Every day our eyes catch the light of our memories – time spent with family, the journey to work, a special holiday, a beautiful sunset or a dark starlit night. Each image captured is a picture drawn in light – a photograph: only to be lost in our minds or forever forgotten. Nearly two hundred years ago a small group of amateur scientists achieved what had eluded mankind for centuries – the ability to capture a permanent record of an image seen by their own eyes – a moment in time frozen onto a surface. They had discovered Photography. They were the ‘Catchers of the Light’.

Monday, April 21, 2014

NGC 2174 The Monkey Head Nebula



NGC 2174 (also known as Monkey Head Nebula) is an H II[1] emission nebula located in the constellation Orion and is associated with the open star cluster NGC 2175.[1] It is thought to be located about 6,400 light-years away from Earth.

Instruments and exposure data:

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
W.O ZS80 ED
SBIG ST10XME CFW9
Meade DSI
Filters: Ha 5nm Astrodon_RGB Baader Planetarium
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro

Tricolor Emmision Line image
S[II] 8nm(Red)_Ha 5nm(Green)_O[III] 3nm(Blue)
Modified Hubble Palette

S[II] 4*10min+5Ha 5*10min_Ha 14*10min_ O[III] 23*10min
total exposure time : 1080min (18h)

L(S[II]+Ha+O[III])_Red(S[II]+Ha)_Green(Ha)_Blue(O[III])

Ha:14*10min bin1x1
S[II]:4*10min bin1x1
O[III]:23*10min bin1x1
Total exposure time:6h50min

Astrobin Image of the Day 24 Apr 2014


Sunday, April 6, 2014

Dumbbel Nebula M27


The Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Messier 27, M 27, or NGC 6853) is a planetary nebula (PN) in the constellation Vulpecula, at a distance of about 1,360 light years.
This object was the first planetary nebula to be discovered; by Charles Messier in 1764. At its brightness of visual magnitude 7.5 and its diameter of about 8 arcminutes, it is easily visible in binoculars, and a popular observing target in amateur telescopes.

Instruments and exposure data:

W.O FLT110 with dedicated TMB field flattener
FeatherTouch 3'' focuser
Starizona MicroTouch autofocuser
W.O ZS80 ED
SBIG ST10XME CFW9
Meade DSI
Filters: Ha 5nm Astrodon_RGB Baader Planetarium
Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro

L(Ha+Red)_Red(Ha+Red+Red)_Green_Blue

Ha:10*5min bin1x1_46*10min bin1x1
Red:28*4min bin1x1
Green:29*4min bin1x1
Blue:25*4min bin1x1
Total exposure time:13h58min

For full resolution please see in Astrobin