Submissions: 2024 September

[Chris Peterson]

A comet, a meteor, a satellite, and the Milky Way

While I was out in the early evening (22 October) imaging the head of C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) with my telescope, I figured I'd point my phone camera in that direction and see what I'd get. More than I expected! A nice meteor centered in the Milky Way, what I presume to be a satellite crossing it, and, of course, the comet. Although a number of meteor showers are active right now, this doesn't seem to point back to any obvious known radiant, so it's likely a sporadic.

Details:
Pixel 9 Pro phone camera in astrophotography mode.
4-minute exposure.
_

[astrodarks]

Presenting the heart of the heart nebula, Melotte 15!

This region, 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia, showcases striking structures of ionized gas sculpted by intense radiation and stellar winds from young, massive stars.

Melotte 15 is a star cluster containing several massive, hot O-type stars, whose intense ultraviolet radiation ionizes the surrounding gas. The radiation pressure and stellar winds from these stars create complex structures, including towering pillars and dark dust lanes. These stars are also driving ongoing star formation within the region as their winds compress the surrounding molecular clouds, triggering new collapses.

The stunning colors are the result of narrowband filters, where sulfur (SII) emissions are mapped to red, hydrogen-alpha (Ha) to green, and oxygen (OIII) to blue. This palette highlights the chemical makeup of the nebula, giving us insight into the distribution of different elements within this star-forming region.

High res image on my astrobin https://www.astrobin.com/hcjw5e/ and flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/devesh_pa ... ool-apods/. My social media page https://www.instagram.com/astrodarks/

Heart of the Hart Nebula

Image taken with a Skywatcher Esprit 120ED and a ZWO 294mm Pro camera with Astrodon 5nm SHO filters for 29 hours.

Thanks,
Devesh Pande
AstroDarks

[Ann]

A comet, a meteor, a satellite, and the Milky Way

While I was out in the early evening (22 October) imaging the head of C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) with my telescope, I figured I'd point my phone camera in that direction and see what I'd get. More than I expected! A nice meteor centered in the Milky Way, what I presume to be a satellite crossing it, and, of course, the comet. Although a number of meteor showers are active right now, this doesn't seem to point back to any obvious known radiant, so it's likely a sporadic.

Details:
Pixel 9 Pro phone camera in astrophotography mode.
4-minute exposure.
_

Click to view full size image

Am I right, Chris?

Very nice image, by the way!

Ann

[ShotsByStefan]

LDN 1251 | The Rotten Fish Nebula
Astrobin Higher Resolution: https://www.astrobin.com/f8fusk/
Copyright: Stefan Pommerin

Hello everyone, excited to be and post here!
Here for your consideration is the beautifully mysterious LDN 1251 dark nebula with a 22hrs of total exposure time.
My first proper attempt at a LDN object since I've started astro photography about 7 months ago.

Details:
Location: Pirkanmaa, Finland
Bortle: 4-5
Dates: Sept. 30, 2024, Oct. 3, 2024, Oct. 16, 2024

Equipment:
TS-Optics PHOTON 150mm/6" f/5 Newtonian
ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
ZWO ASIAIR Mini · ZWO EAF · ZWO EFW 5 x 2"
ZWO 30mm Mini Guider Scope
ZWO ASI224MC

Click to view full size image

Thanks and clear skies everyone!
-Stefan

[patrice_so]

Greetings,

Please find the following image of NGC 7293 for your consideration as an APOD submission.

241023 NGC 7293 Helix Nebula Overall Photons collaboration P_Soom edit v1 red logos by Patrice, sur Flickr

This image is the outcome of a collaboration totaling 342.5 hours of data from astrophotography amateurs Paul Montague, Carlos Uriarte Castillo, Darius Kopriva, Drew Evans, Bruno Rota Sargi, Blake Behrends, Manuel Alejandro Chavarría Silva, Phillip Hoppes, Javier Caldera, Jan Beranek, Roberto Volpini, Pier Mattia Basciano, Andrea Iorio & Fernando Linsalata, Elisa Cuccu, Marco Finatti, Jeff Ratino, Vakhtang Khutsishvili and me Patrice Soom. The collaboration was led by Andrea Iori under the label Overall Photons, aiming at bringing data together. Processing is however done individually.

Imaging locations are multiple, mainly from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, US, Brazil and Russia.
The equipment and subframes details are quite long and fairly irrelevant for such a collaboration.

Imaging scopes : ASA N12 / 12N · Askar 103APO · Askar 80PHQ · Celestron EdgeHD 8" · Celestron EdgeHD 9.25" · GSO 6" f/9 Ritchey-Chretien × · Sharpstar SCA260 · Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED × · Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED × · Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED × · Sky-Watcher Explorer 250PDS × · Stellarvue SVX102T · Takahashi TOA-130NS · Tecnosky RC8 Carbon · TS-Optics 250mm/10" UNC f/4 Newtonian (carbon tube) × · TS-Optics PHOTON 200mm/8" f/4 Newtonian × · Vixen ED103S / ED103SWT

Cameras : Player One Artemis-C Pro · QHYCCD QHY268 M · ToupTek ATR3 CMOS 26000 KPA · ZWO ASI2600MM Pro · ZWO ASI294MC Pro · ZWO ASI533MC Pro · ZWO ASI533MM Pro · ZWO ASI6200MM

Softwares ProAdobe Photoshop · Distinct Solutions Ltd Astro Photography Tool (APT) · Nikita Misiura StarNet · Open PHD Guiding Project PHD2 · Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight · Siril Team Siril · Steffen Hirtle GraXpert - GIMP

I confirm that I own all necessary rights to comply with APOD rules. I can remove the logos if this is wished.
Copyrights : Patrice Soom
Astrobin : https://www.astrobin.com/vmampx/0/

Please let me know if any additional information is required.

Kind regards

Patrice Soom

[prashant_naik]

Tale of the comet!


The saga continues. After watching the comet’s closest approach to Earth On Oct 12th, I couldn’t resist visiting this celestial traveller again, just a few days after at the Cherohala Skyway in Tennessee. The skies, finally clear after weeks of relentless storms sweeping across the eastern United States, felt like a gift. With each passing day, the comet grows fainter, destined to vanish—perhaps not to return for another 80,000 years. I knew I had to see it again. This time, the encounter was nothing short of magical, as the comet graced the sky just as the Milky Way began to rise. I stayed through the night, capturing frame after frame of the unimaginable, until the moon took its place on the horizon.

This image is a composite of 30 frames, each captured with a 15-second exposure at f/2.8 and ISO 6400.

Location: Cherohala Skyway National Scenic Byway, Tennessee
Date: 20-Oct-2024; Time: 8:45 PM EST
Copyright: Prashant Naik
Web: https://naikonpixels.com/

[SteveJ]

Goodbye Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
The below composite image captures the daily movement of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over a 5-day period as it moves away from both the Earth and the Sun. The images were taken with the same panoramic camera at the same time (10 UT) each day and from the same site at Mount Buller, Victoria, Australia.
The image shows the comet decreasing in brightness and its tail decreasing in length from 19 to 23 October 2024. Perihelion occurred on 27 September and the comet was recovered in the evening sky on 10 October. The next day became visible with the naked eye. It made its closest approach to Earth on 12 October at a distance of 71 million km.
The images are from the Pendergast Hut camera owned by the Mt Buller Alpine Resort (https://www.mtbuller.com.au/winter/weat ... st-hut-cam)
Image processing by Steve Johnston.

[zombi]

The DUSTY Veil


The DUSTY Veil by .zombi., on Flickr

Imaging telescopes: FSQ-106EDXIII
Imaging cameras: G3-16200EC

Accessories: Reducer-QE 0.73X
Mounts: Sky-Watcher NEQ6-Pro
Software: N.I.N.A. · PixInsight · Adobe Photoshop

Frames:
OIII: 30×900″ (7h 30′)
Ha: 29×900″ (7h 15′)
B: 10×300″ (50′)
G: 10×300″ (50′)
R: 10×300″ (50′)

Photographic technique: HaO3RGB

Integration: 17h 15′
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 4.50

Location: Masłomiąca
Dates: 08.2024 - 08.2024

Image Credit & Copyright: Przemysław Ząbczyk

Links:
http://www.astrobin.com/users/zombi
https://www.astropolis.pl/tags/zombi

[astrohokie]

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas and Venus

C_2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas and Venus
.
.
Equipment/Capture Details:
Nikon Z8
iOptron Skyguider Pro
Exposure = 10 * 30sec
Interval = 10 sec
Aperture = f/10
ISO = 1000
Focal Length = 35mm
.
.
Foreground:
Exposure = 1* 15sec
Aperture = f/10
ISO = 32
Focal Length = 35mm

@mark_hoffman_photography

[sydney]

A Dusty Ghost in Cepheus
(Sh2-136, VdB 141) reflection nebula located in the constellation Cepheus.

LRGB
Nick Pavelchak
https://www.astrobin.com/s6pqjj/

[sydney]

The Wizard in Cepheus
(along with Bat at top center and a Ghoul emerging from right center)

Surrounding the open cluster NGC 7380 discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1787.

HOO image
https://www.astrobin.com/312279/
Nick Pavelchak

[sydney]

NGC 7635 and NCC7538

NGC 7635 (left) and NGC 7538 (right) are star-forming nebulae that straddle the Cassiopeia - Cepheus border. NGC 7635 is commonly known as the Bubble Nebula. The bubble is formed from hot stellar winds from a star that is 45 times more massive than our Sun. Outflow from the star pushes cold interstellar material away at a velocity exceeding 4 million miles per hour to form the perimeter of the bubble. The bubble is about 7 light-years in size and 7000 light-years away from Earth.

NGC 7538 is an emission and reflection nebula that is home to the largest known protostar. The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory "identified 13 massive, dense clumps where colossal stars could form in the future" according to Cassandra Fallscheer, lead author of a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal, as well as a strange ring of stellar seeds which may be the edge of a bubble carved by previous stellar explosions. NGC 7538 is about 9000 light-years away from Earth.

This image is an Ha/OIII/RGB taken with a Takahashi FSQ106ED. Data from a C14 Edge were used to supplement detail in the cores of the nebulae.

https://www.astrobin.com/axckz2/
Nick Pavelchak

[pineta1984]

While capturing the distant beauty of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the Swiss countryside of Matzingen (Thurgau), an unexpected meteor streaked across the sky, leaving a brilliant slipstream close to the comet's glow. A perfect cosmic coincidence in a single frame! Canon EOS R5 with Sigma Art 20 mm lens.

Cometa over Matzingen by Astro Divers, su Flickr

[Tom Williams]

Here's a capture of an ISS-Lunar flyby this morning, with the station's panels back-lit by the Sun. Composite image using ~1s of data stacked per object (with the ISS tracked during the event), and aligned using the guide scope view.
16" Dob, Uranus-C at 6300mm f/15.6. 06:46:16.5 UTC. https://www.astrobin.com/full/xr43no/0/

- Tom Williams. Wiltshire, UK.

[tinmar_g]

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) meets Mont Saint-Michel



C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) meets Mont Saint Michel by Martin Giraud


I took this shot two days ago. The weather in France had been poor for weeks, so when I saw a clear sky, I didn't hesitate. I rushed from Paris to Mont Saint Michel to finally capture the comet before it lost its brightness.

To capture the scene in detail, I used focus stacking for the foreground, blending two shots to keep all parts of the landscape in focus. For the comet, I took multiple exposures with an equatorial mount before it reached the horizon, and then I captured the landscape shot.

The sky quality there wasn't ideal, but the setting made it worth it. To plan this picture I used the application Plannit Pro.

Equipment: Canon 6D, Samyang 135mm, Star Adventurer Mini equatorial mount

Settings:
Comet/sky: ISO 3200, f/2.8, 24 x 10 seconds
Foreground: Focus stacking of two shots, ISO 2500, f/2.8, 30 seconds

Location : Mont Saint-Michel, France
Date : 23/10/2024

Social / website : https://www.instagram.com/tinmar_g/

[Richardwhitehead]

Comet Tsuchinshan close up
taken from the New Mexico Desert two days ago.
showing some nice details, star field and anti tail

[astrohokie]

Star Trail timelapse

Mark Hoffman
@mark_hoffman_photography

Star trail timelapse by mark h, on Flickr

Equipment/Capture Details:
Nikon Z8
Tamron 17-35mm
Exposure = 350 * 25sec
Interval = 1 sec
Aperture = f/10
ISO = 1600
Focal Length = 35mm

Processed in StarStax and Photoshop
@mark_hoffman_photography

[lmanzanero]

Comet C/2023 A3 ( Tsuchinshan-ATLAS ) and the Milky Way after sundown on Oct 26th, 2024 from Icamole, state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico.

Camera Canon T7i with Rokinon 24mm lens. 41 frames of 6s stacked with DeepSkystacker and Photoshop. Higher res available on https://www.facebook.com/ljmanzaneroAst ... mYZNYpimVl

[Guest]

Dear APOD Team,
My name is Simone Curzi, and I am a passionate astrophotographer with a deep love for capturing and observing the night sky. I am thrilled to submit my recent image, "The Witch’s Gaze," for consideration as an Astronomy Picture of the Day. This image showcases the iconic Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) gazing intently towards the bright star Rigel. Given its ghostly appearance, the timing of this submission feels especially fitting as we approach Halloween.
This photograph is the result of over 44 hours of integration and processing time. You can view the high-resolution image here: https://flic.kr/p/2py5ZpZ.
Technical Details:
Instrument: William Optics RedCat 51 II
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6
Filters:
Antlia EDGE H-alpha 4.5nm 2"
Antlia Luminance 2"
Antlia V-Pro (Blue, Green, Red) 2"
Processing Software: PixInsight
Acquisition Details:

Total Integration Time: 44 hours and 10 minutes
Antlia EDGE H-alpha 4.5nm 2": 140×600″ (23h 20′)
Antlia Luminance 2": 130×300″ (10h 50′)
Antlia V-Pro Blue 2": 40×300″ (3h 20′)
Antlia V-Pro Green 2": 40×300″ (3h 20′)
Antlia V-Pro Red 2": 40×300″ (3h 20′)
Average Moon Age: 17.46 days
Average Moon Phase: 45.07%
Location: Acquaviva Picena, Italy Bortle 5
I hope that this capture, highlighting the ethereal beauty of the Witch Head Nebula against the brilliance of Rigel, would bring an enchanting, Halloween-appropriate addition to your incredible collection. Thank you for the inspiring work you do to bring astronomy and the wonders of the universe closer to the public. I’m happy to provide any additional information if needed.
Best regards,
Simone Curzi
https://www.instagram.com/simone_curzi_skylover/

[astrosama]

Comet C/2023 A3 Graces the Step Pyramid of Djoser

Bridging Millennia: Comet and Pyramid Unite Under the Night Sky


This is a breathtaking image capturing the celestial dance between the ancient and the ephemeral. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), a visitor from the depths of our solar system, streaks across the sky, its luminous tail a ghostly echo of its journey through space. Below, the Step Pyramid of Djoser stands stoic and eternal, a testament to human ingenuity and a monument to Egypt's rich history.

Comet C/2023 A3 Graces the Step Pyramid of Djoser by osama Fathi, on Flickr

Date :Oct 15
Time : 7 PM

Gear:
Nikon Z6 Astro Modified
Samyang 135


Exif:
Stacked (300 photos) :2sec, ISO 400, f2.8
Forground :1,2,3, Sec HDR

Softwares :
Sequator, pixinsight, photoshop


Credit :
Osama Fathi / https://www.instagram.com/osama.fathi.nswatcher85/
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/osama.fathi.nswatcher85/
https://www.facebook.com/NSWatcher/



Cairo Egypt

[astrosama]

Comet Atlas Tsuchinshan graces the sky of Egypt's Black Desert!


Don't miss the chance to witness Comet Atlas Tsuchinshan shimmering this week. The comet is clearly visible these days, alongside Venus (below the middle of the image) and a part of the Milky Way arm, offering a breathtaking celestial show!

While we were taking this picture and the moon was just rising, we could see it with the naked eye, and it was incredibly fascinating.

However, this week is your last chance to capture it properly, as its brightness will begin to fade significantly next week.
Comet Atlas Tsuchinshan graces the sky of Egypt's Black Desert! by osama Fathi, on Flickr

Gears:
NikonZ6 Mod
Nkkor 14-24 mm

Exif:
Comet (stacked): 5 photos ( 60 sec, ISO 200 , f2.8 )
Foreground: 1, 2, 5 sec, Hdr

Credit :
Osama Fathi / https://www.instagram.com/osama.fathi.nswatcher85/
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/osama.fathi.nswatcher85/
https://www.facebook.com/NSWatcher/



Black desert, Egypt




Osama Fathi

[astrosama]

Comet ATLAS-TSUCHINSHAN from the Mount Sinai

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) chasing Siani Mountains

Mount Sinai is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

It is a 2,285-meter (7,497-foot) moderately high mountain near the city of Saint Catherine in the region known today as the Sinai Peninsula.

Comet ATLAS-TSUCHINSHAN from the Mount Sinai by osama Fathi, on Flickr

Date: Sep 28
Time: 5:30 AM Local Time


GGears:
NikonZ6 Mod
samyang 135 mm

Exif:
Comet (stacked): 60 photos ( 5 sec, ISO 640, f2.8 )
Foreground: 5sec , Hdr

Credit :
Osama Fathi / https://www.instagram.com/osama.fathi.nswatcher85/
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/osama.fathi.nswatcher85/
https://www.facebook.com/NSWatcher/


Saint Catherine
Egypt

[astrosirius]

NGC 7023 The Iris Nebula

https://www.flickr.com/photos/astrotolva/

The Iris Nebula (also known as NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4) is a bright reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus. The designation NGC 7023 refers to the open cluster within the larger reflection nebula designated LBN 487.

The nebula, which shines at magnitude +6.8, is illuminated by a magnitude +7.4 star designated HD 200775.

The dust can also be seen on the outer portions of the nebula, where it has a faint brownish color and blocks out stars behind it.

Copyright: Lluís Romero Ventura

Click to view full size image

[AMEERAA1]

Good Day,
Kindly find below my image and supporting information for your kind consideration of a NASA APOD.

Suggested Title: Cosmic Terminator - Optical and X-ray Composite of the Rosette Nebula

Sources:
Optical Data: Amaar Amir (instagram: @_amaar_amir)
X-ray: Chandra

Seasonal Relevance:
This image evokes a spooky allure due to its resemblance of a skull with red eyes and is thus relevant to the Halloween season.

Explanation:
This composite image of the Rosette star formation region, about 5,000 light-years from Earth, combines X-ray data from the Chandra Observatory, shown in red, with optical data captured by an amateur astronomer using a hydrogen alpha narrowband filter, shown in black and white. The overall composition, with the red X-ray data resembling glowing eyes and the optical data mimicking the contours of a skull, creates a striking visual that evokes the formidable presence of a robotic entity from science fiction, merging art and science in a captivating way. The optical data highlights areas of gas and dust, including giant pillars formed by radiation from massive stars, while the X-ray data reveals hundreds of young stars clustered in the center, with fainter clusters on the periphery. A recent Chandra study of the NGC 2237 cluster has discovered a greater number of young stars, taking the previous count of 36 to around 160. The presence of X-ray emitting stars and an outflow suggests that star formation is actively occurring.



Details Regarding Data Acquisition:
Date: 18/10/2024
Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (backyard)
Sky Conditions: Bortle class 9
Total integration: 10 hours
Lights:120 x 300 sec frames
Calibration Frames: (Darks/Flats/Bias) 30 frames each
Camera: ZWO ASI533 mm pro monochrome camera
Telescope: Explore Scientific ED80 CF APO Refractor
Filter: Hydrogen alpha narrowband filter 3nm
Mount: Ioptron GEM 28
Focuser: Zwo EAF
Guide Setup: Zwo asi 30mm guide scope and zwo asi120mms camera
Computer: Zwo ASIAIR plus
Software: Astro Pixel Processor (image stacking) / Pixinsight (post processing) / Photoshop (blending optical and X-ray data)

Kindest Regards,
Amaar Amir

Cosmic Terminator - Optical and X-ray Composite of the Rosette Nebula by Amaar Amir, on Flickr

[barretosmed]

NGC 2297 - Spiral Galaxy in Pictor

NGC 2297 is a Spiral Galaxy in the Pictor constellation. NGC 2297 is situated south of the celestial equator and, as such, it is more easily visible from the southern hemisphere.

BEST DETAILS
https://www.astrobin.com/full/e04ly4/0/


EQUIPMENT:
Esprit 150mm triplet
Zwo asi 6200mc
Mount CEM120
Frames 110 x 300" ( 9 hours)


LOCATION: Munhoz - MG - Brazil
DATES: From 06/17/2023 to 06/21/2023


PROCESSING AND CAPTURE:
Adobe Photoshop, ASTAP, SGP, PHD2 and PixInsight

Author: Fernando Oliveira de Menezes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menezes_fo?ig ... _source=qr

Email: Barretosmed@hotmail.com
(Organizing author of the book Amateur Astrophotography in Brazil)
https://clubedeautores.com.br/livro/ast ... -no-brasil

Click to view full size image