Using Registar I combined all the Double Cluster images I could lay my hands on. Unfortunately I didn’t go back to the proper base file in a couple of cases so the final composite is not as good as it could be. However, it does give a good representation of the region.
Clear Moonless night last night and I put the 200mm lenses onto the Crescent region in Cygnus. Made the same old mistake in doing this, I should’ve put the Optolong L-Enhance filters on for this one. Never mind, I’ll do that today. This was 20 x 15-minute subs or 5-hours of total exposure time.
This week’s image is of what I think is the most beautiful open cluster in the sky. Not because of the cluster itself, but due to its surroundings. This is the magnificent Wild Duck Cluster, Messier 11, immersed in the awe-inspiring Scutum star cloud. This image was taken in a single evening years ago with the Sky90 and M26C OSC CCD. I have meant to go back to this one time and time again but have either forgotten or had bad weather over the best imaging weeks. I MUST get onto this again with the 200mm lenses and some nice deep 15-minute subs, but unfortunately I think I might be too late AGAIN this year. I will get it right as soon as I can!
An unexpected clear night last night left me unprepared for a new object. So I went for the Coathanger cluster, but centralised on the 200mm lenses. A total of 30 x 10-minute subs.
Managed to get today’s EPOD with my single bright star image of SPICA taken with the 200mm lenses. Thank you Jim at EPOD for continuing to publish my work 🙂
It was a clear night last night (after a day of rain!) albeit with an intrusive Moon, but that doesn’t prevent me from getting on with star shots.
I managed to get the 3rd frame (the far right hand frame) on the Sagitta mosaic which contains the Coathanger cluster. Very interesting region of the Milky Way here.
This week we feature what I think is one of the most beautiful stars in the sky. This is the Carbon star La Superba in the constellation Canes Venatici. This image comprises many hours (certainly over 8) of 10-15 minute subs on the Sky90s with M26C OSC CCDs. A true celestial ruby!
The above 6 images of the Double Cluster show this region at different scales and with the images taken on several different pieces of kit.
The first image is a 4-frame mosaic taken with a Sky90 and M25C OSC CCD.
Second image is a single framer taken with a Sky90 and M25C OSC CCD.
Third image is a 2-frame mosaic taken with the 200mm lenses and M26C OSC CCD.
Fourth image is a single frame taken with the original Hyperstar and a tiny H9C OSC CCD.
Fifth image is a single framer taken with a Sky90 and M25C OSC CCD.
Sixth image is a single framer taken with a Canon 5D MkII DSLR and a 200mm prime lens.
Is there any point in imaging this region any more? Well yes, as I now have a Hyperstar IV with an ASI 2600MC Pro CMOS camera instead of the original Hyperstar with the tiny little H9C OSC CCD. Also, the 200mm lenses are now equipped with the ASI 2600MC Pro OSC CMOS cameras as well, so that is a change from the original 200mm lens images taken with an M26C OSC CCD. So next time the Double Cluster is in a good imaging position, there will be at least two more images to add to the 6 shown above.
Sorry the Picture of the Week appeared late today. I just logged on to find it hadn’t been posted. A quick check showed I had chosen 8 p.m. instead of 8 a.m. as the time to post. Rectified at 13:30 🙂
This week we feature Aldebaran – the Eye of the Bull in Taurus.
This is only 6 x 10-minute subs using the 200mm lenses and the M26C OSC CCDs. I can do a lot better than this, bringing out some faint background nebulosity, by taking far more subs.
