Starship Asterisk*

Moon and Venus rise into the morning sky on the morning of February 7th, 2024. Single shot with a 135mm lens showing Venus and the Moon appearing close to each other in the night sky. Captured from a beach along the Forgotten Coast in Florida near Panacea, Florida.

EXIF: Samyang 135mm f/2.0 lens @ f/2.8, ISO3200, and 20s.

Copyright/Credit: Wright Dobbs (@wrightdobbs)

https://twitter.com/WrightDobbs
https://www.facebook.com/wrightdobbsphotography
https://instagram.com/wrightdobbs
https://wrightdobbs.darkroom.com

Headphone Nebula
A cute informal name. More formally, PK 164+31.1 or Jones-Emberson 1. This is a faint planetary nebula in Lynx. The parent star is apparent at the center as a hot, blue white dwarf.

Details:
QSI 660 camera on 250mm RC, Astronomic HORGB filters
2 hours H-alpha, 2 hours [O III] (mapped as HOO), 20 minutes each red, green, and blue for the stars.
Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop
Final image resolution 0.71 arcsec/pixel, 21 arcminute wide field
_

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 8:23 pm Headphone Nebula
A cute informal name. More formally, PK 164+31.1 or Jones-Emberson 1. This is a faint planetary nebula in Lynx. The parent star is apparent at the center as a hot, blue white dwarf.

Details:
QSI 660 camera on 250mm RC, Astronomic HORGB filters
2 hours H-alpha, 2 hours [O III] (mapped as HOO), 20 minutes each red, green, and blue for the stars.
Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop
Final image resolution 0.71 arcsec/pixel, 21 arcminute wide field
_

Click to view full size image

Thanks, Chris! That's indeed a fine picture. I admire your rendition of OIII emission in the cleared-out interestingly shaped hole around the white dwarf. The way I understand it, OIII really looks more or less exactly like that. I also like the bright "gentle protrusions" into the hollowed-out center. The whitish color could be caused by a mixture of different emissions from different ionized elements.

And of course I love the very blue color of the very hot central white dwarf!

Ann

This shows the southern sky over the Patagonian steppe, including both Magellan Clouds. By chance, a strong green airglow was present that day, with the characteristic stripes of gravity waves in the mesosphere. The picture was taken from a very small village 30 km east from Bariloche, which urban glow can also be seen. It is a single shot of 15 s, with a Canon T7i and Tokina 14-20 at 14 mm f/2, on a tripod.
Cheers,
Guillermo Abramson

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2024 5:07 am

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 8:23 pm Headphone Nebula
A cute informal name. More formally, PK 164+31.1 or Jones-Emberson 1. This is a faint planetary nebula in Lynx. The parent star is apparent at the center as a hot, blue white dwarf.

Thanks, Chris! That's indeed a fine picture. I admire your rendition of OIII emission in the cleared-out interestingly shaped hole around the white dwarf. The way I understand it, OIII really looks more or less exactly like that. I also like the bright "gentle protrusions" into the hollowed-out center. The whitish color could be caused by a mixture of different emissions from different ionized elements.

And of course I love the very blue color of the very hot central white dwarf!

Really? You love a blue star? I never would have guessed!

The object itself has an interesting and unusual discovery history, too. See for instance https://www.astronomy.com/science/jones-emberson-1/

Its existence had escaped my notice until recently, when somebody I know imaged it. It doesn't seem to get a lot of attention from imagers, based on what I can see searching for other images.

The Boogeyman Nebula

Telescope: Skywatcher Esprit 100 f/5.5
Zwo ASI2600MM Pro
Exposure: 80 x 4min L, 15 x 2min RGB, 130 x 5min Ha
Mount: iOptron Cem70
Guiding: ASI290mini, 60mm scope
Filter: Optolong RGB
Software: APT, DSS, Pixinsight
Sky: Bortle 6

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2024 5:07 am

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 8:23 pm Headphone Nebula
A cute informal name. More formally, PK 164+31.1 or Jones-Emberson 1. This is a faint planetary nebula in Lynx. The parent star is apparent at the center as a hot, blue white dwarf.

Details:
QSI 660 camera on 250mm RC, Astronomic HORGB filters
2 hours H-alpha, 2 hours [O III] (mapped as HOO), 20 minutes each red, green, and blue for the stars.
Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop
Final image resolution 0.71 arcsec/pixel, 21 arcminute wide field
_

Click to view full size image

Thanks, Chris! That's indeed a fine picture. I admire your rendition of OIII emission in the cleared-out interestingly shaped hole around the white dwarf. The way I understand it, OIII really looks more or less exactly like that. I also like the bright "gentle protrusions" into the hollowed-out center. The whitish color could be caused by a mixture of different emissions from different ionized elements.

And of course I love the very blue color of the very hot central white dwarf!

Ann

This is one of my favourite central stars of a planetary nebula.

2024 Rigel and the Witch (IC 2118)
Author: Fermin Jiménez Najar
Best quality in the link
https://astro.najar.ca/en/gallery/deep- ... -2118.html


This image was taken in 5 nights from Poncitlán, Jalisco, Mexico, near the Chapala's Lake Riviera.
https://www.google.com.mx/maps/place/Ce ... BJ6BAhNEAg

From February 5th to 9th, 2024
6.25 hours integration, in a span of 5 nights.

Technical Data
Gain: 0 Offset: 50 Temp. Sensor: -10 C
Exposure: 75 shots x 5 min (6.25 hrs)
Aperture: f/2.0
Camera: ZWO ASI 2600 MC PRO
Lens: Samyang 135 mm
Mount: Celestron AVX
January 5th- 9th, 2024.
Pocitlán, Jalisco, Mexico
https://astro.najar.ca/images/astrofoto ... 6_apod.jpg

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
This comet's coma is growing and its complex ion tail is becoming more prominent. The window for imaging is narrowing as it drops closer to the Sun in the western sky after sunset.
Details:
QSI 660 camera on 250mm RC, Astronomic RGB filters
20 minutes each red, green, and blue.
Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop
Final image resolution 0.93 arcsec/pixel, 19 arcminute wide field
_

Antares Rise Again

Antares Rise Again by Ahmed Waddah, on Flickr

I captured Antares rising in the early hours last month and decided then to go with a natural looking edit but this month I decided to go deeper into Antares with Rho Ophiuchi cloud as it rises by the desert Rock. Image is a blended composite of sky and foreground which were taken same night same position with foreground taken during blue hour and the sky later that night about 2 hours before sunrise.

Sky:
Nikon Z6II - Rokinon 135mm f/2.0 - iOptron SkyGuider Pro
45x 120" - ISO 1250
Foreground:
Nikon Z6II - Sigma Art 40mm f/1.4
1 x 0.625 s - f/8 - ISO100

Date: 7 Febuary, 2024
Location: Al Fayoum Desert, Egypt

Software: Adobe Photoshop · Aries Productions Astro Pixel Processor (APP) · Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight

Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/60woz9/

Social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waddah.photography
Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/users/WolfHeart/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/waddahphotography/

IC405, IC410 and IC417 - Flaming Star Nebula, Tadpole Nebula and Spider Nebula

Wide-field image of a number of emission nebulae in the Auriga constellation.

After months of cloudy nights in the Greater Toronto Area, we finally had a string of clear nights the beginning of February 2024. I took full advantage of these clear nights imaging multiple targets as they became visible from behind obstructions in my backyard. IC405, IC410 and IC417 were my "end of night" targets on two of the nights,

I processed this image in three different palettes (HaOO, Foraxx and SHO)

Imaged February 5-6, 2024 from my backyard in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada

HA: 40x300 seconds
Sii: 35x300 seconds
Oiii: 28x300 seconds

iOptron HEM15
Rokinon 135mm f2
ZWO ASI533MM
Antlia 3nm SHO narrowband filters
ZWO ASIAIR Plus
ZWO EAF

Processed in Pixinsight

Foraxx:
Tadpole - Flaming Star - Spider - Foraxx by jstrickland328, on Flickr

HaOO:
Tadpole - Flaming Star - Spider - HOO by jstrickland328, on Flickr

SHO:
Tadpole - Flaming Star - Spider - SHO by jstrickland328, on Flickr

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jps_astro/

Solar corona during April 20th 2023 total solar eclipse

In less than 8 weeks people from Mexico, United Stated and Canada will experience a life changing total solar eclipse.
This is an HDR image of the last total solar eclipse I have seen from Exmouth, Western Australia.
Copyright: Alessandro De Benedictis
IG: @alessandrodebenedictisfoto
https://www.instagram.com/alessandrodebenedictisfoto/

Technical data:
Exposure: 14 Shots between 1/4000 and 2"
Aperture: F9.0
Focal length: 840mm
Camera: Nikon D780
Lens: Sigma 150-600mm DG OS HSM C with Sigma 1.4x TC
Mount: Sky Watcher Star Adventurer
Location: Welch Street Campsite - Exmouth, Western Australia
April 20th 2023.

NGC 3576 The Statue of Liberty nebula
URL : https://www.facebook.com/sungcs/
IG : @sungcs
Telescope : Planewave CDK24, Camera : Moravian Instruments C3-61000 Pro, Tracking : Planewave L-600
Location : Chile
Image captured : Martin Pugh
Image processing : Rocco Sung
Image processing software : Pixinsight, Photoshop

Total 12 hours SHO data

Copyright: Rocco Sung

Cepheus
URL : https://www.facebook.com/sungcs/
IG : @sungcs
Copyright: Rocco Sung

Object : Cepheus region
Data : Total 14+ hours LRGB with 2 panel mosaic

DreamAstro 16, FLI 16803, Paramount
Image acquisition : Insight Observatory
Image processing : Rocco Sung
Image processing software : Pixinsight, Photoshop

Church under Crux
https://www.instagram.com/max.nti/
Copyright: Max Inwood

Exif: 135mm 30s f/2.0 ISO 6400 (panorama)

This image was taken at the iconic church at Lake Tekapo New Zealand, a hotspot for astrophotography in the area. This also meant there were lots of other people shooting at the same time, many with flashlights etc shining all over the foreground, which made things more difficult. Luckily the Crux/Carina region of the Milky Way didn't align with the church until later in the night, when most people had finished up and the Church was left alone under the stars.

Higher resolution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/199702830 ... ool-apods/

Crab Nebula (M1)
February 7, 2024
Ellicott City, MD
Imaging Telescope: Celestron EdgeHD 9.25"
Imaging Camera: ASI2600MC Pro
Mount: SkyWatcher iOptron CEM70
Guiding Telescope: ZWO Mini Guider Scope
Guiding Camera: ASI290mm Mini
Filters: L Ultimate
Controller/Capture: N.I.N.A
Processed in DSS, PixInsight, Photoshop CC, FORAXX
Frames/Subs
Lights 55 x 300 sec per filter
Darks 20 x 300 sec
Flats 60 per filter
Bias 60 x .001 sec
Total lights intergration time: 4.5 hours

Horsehead Nebula (IC 434)
February 4-7, 2024
Ellicott City, MD
Imaging Telescope: Celestron EdgeHD 9.25"
Imaging Camera: ASI2600MC Pro
Mount: SkyWatcher iOptron CEM70
Guiding Telescope: ZWO Mini Guider Scope
Guiding Camera: ASI290mm Mini
Filters: L Ultimate
Controller/Capture: N.I.N.A
Processed in DSS, PixInsight, Photoshop CC, FORAXX
Frames/Subs
Lights 83 x 300 sec per filter
Darks 24 x 300 sec
Flats 60 per filter
Bias 60 x .001 sec
Total lights intergration time: 6 hours 55 minutes

NGC2264 Cone Nebula and Christmas tree


More info in my website: https://www.cielosboreales.com/astrofot ... ono-arbol/

TELESCOPE: Esprit ED100
MOUNT: SW AZEQ6 PRO
CAMERA: ASI1600MM
ACCESSORIES: Starlight Xpress Filterwheel + Baader Ha,[OIII], LRGB filters
AUTOGUIDE: QHY5+SW Evoguide50+PhdGuiding2
EXP: 30×300″ Ha BIN1x1 + 30×300″[OIII] BIN1x1 + 16×300″L + 16×150″(BIN2)RGB
PLACE AND DATE: 21 january 2023 (stars) & 3 february 2024 (nebula), Toledo (Spain)

Roberto Ferrero
www.cielosboreales.com

https://www.flickr.com/photos/197697877 ... ool-apods/

The Witch's Head Nebula and Rigel proved to be a real challenge in my astrophotography journey.
The many hours of integration were collected in the months of November, December and January under the sky (bortle 4/5) of my small home observatory on the Adriatic coast.
The biggest obstacle turned out to be Rigel which, placed in the corner of my shooting frame, created some reflections due to my cheap filters, especially on L,G and B.

Clear skies to all
Simone

https://apod.astronomia.com/wp-content/ ... VSapod.jpg

Acquaviva Picena, Italy bortle 5

full resolution at: https://www.astrobin.com/wc41v8/

on flickr at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/197697877 ... 527999667/

Aapod2 14/02/24 https://www.aapod2.com/blog/witchhead-ic2118-and-rigel

asiweek winner 15/02/24

APOD astronomia.com 16/02/24 https://apod.astronomia.com/2024/02/16/ ... a-e-rigel/

Dates:
17 - 19 Nov 2023
1 - 2 Dec 2023
2 - 7 Jan 2024
Frames:
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′)
Integration:
44h 10′
Imaging Telescopes Or Lenses
William Optics RedCat 51 II
Imaging Cameras
ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
Mounts
Sky-Watcher EQ6
Filters
Antlia EDGE H-alpha 4.5nm 2" · Antlia Luminance 2" · Antlia V-Pro Blue 2" · Antlia V-Pro Green 2" · Antlia V-Pro Red 2"
Software
Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight

Dolphin_2024 by Chad Pletnick

The Dolphin Nebula
Sh2-308

This was captured in my backyard in Oro Valley, AZ (Bottle 5) over 7 days in January. It was rendered in a dynamic narrowband palette.

Mount: iOptron CEM 70 NUC
Scope: Explore Scientific ED 127 FCD 100
Guidescope: Astromania 60mm
Camera: ZWO ASI 2600 MM Pro
Reducer/Flattener: Starizona 0.65x (f4, 619 mm fl)
Guide camera: ZWO ASI 120 MM mini
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Filters: Antlia 3nm Ha, SII, OIII
Exposure: -10c, gain 100 bin 1

Ha: 120 x 300s
OIII: 135 x 300s
SII: 120 x 300s


31:15 hours total

Processed in Pixinsight, captured with NINA, guiding with PHD 2.

In orbit around the moon
Copyright: Rafael Schmall
https://www.astrobin.com/users/Rafeee/


It was excellent seeing when taking photos. The balance was so perfect that we haven't experienced it in years. The stars did not squint, the image of the moon did not tremble. It was easy to break the tighter doubles, etc.

My first thought about the finished photo was as if the crew had entered orbit around the Moon and the two craters on the lower part were getting lower and lower.

Image Details:
Equipment: ASI290MM, MeadeLX850, Fornax150/200
Exif data: exp: 10,0ms, gain:50, 20000frame 1%
Processing: Firecapture, PIPP, Autostakkert3

Location: Hungary, Zselic Starry Sky Park, Zselic Park of Stars

Messier 82- A Starburst Galaxy
Some galaxies are especially good at generating bright new stars and have so much galactic dust and gas that they create stars at a furious rate. M82 is also called the “Cigar Galaxy” due the red glow of Hydrogen “smoke” emanating from its galactic core.

A close encounter with its galactic neighbour M81 may have pushed all the gas towards the centre of the galaxy, reaching densities sufficient to create massive new stars. When these massive stars collapse or go supernova, the gas is again compressed by shock waves and the star creation cycle continues.

My image was shot from the Ottawa backyard using long exposures captured over 10 hours during a single long Canadian winter night. I compared it to a Hubble image and was quite impressed with how well my land based, amateur equipment fared.

EXIF: Celestron 11” SCT with a 0.7x reducer, focal length of 1960mm
Camera: ASI2600MM ( APC-C sized sensor)
Antlia LRGB filters, Astronomik HA filter
1 hours for R G B
2 Hours HA
6 LUM
300s exposures Gain 100 -10 sensor
Guided with and OAG and the 174mm mini guide camera
M82 A Starburst Galaxy by Andrea Girones, on Flickr

The shells around Centaurus A and the dusty environment


The shells around Centaurus A and the dusty environment by .zombi., on Flickr


Imaging telescopes: Takahashi FSQ-106EDXIII
Imaging cameras: Moravian G3-16200EC
Accessories: Reducer-QE 0.73X
Mounts: ZWO AM5
Software: N.I.N.A. · PixInsight · Adobe Photoshop

Frames:
Baader UV/IR Cut / Luminance 50 mm: 16×180″(48′)
Baader Blue (B-CCD) 50 mm: 7×60″(7′)
Baader Green (G-CCD) 50 mm: 7×60″(7′)
Baader Red (R-CCD) 50 mm: 7×60″(7′)


Photographic technique: LRGB

Integration: 1h 9′
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 1

Location: RPA - Blesfontein Guest Farm
Dates: April 21, 2023

Description:
Picture taken in April during an astrophotography safari in South Africa.

Image Credit & Copyright: Przemysław Ząbczyk

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

Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264)
February 7, 2024
Ellicott City, MD
Imaging Telescope: REDCAT 71
Imaging Camera: ASI1600mm Pro
Mount: SkyWatcher EQ6-R Pro
Guiding Telescope: ZWO Mini Guider Scope
Guiding Camera: ASI290mm Mini
Filters: Ha, Sii, Oiii
Controller/Capture: N.I.N.A., PHD2
Processed in DSS, Pixinsight with NoiseXTerminator & StarXTerminator,
Photoshop CC with Topaz Sharpen AI, FORAXX
Frames/Subs
Lights 72 x 300 sec per filter
Darks 20 x 300 sec
Flats 60 per filter
Bias 60 x .001 sec
Total lights intergration time: 6 hours

Abell 85/LBN576/CT1 and PK116 + 00.1

Telescope: Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED
Imaging Camera: QHY 268M
Filters: Chroma Ha & Oiii 3nm 36mm, Chroma RGB 36mm filters
Mount: Atlas EQ-G (modified)
Focuser: Moonlite NiteCrawler
Location: Northern Illinois USA
Frames:
Chroma H-beta 3nm Bandpass 36 mm: 64×600″(10h 40′)
Chroma H-beta 3nm Bandpass 36 mm: 40×300″(3h 20′)
Chroma OIII 3nm Bandpass 36 mm: 61×600″(10h 10′)
Chroma OIII 3nm Bandpass 36 mm: 37×300″(3h 5′)
Chroma Red 36 mm: 12×180″(36′)
Chroma Green 36 mm: 11×180″(33′)
Chroma Blue 36 mm: 10×180″(30′)
Total Integration: 28h 54′

Processing Software: Pixinsight, Photoshop

Description:
Abell 85 is a faint supernova remnant found in Cassiopeia. Its shape is formed by a gas cloud that resembles a brain with a spinal cord attached thus receiving the nickname the “Medulla Nebula.” It’s also sometimes referred to as the “Garlic Nebula” because it’s shaped like a head of garlic. Once thought to be a distant planetary nebula, PK116 + 00.1 is an area likely to be a region of ionized hydrogen (HII).
Clear skies,
Tom