Starship Asterisk*

_____________________________________________________________________________

Please post your images here for October 5-8.

If you need instructions on posting images, please see this thread.

Thank you!
_____________________________________________________________________________


<- Previous submissions


In the limit of naked eye detection
http://miguelclaro.com
Copyright: Miguel Claro
Image obtained during an exposure of 1h40m with a 50mm lens, recording the trails of the stars in the constellation Pisces Australis, passing behind the medieval Castle of Sesimbra (Portuguese architectural heritage) that is also called the Moorish Castle, ordered to build by Dom Sancho I in the year 1200, the thirteenth century, stands at 240 meters from the water level, and is still today well preserved.

It was very interesting record the tracks of the fainter stars, against the intense light pollution caused by lighting of the Castle walls. In the naked eye, I could only distinguish the star Fomalhaut, the main star of the constellation, with a magnitude of +1.15, and was a challenge to framed and make this record due to the huge difference of lightness between the Castle and the fainter stars, since this constellation has stars from magnitude +1.15, up to near the limit of the human naked eye detection, at magnitude +5.6. In the image labeled with info and magnitude, is easily visible through the tracks, slight differences of brightness and color on each star in the constellation Pisces Australis.

Sum of 199 images taken in 02-10-10, between 00h30 and 02h17. Total time integration - 1h40m. Canon 50D -ISO800 50mm F/13 Exp.30s, for each frame.


<- Previous submissions

Bloody Heart Nebula - IC 1805
http://blog.jesion.pl
Copyright: Adam Jesionkiewicz There is a bigger version of my latest picture (4 mpix):
http://www.jesion.pl/blog/wp-content/up ... _4mpix.jpg

http://www.jesion.pl/blog/2010/10/04/wi ... e-ic-1805/

– Adam Jesionkiewicz

Destinations Along the Winter Milky Way
Belt of Venus - Image Details
Copyright: 2010 Jeremy Perez Hi, this is my first submission here. Although I shoot wide field images from time to time, I'm primarily a visual observer and sketch the wonders of the deep sky as I view them through my telescope. Photographs bring out the amazing and beautiful detail in our galaxy and universe, while sketches can present what is actually visible to the human eye.

This photograph of the winter Milky Way setting over Sunset Crater National Monument is supplemented by 24 sketches that highlight just a few of the captivating deep sky objects that reside in this richly adorned stretch of our galaxy. I originally set this up to work as a rollover graphic (with & without callout lines). The second image below leaves the callout lines out.

Kind regards,
Jeremy Perez
Flagstaff, AZ
The Belt of Venus - Amateur Astronomy Website
Astronomy Sketch of the Day

Cloudy ISS-Sun Transit
URL http://ceastronomy.org/tramakers
Copyright: Theo Ramakers

Hi!

This shows our own galaxy: The Milky Way and two of its satellite galaxies: the Magellan Clouds. The Small Magellan Cloud is at the top left next to the big and beautiful cluster 47 Tucanae. The Large Magellan Cloud is below with the Tarantula Nebula visible. The Milky Way shows the area of Scorpio and Sagitarius and includes the pipe nebula, the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulas, the coalsack nebula next to the southern cross, Alpha and Beta Centauri and more!
The bright star near the horizon on the left is Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky.
Canopus and the Magellan Clouds are only visible from southern latitudes, this photo was taken at Azul, Argentina at 37 degrees south of latitude, the Magellan Clouds are almost circumpolar at that location.

Our Galactic Neighborhood
http://www.luisargerich.com/night/haf83126#haf83126
Copyright: Luis Argerich

Milky Way over Escalante National Monument
http://www.gcollier.com
Copyright: Grant Collier To get this shot, I hiked in about a mile to a remote arch in Escalante National Monument, Utah. This image was taken with a single exposure. I waited until it was dark enough to clearly see the Milky Way but just barely light enough to illuminate the arch with the faint glow of dusk. Taken at 14mm with a 14-24 Nikon lens mounted on a Canon 5D II.

Hi,

here are 2 impressions from my imaging sessions.

Imaging session
http://www.skytrip.de
Copyright: Mario Weigand Find a larger version here:
http://www.skytrip.de/streifen13.htm

- Riedelbach/ Gemany
- Canon EOS 5D
- 12mm


Astro photography
http://www.skytrip.de
Copyright: Mario Weigand Find a larger version here:
http://www.skytrip.de/streifen17.htm

- Riedelbach/ Gemany
- Canon EOS 5D Mk II
- 12mm


greets

Mario

LBN 468 and PV Cephei: Gyulbudaghian's Nebula
http://www.astronomie.be/pieter.vandeve ... N468g.html
Copyright: Pieter Vandevelde Image taken in southern France August 2010. Scope TeleVue np101is.

Many regards,

Pieter

Sunset behind the Lollipop
http://www.ascensionrecta.com/
Copyright: Enrique Luque Cervigón Here you can see the a sunset behind the "lollipop", the communication tower of Madrid (Spain) the photo was taken from 30km far from the lollipop. This image can be seen only once a year.

NGC 6888: The Crescent Nebula in Cygnus
http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/NGC6888-BYU.html
Credit and copyright: Image acquisition: Michael Joner and David Laney (BYU); image processing: Robert Gendler

M8 Lagoon Nebula
Copyright: Alvaro Gaviria
http://www.astrophotogallery.org/member ... wband.html

I started imagine the Double Cluster a couple nights ago and when I checked the images I discovered a plane flew right in the middle of the double cluster.
One of the lights just flashed as it was passing and it shows one of the jet engines.

Double Cluster with plane
http://www.vvs-brabantsekouters.be
Copyright: Erwin Van Wesemael

Less known but famous sister of M13
http://www.astromarcin.pl
Copyright: Marcin Paciorek Click to view full size: http://www.astromarcin.pl/images/cluste ... 0_1440.jpg

[attachment=0]davide.jpg[/attachment][/i]

VdB158; GAL110-13; PK110-12 1
http://www.astrosky.it/public/fullsize/ ... RGB-13.jpg

about 9h of imaging time
Luminance with TEC140 and STL11000
RGB with TSA102 and ML8300
Taken fron Tuscany skies on sept. 2010

Thanks for your kind attention

Davide Bardini, Italy

NGC281 Pacman Nebula Narrowband
URL of website, http://www.freewebs.com/jbonald/
Copyright: Javier Ballesteros Bonald Taken from end of August to early of September. Telescope SW ED80 Main Camera Atik16HR Off axis guide with Atik16 Ha 24x20 min (8 hours) binning 1x1 SII 10x15 min (2,5 hours) binning 2x2 OIII 10x15 min (2,5 hours) binning 2x2 Hubble Palette (SII/Ha/OIII) Processed with Astroart 4 and Photoshop CS5 Special thanks to my daughter Anabel, 10 years old who help me every night to place the equipment to work

Thanks for explaining how you took your image, Grant Collier. It was a heroic effort, and the image looks very good, too!

Ann

Thanks for your image too, Davide Bardini. You make that nebula look like a hobby horse, and I mean that as a compliment!



Ann

Mario, in your second image above, the telescopes look like dancers. No rain dance this, no, no! This would be a dance for clear skies and excellent seeing!

Erwin, your image reminded me of an image that was submitted in June; it is the first one in this thread. The astrophotographer's caption made me laugh out loud; I can just hear someone saying that when discovering the interruption!

Color+Halpha view of the Milky Way
http://www.spaceobs.com/perso
Copyright Alain Maury - Ignacio de la Cueva

Ann wrote:Thanks for your image too, Davide Bardini. You make that nebula look like a hobby horse, and I mean that as a compliment!



Ann

fantastic imagination, Ann!!
Thank's for looking

by
Davide

The Cat's Paw Nebula
http://www.astrofotografia.com.pl/
Copyright: Piotrek Sadowski full size: http://www.astrofotografia.com.pl/photo ... 4-2000.htm

Regards
Piotrek Sadowski

VdB152 Wide Field Reflection Nebula in Cepheus
http://www.starkeeper.it/
Copyright: Leonardo Orazi
[attachment=0]orazi.jpg[/attachment][/i]
http://www.starkeeper.it/img/VDB152.png

Link to Details anf Full Size page:
http://www.starkeeper.it/Vdb152.htm

Regards
Leonardo Orazi

Full Moon setting over the Colorado Rockies

Copyright: Alek Komarnitsky
URL: Time-Lapse and more pics of Full Moon setting over the Colorado Rockies


Robert suggested post my image here, so here's the Email I sent to him and Jerry.

First, while I'm sure you've heard it a bazillion times, please allow me to add my personal thanks for a great job with APOD - fantastic job every day, year after year.

I'm reluctant to even submit an image of mine since your quality is so high, but numerous people have commented that they enjoy my time-lapse of the Moon setting over the Colorado Rockies, so I'll toss it out there for you to consider - http://www.komar.org/faq/lunar-eclipse/ ... 1_moonset/

Holler if you want a full-res copy.
Best Wishes,
alek

Rendez-vous with Vénus

Date: 16/09/2010
Location: Cirque of Salazie/ Reunion Island – Altitude : 1600m
Technique: 9 photos stitch together

It is so good to rise, to get closer to the stars, to have the sensation to give up for a moment, human activity and its commotions. Venus just for me!

Venus dominates the starry sky. Mars is right next , slightly down on the right. In the upper left corner we find Alpha and Beta Centauri.In the middle of the sky is yellow Arcturus. The brightness of Vega is noticeable in the right part of the sky.
The visible mountains range on this photo is dominated in its extreme left by the “Piton des Neiges”, extinct volcano and summit of Indian Océan peaking at 3070 m.

The other peaks are equally impressive and well known by the population of Reunion Island. From left to right: The “Morne de Fourche”, the “Cimendef”, The “Roche écrite” and the “Piton Fougères”.
Under this sea of clouds is the “Cirque of Salazie”, one of three cirques of Reunion Island.

These three cirques are arranged in clover and dominated, in the middle, by the “Piton des Neiges” and are the result of the collapse of this volcano. On the other side of this mountains range are the two other cirques: Mafate and Cilaos.

The red and yellow / green tints of clouds indicate the presence of small villages lost in hidden in recesses places of the cirque.

This mountainous area of the island is a part of The National Park of Réunion Island and is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since August 1st.

Luc Perrot
http://www.lucperrot.fr

There are two MiIlky Way images that I haven't commented on. I really like Luis Argerich's image, not least the blue color of the Magellanic Clouds set against a reddish Earth sky. But I wish the picture had been bigger.

I really like Alain Maury and Ignacio de la Cueva's image too, although I find it slightly baffling. I like how they bring out the Ha nebulosity in our galaxy, and I like the big red splotches around Scorpius and Ophiuchus - that's a naughty runaway star, however, Zeta Ophiuchi - surely he ought to have stayed at home in Orion where he was born, hmm?

But I'm confused at the long Ha-less stretch of dark brown dust to the upper left in the image. Well, I guess we are in Scutum, which looks remarkably star formation-less from our point of view. Of course, there is a lot of star formation going on behind that thick curtain of dust, if only you move a few thousand light years galactic center-wards.

Well, in any case it is clear that the image doesn't show us Cygnus. There is no way that NGC 7000 and all the Gamma Cygni nebulosity wouldn't show up.

Ann