The effect of a Ha filter

This weekend the new Ha-filter arrieved. This 12nm EOS clip-inn filter had to be put up for the test. The week before I allready had the chance to image NGC281; The Pacman nebula. So I added 12 frames of Ha (360 seconds at ISO1600). After scouting the internet on Ha processing I came up with this result. Left without Ha signal; right with Ha signal.

ngc 6888 2010

ngc 6888 2010
Originally uploaded by dutchskywatcher

Nice those warm summer nights. Astrophotography is wonderfull during this time of year. Taking pictures at warm temperatures. A setback is the amount of noise the camera picks up. This is the Cressent nebula (NGC 6888). This nebula born due to a Wolf Rayett star that shedded it's outer layer. The picture consists of 20 frames; exposure time is 5 minutes at ISO800.

m65-m66-ngc3628 - 2010

m65-m66-ngc3628 - 2010
Originally uploaded by dutchskywatcher

This is the latest ateempt on the "leo triplet". This photo is uploaded via Flickr. It also has the new website logo from the website astrodigitaal, wich i use. Let's see how this goes :-).

Messier 101

To fight the noise in the picture I did two things; Decrease the ISO value and simply take more frames. For this image I used 45(!) frames. By far the most frames I made for just one image. The total exposure time is almost 4 hours. The stacking was done with DeepSkyStacker. The final touch-up was done with Photoshop.

Messier 13 (again)

With the (already not so new anymore) modified Canon I had to have a go at Messier 13. This massiv globular cluster is one of the brightest in the sky. For this image I used two sets of images; one as general image; and one for the core - to prevent overexposure. In total the image has an eposure time of 90 minutes. I used the ISO1600 setting; a little over the top. The temperature outside is to high for this setting but who an I to complain :-)

Messier 106

This image has an exposure time of 2h45m. Messier 106 is a spiral galaxy in Canis Venatici. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light years away from. It is also a Seyfert Galaxy. It is suspected that part of the galaxy is falling into a supermassive in the center. NGC 4217 in the lower right corner is a possible companion galaxy of Messier 106.

Messier 109 in Ursa Majoris

This is the longest exposure up till now! 3h45m! In this picture are Phad (the bright star in the upper right corner and one of the stars of "the pan" in the Big Dipper) Messier 109 (the bright barred spiral galaxy in the lower left corner. Furthermore there are several dimmer galaxies visable.

Horsehead nebula

This image is made on februari 16th. I used 40 frames with an exposure of two and a half minutes at ISO1600. This is a quick processing job. I'm sure that with some more time and effort this could be better :-). The horsehead nebula is in the constellation Orion, at a distance of 900 lightyears.

Messier 42 in HDR

To make this High Dynamic Range picture I used two series of frames; 20 frames at 30 seconds and 15 frames of 3 minutes exposure. The frames where stacked in Deepskystacker. The HDR image was created in Photoshop. A Highpass filter was also applied.

Mars, 31ste of januari

This is Mars on the 31ste of januari. For this image I used 1250 frames, stacked with Registax. Photoshop was used to add some more sharpness.

Apparature; 8" Skywatcher Newton; Philips SPC900 webcame; Televue 2x Barlow. The webcam used its internal zoom function (2x).

Messier 1; Crabnebula

After a long period of cloudy weather finaly clear skies! The cabnebula was my aim. This image consists of 17 frames of 6 minutes On ISO800. The camera used was a Canon400D (Baader Mod.). Scope; 8" Skywatcher Newton, F5.

Messier 33; The Triangulum galaxy

Next object on my list was Messier 33. This galaxy lies at a distance of approx. 3 million lightyears and makes it a neighbour of our galaxy. Due to the relative small distance, this object appears dim. The surface brightness is low. But beeing able to take long exopsures and using the modified camera, this object should be the ultimate testobject. In total 20 frames are used at ISO 800. The total exposure time is 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The Veilnebula

Now that the Baader modified Canon is in, I had to make a testshot. Because the Veilnebula NGC 6960 and 6992 climbed high in the sky, the telescope was pointed in that direction. The image of the witchbroom (right) has a total exposure time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. It is a stack of 30 images at ISO800. The image of Pickerings whisp has a total exposure time of 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Albireo with barlowlens

On a moonlight filled evening I felt like an experiment; Why not use the barlow lens to magnify a deepsky object. So after setting up the telescope I started shooting. This is the result; 20 frames of 2 minutes on ISO 800.

Comet Lulin

This comet reached higher northern altitudes in februari and march 2009. In that time it move from the constelation Leo, through Cancer to Gemini. During a short period of time it was even visable with the naked eye.These pictures where taken on march 2nd. The exposure time was 30 minuten on ISO1600 (60 frames of 30 seconds). The gas tail of the comet is pointing downward.

Closed rings of saturn

On februari 13th it was clear enough to use the scope again. Although Saturn was low in the eastern sky and the seeing was resonable, I tried to get a shot.

This image is stacked with 872 frames.

Apparture used: 8" Skywatcher Newton and a Philips SPC900 webcam.

Finally an acceptable M42

Due to trees in the south I wasn't been able to take a good shot at this nebulae. Yesterday I extended my EQ6-mount so I could peer over those trees. This version came out pretty well...

45 frames of 30 seconds on ISO 1600
Skywatcher 8" Newton
Canon 400 D

Snow, Venus and moonlight

Under clear skies the temperture dropped like a stone. Some fog gathered on the fields in the distance. Venus was clearly visible in the west. The almost full moon was already rising in the east. A sight too beautifull to resist. Shot taken with a Canon 400D with a 18-55 mm lens. Exposure was 20 seconds on ISO 1600.

Crater Clavius December 7th 2008

After a period of cloudy weather finnaly clear skies again. So another opportunity to take a shot at the moon. This is crater Clavius. The picture consists of 812 frames. The last touch-up was made in Photoshop.

Jupiter (best picture yet!!!)

I managed to take my telescope along on vacation. I have been to Southern France. No citylights and on a height of 360 meters de skies are dark and full of stars. On juli 1ste the seeing was awsome. Around 01:30 I was able to make this picture; Jupiter, the great red stop and an occulation by the moon Io.

For this photo I used 845 frames and stacked them with Registax. The final touch was made with Photoshop (sharpening).