RObs Astroblog

NGC 891 and The Group

2012-01-05T18:38:00.007+02:00

Galaxy NGC 891 is member of NGC 1023 group of galaxies and its approximate mean surface brightness is 13.6 (in magnitude per square arcminute).
Also some little galaxies can be found from picture for example NGC 898, 906, 909, 910, 911, 912, 914, 923.
Photographed on nights 16.10.2011, 19.10.2011 and 20.11.2011.
Some gradients are remain visible.

Camera: Canon 30D mod
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount: EQ-6 SynTrek
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 236x120s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

Aurora timelapse

2011-09-10T12:30:00.013+03:00

Auroras on Sept 10th from Librari on Vimeo.

10.09.2011 00:15-01:08
A CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Sept. 9th,

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: EF 17-40 f/4L @17mm
Mount: Manfrotto 055
Exposures: 20s, ISO200

SN2011fe animation

2011-09-07T15:22:00.007+03:00

M101 galaksi kuvattu 05.04.2011, 28.08.2011 sekä 05.09.2011.
Animaatiossa näkyy Supernova 2011fe ilmestyminen ja huomattava kirkastuminen viikon aikana.

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount:
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 +PHDGuiding
Exposures:
Processing: DSS & PS

Veil Nebula

2011-09-06T17:59:00.005+03:00

Camera: Canon 30D mod, CLS Clipfilter
Optics: WO ZenithStar 66 APO
Mount: EQ-6 SynTrek
Guider: QHY5 & EF 50mm +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 19x600s ISO400
Processing: DSS & PS

Eagle M16 & Omega M17

2011-09-05T21:07:00.004+03:00

Odotellessani pimeän laskeutumista testasin saisinko M16 ja M17 sumut vielä kaivettua matalalta horisontin tuntumasta. Viimeisen kuvan aikana Omega sumu oli vain 4 asteen korkeudessa. Jotain kuitenkin tarttui modatulla 30D kameralla ja William Optics ZenithStar66 putkella. Käytössä oli 0,8x flatteneri, mutta siitä huolimatta tähdistä tuli todella rumia reuna-alueella, vai onko kameran kenno vinossa.

Camera: Canon 30D mod, CLS Clipfilter
Optics: WO ZenithStar 66 APO
Mount: EQ-6 SynTrek
Guider: QHY5 & EF 50mm +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 8x300s ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

Cocoon Nebula

2011-09-05T20:58:00.005+03:00

IC5146 on night 04.09.2011

Camera: Canon 30D mod
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount: EQ-6 SynTrek
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 36x300s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

M27 Dumbbell revisit

2011-09-04T14:37:00.003+03:00

Camera: Canon 30D mod
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount: EQ-6 SynTrek
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 18x300s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

Robsy´s Milky Way

2011-09-01T23:05:00.007+03:00

Autumnal view of the Milky Way to southwest from door of my R-Observatory. My main astrophotographing equipment were shooting light of M27 when I took this picture.
Can you find comet Garradd from picture?

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: EF 17-40 f/4L @17mm
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Exposures: 240s
Processing: PS

Messier 101 with sn 2011fe

2011-09-01T17:25:00.006+03:00

Photographed on night 05.09.2011
(I replaced picture to better one)

Camera: Canon 30D mod
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount: EQ-6 SynTrek
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 19x300s, ISO80o
Processing: DSS & PS

C/2009 P1 Garradd & M71

2011-08-28T20:42:00.003+03:00

Camera: Canon 30D mod
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount: EQ-6 SynTrek
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 10x120s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

NGC 7000 North America

2011-04-28T22:48:00.009+03:00

The North American Nebula NGC7000 is an emission nebula in the Cygnus.
I photographed this on nights of 23.-25.4.2011. I wanted take "first light" of my Ir modded Canon 30D camera and test it by catch some photons of some red emission nubula. NGC7000 came first to my mind. This large nebula is covering area of almost four times of size of full moon and fit perfectly in field of view of my ZS66.
This picture could be end of this season...
Summer and too bright skies...

Camera: Canon 30D mod, CLS Clipfilter
Optics: WO ZenithStar 66 APO
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & EF 50mm +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 70x60s unfiltered, 60x120s w/ CLS, ISO400
Processing: DSS & PS

Whirpool M51 & NGC5195

2011-02-25T20:38:00.006+02:00

The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194) is an interacting spiral galaxy located at a distance of approximately 31 million light-years from the Milky Way Galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. (from Wikipedia)

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & EF 50mm +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 53x120s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T16:46:00.002+02:00

Merry Christmas and happy new year 2011

M45 The Pleiades

2010-12-12T17:05:00.009+02:00

Photographed at night of 11. and 12. december.
I modified my Omni XLT150 and replaced stock focuser to better Crayford type focuser. Now I´m able to use 2" equiment. This photo has been photographed with Baader MPCC coma corrector. Collimation is still little bit out of line and you can see that stars looks like waterdrop.

M45 is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. This open cluster detached with a strong concentration toward the center, has a large brightness range and is rich in stars (more than 100 stars). It is involded with dust that forms a faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars. (messier45.com)

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5 (MPCC)
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & EF 50mm +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 49x120s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

M31 Andromeda Galaxy

2010-11-29T13:43:00.010+02:00

The Great Andromeda Galaxy at 28.11.2010
After long period of cloudy skies I had two clear nights in a row.
My Omni 150 mirror telescope was under repair so I had to use
WO ZenithStar 66mm telesscope to caught photons of this galaxy.
Image is slightly cropped down. Corners are too ugly for your eyes.

This is a S-shaped non-barred spiral seyfert galaxy with DDO luminosity class I-II where bright supergiant well-formed spirals are type I and low surface brightness dwarfs with little or no spiral structure are of type V and types II, III and IV are intermediates of these. Its approximate mean surface brightness is 14.4.
(messier45.com)

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: WO ZenithStar 66 APO
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & EF 50mm +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 17x300s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

103P/Hartley

2010-10-22T21:05:00.004+03:00

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 APO +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 19x60s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

M11 Wild Duck Cluster

2010-09-29T20:47:00.003+03:00

This is an open cluster which is detached with a strong concentration toward the center, has a moderate brightness range and is rich in star. (messier45.com)

I photographed this beautiful open cluster on the same day as messier 57 which I shown earlier.
I had just forgotten to process this image. :/

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 APO +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 11x180s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS

Pacman Nebula NGC281

2010-09-18T19:03:00.006+03:00

Pacman Nebula NGC281

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 APO +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 48x180s, ISO1600
Processing: DSS & PS

CG-4 mount ST-4 -Autoguider port mod

2010-09-12T12:47:00.008+03:00

Olin jo ostamassa uutta jalustaa varustelukierteen kourissa (EQ6 tai vastaava), mutta onneksi löysin ohjeet kuinka modata CG-4 (EQ3-2) jalustaan ST-4 eli autoguider-portti.
Ohjeet: http://www.store.shoestringastronomy.com/eq_mod.pdf

Modaus on todella yksinkertainen toteuttaa. Tarvitaan vain juottaa johdot RJ11 liittimestä ohjainkapulan painonappien nastoihin
RJ11-liittimen löysin vanhasta tietokoneen modeemista ja lisäsin siihen kaksi pinniä reunoille (vain 5 tarvitaan). Liitin mahtui juuri sopivasti ohjainkapulan sivuun.

Toimiiko viritys?
Seuranta näyttäisi toimivan melko hyvin DEC (ja RA) akselin isosta backlash:stä huolimatta. Ainakin nyt 750mm polttovälillä tuntuu saavan melko hyvällä otannalla 2min valotuksia, varmaan pidempiäkin pitää vaan testailla lisää. Tallensin lokia QHY5 kameralla käyttäen PHDGuiding ohjelmaa ja 388mm polttovälin F/5.9 linssiputkea selvittääkseni jalustan jaksollisen virheen. En tiedä teinkö kaiken oikein, mutta seuraavat käppyrät sain PEAS -ohjelmalla ulos.

Jalusta guidaamattomana ilman järkkäriä kyydissä. QHY5 valotusaika 1,5s. Nauhoitusta noin 1000s ja kyllä tuosta on jonkinlaista jaksollisuutta havaittavissa.
Olisiko pk-pk virhe jotain 50kaarisekunnin luokkaa.

2min, ISO1600, 30D, Unguided.

Sama setup, eri tähti, guiderin valotusaika 2s-2,5s. Logista otettu pala 1000s-2000s kohdalta koska jossain 500s paikkeilla oli iso piikki, johtuisiko jalustan tönäisystä?

2min, ISO800, 30D, Guided w/ QHY5+PHDGuiding.

Selvästi parempi seurantatulos. Virhe pysyy jossain reilussa 2arcsec pk-pk.

Suosittelen ST-4 portin modausta niille jotka eivät välttämättä halua investoida uuteen jalustaan tai uusiin moottoreihin ja omistavat jo kyseisen kaksiakseli ohjainkapulan, guider kamerahan olisi joka tapauksessa hankittavan paremmankin jalustan kanssa.

DeepSky Season opened, M57

2010-09-12T12:33:00.006+03:00

I Opened this (2010-2011) season by photographing the M57 Ring Nebula in 8/9/2010. At night was an excellent opportunity to test CG-4 autoguider port´s operating. Weather was little bit foggy but it didn´t matter for testing. Picture is cropped down about 50%, because dimension of M57 is only about 1,4x1,0 arc min.

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Guider: QHY5 & WO ZS66 APO +PHDGuiding
Exposures: 16x120s, ISO1600
Processing: DSS & PS

New Scope William Optics ZS 66 APO

2010-08-23T22:23:00.006+03:00

William Optics Zenith Star 66 APO
I bought this second-hand telescope for some astrophotography and guiderscope purposes. Build quality of scope is excellent. I also like microfocuser because it´s smooth and precise.

Some specifications:
Aperature 66mm
Focal ratio F/5.9
Focal length 388mm
Tube length 300mm Fully Retracted, 360mm Fully Extended

Midnight NLC Timelapse

2010-08-05T00:17:00.013+03:00

Koostin 3.8.2010 kuvatuista valaisevista yöpilvi -kuvista timelapsevideon. Video koostuu n.340 erillisestä kuvasta ja
panorointi on suoritettu käsin valotusten välissä.
Maasta noussut kosteus huurrutti linssin ja kesteytin kuvaukset

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: EF 17-40 f/4L @17mm
Mount: Manfrotto 055
Exposures: 3,2s, ISO400, f/5.0-7.1
Interval: 13sec

Noctilucent Clouds

2010-08-03T23:26:00.005+03:00

After sunset 2.-3.8.2010 in the northern sky appeared bright NLC.
Noctilucent Clouds (NLC) are the highests clouds in the Earth´s atmosphere, located in the mesosphere at altitudes of around 76 to 85 kilometers. They are made of crystals of water ice.

Easter Auroras

2010-04-07T11:31:00.010+03:00

Solar wind hit Earth's magnetosphere on April 5th and sparked
the strong geomagnetic storm. (K index = 6-7)
Weather was cloudy as usual in Finland. Somehow there was about an hour gap in cloud coverage and I was able to enjoy best northern light show what I`ve ever seen before.

I tried to take some pictures, but camera´s front lens had been little bit frost.

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: EF 17-40 f/4L @17mm
Mount: Manfrotto 055
Exposures: 20s, 25s, 30s, ISO800

M64 Evil Eye Galaxy

2010-03-27T11:43:00.004+02:00

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Exposures: 10x50s, ISO1600
Processing: DSS & PS

M63 Sunflower Galaxy

2010-03-25T21:10:00.004+02:00

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Exposures: 22x60s, ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS (GradientXTerminator)

Leo Triplet

2010-03-24T21:18:00.008+02:00

Kuvasin 22.- ja 23.03.2010 yönä Leijonan tähdistön kirkkaita galakseja M65, M66 ja NGC3628. Taivaalla loistava puolikuu vaalensi taustataivaan ja vaikeutti kuvankäsittelyä.
Valotusta kertyi yhteensä 48min 40s. Flatit eivät toimineet kunnolla ja käytin GradientXTerminator työkalua taustan tasoittamiseksi.
Mukana myös Darkit, mutta ei Bias -kuvia.

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Exposures: 73x40s, ISO1600 and ISO800
Processing: DSS & PS (GradientXTerminator)

M1 Crab Nebula

2010-03-15T18:47:00.004+02:00

Rapusumu Härän tähdistössä aivan sarven kärjen vieressä. Kuvasin kohdetta 750mm polttovälisellä peiliputkella. kokoa kohteella on 6x4 kaariminuuttia, joten se näkyy varsin pienenä.
Kuvaa rajattu reilusti, eikä tarkennuskaan osunut kohdilleen. Käytin 40s osavalotuksia ja tähdet pysyivät lähes pyöreinä.

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Exposures: 32x40s, ISO1600
Processing: DSS & PS

Rosette Nebula NGC 2237

2010-03-15T18:25:00.012+02:00

Vihdoin pääsin valokuvaamaan taivasta noin kahden kuukauden pilvisten säiden jälkeen.
Sää oli hyvä ja taivas suhteellisen tumma, seeing kohtainen.
Ehdin kuvata kahta kohdetta ennen pilviä ja tässä niistä toinen.
Rosette emissiosumu Yksisarvisen tähdistössä, kokoa 80x60 kaariminuuttia. Kuvasin kohdetta 200mm teleobjektiivilla, mutta kuvaa on rajattu hieman jälkikäsittelyssä.

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: EF 70-200mm f/4L @f/4.5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Exposures: 16x120s, ISO1600
Processing: DSS & PS

R Observatory surrounded by snow

2010-02-02T18:49:00.006+02:00

Here it is. My low budget amateur roll off roof observation shelter. I build it using recycled materials in last summer. There is a fixed pillar in the middle of floor and top of it Celestron CG-4 mount. Telescope is Celestron Omni XLT 150 newton and I use it both visual and photographic purposes. I think Celestron Omni 150 is good choice for beginners like me. It isn´t too expensive but quite good quality.

M42 The Great Nebula of Orion

2010-01-31T20:20:00.015+02:00

Kuvasin Orionin sumua 10.1.2010 yönä 18min ennen kuin pilvet valuivat päälle. Sommittelin kuvaan myös Running man nebulan(NGC 1973, 1975, 1977) ja käänsin kuvan tutumpaan asentoon. Saa nähdä jatkuuko projekti vielä.

Camera: Canon 30D
Optics: Celestron Omni 150 f/5
Mount: CG-4 with Celestron motor drive
Exposures: 36x30s + few 10s exposures for a area of trapetzium
Processing: DSS & PS