic of narrow band imaging required substantial data to obtain a reasonably 'quiet' image. I obtained Hydrogen-alpha data on 13th December 2014, but didn't return to finish the job until 31st December 2015! So this image consists of 21 x 15 minutes H-alpha and 8 x 15 minutes each of OIII and SII, all binned 2x2 and combined RGB = HOS. But there was effectively no OIII data in the nebula and very little SII. So not much colour interest. QSI683 on RC10 with SXAO and Baader narrow band filters. Full Size

     

2016