Monthly Archives: April 2015

Giant prominence 2015.04.25

A prominence is a large, bright, gaseous feature extending outward from the Sun’s surface, often in a loop shape. Prominences are anchored to the Sun’s surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun’s corona. While the corona consists of extremely hotionized gases, known as plasma, which do not emit much visible light, prominences contain much cooler plasma, similar in composition to that of the chromosphere. The prominence plasma is typically a hundred times cooler and denser than the coronal plasma. A prominence forms over timescales of about a day, and prominences may persist in the corona for several weeks or months. Some prominences break apart and may then give rise to coronal mass ejections.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: TS INDIVIDUAL 152/900
Imaging cameras: ZWO ASI174MM
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6 Pro EQ6 Pro Skyscan
Filters: Daystar Filters Quark H-Alpha Chromosphere filter
Date: April 25, 2015
Focal length: 3860
Locations: Osservatorio a casa, Dolianova , Cagliari, Italy

Author: Alessandro Bianconi

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Cigar Galaxy, Messier 82, NGC 3034

Messier 82 (also known as NGC 3034, Cigar Galaxy or M82) is a starburst galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It is about five times more luminous than the whole Milky Way and one hundred times more luminous than our galaxy’s center. The starburst activity is thought to be triggered by interaction with neighboring galaxy M81, and M82 is a member of the M81 Group. As the closest starburst galaxy to our own, M82 is the prototypical example of this type of galaxy. SN 2014J, a Type Ia supernova, was observed in the galaxy on 21 January 2014, see 2014 supernova. In 2014, in studying M82, scientists discovered the brightest pulsar yet known, designated M82 X-2.

Imaging cameras: Canon Hutech Modified 6D

Mounts: Astro-Physics AP 1600

Guiding cameras: Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2

Software: PixInsight, Adobe Photoshop CC (64 Bit), PHD2 Guiding

Accessories: Innovations Foresight On-axis guider XT

Resolution: 4336×2936

Dates: April 15, 2015

Frames: 49×600″

Integration: 8.2 hours

Avg. Moon age: 25.22 days

Avg. Moon phase: 19.64%

RA center: 148.978 degrees

DEC center: 69.682 degrees

Orientation: -136.916 degrees

Field radius: 0.252 degrees

Locations: Hangar Observatory at Bend Airport, Bend, Oregon, None

Author: John Hayes

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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Spiral galaxy Messier 106, NGC 4258

Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light-years away from Earth. It is also a Seyfert II galaxy. Due to x-rays and unusual emission lines detected, it is suspected that part of the galaxy is falling into a supermassive black hole in the center. NGC 4217 is a possible companion galaxy of Messier 106.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Gso RC 10″ GSO

Imaging cameras: FLI MicroLine 8300 CCD-camera FLI

Mounts: Astro-Physics Mach1AP GTO with GTOCP3

Guiding telescopes or lenses: 90mm Guidescope Guidescope

Focal reducers: Astro Physics CDDT67

Software: Photoshop CS 6 Photoshop CS6, Pixinsight 1.8

Filters: Baader 2″ Green, Baader 2″ Blue, Baader 2″ Red, Baader 2″ Lum

Accessories: Starlight Xpress lodestar 2

Resolution: 3084×2058

Dates: April 20, 2015

Frames:
Baader 2″ Blue: 10×300″ -35C bin 2×2
Baader 2″ Green: 9×300″ -35C bin 2×2
Baader 2″ Lum: 14×600″ -35C bin 1×1
Baader 2″ Red: 10×300″ -35C bin 2×2

Integration: 4.8 hours

Avg. Moon age: 1.37 days

Avg. Moon phase: 2.09%

RA center: 184.756 degrees

DEC center: 47.297 degrees

Pixel scale: 0.767 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: -5.667 degrees

Field radius: 0.395 degrees

Locations: Home Observatory, Home, Worcestershire, United Kingdom

Author: Patrick (Paddy) Gilliland

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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NGC 4631, Whale Galaxy

NGC 4631 (also known as the Whale Galaxy or Caldwell 32) is an edge-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy’s slightly distorted wedge shape gives it the appearance of a herring or a whale, whence its nickname. Because this nearby galaxy is seen edge-on from Earth, professional astronomers observe this galaxy to better understand the gas and stars located outside the plane of the galaxy.
Observation Notes : Very bright, very large, very much elongated 6 X 1 in PA 90, bright middle. At 100X this very mottled galaxy is a rather bizarre shape that members of the Saguaro Astronomy Club call “The Slug”. Discovered in 1787 by William Herschel.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Celestron C11 Celestron

Imaging cameras: 40D Canon

Mounts: CGEM Celestron

Guiding telescopes or lenses: 80mm EON Orion

Guiding cameras: Orion Star Shooter

Focal reducers: 6.3 reducer Celestron

Software: Deep Sky Stacker, photoshop, Noel’s Tools, 5.00 Images Plus

Resolution: 800×520

Dates: May 8, 2011

Frames: 23×120″

Integration: 0.8 hours

Avg. Moon age: 4.48 days

Avg. Moon phase: 21.07%

RA center: 190.566 degrees

DEC center: 32.495 degrees

Pixel scale: 2.941 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: 119.413 degrees

Field radius: 0.390 degrees

Locations: Leesburg home, Leesburg , Florida, United States

Author: AlBroxton

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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Light Pillars and Airplanes

A light pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in the form of a vertical column of light which appears to extend above and/or below a light source. The effect, sometimes also called the crystal beam phenomenon, is created by the reflection of light from numerous tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere or clouds. The light can come from the Sun (usually when it is near or even below the horizon) in which case the phenomenon is called a sun pillar or solar pillar. It can also come from the Moon or from terrestrial sources such as streetlights.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Canon EF 15mm f/2.8

Imaging cameras: Canon 6D

Software: Adobe Lightroom 5.7, Photoshop CS6

Resolution: 2560×1280

Dates: April 23, 2015

Frames: 1×10″ ISO6400

Integration: 0.0 hours

Avg. Moon age: 4.52 days

Avg. Moon phase: 21.43%

Author: Samuli Ikäheimo

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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Spiral Galaxy NGC 3718

NGC 3718 is a highly disturbed galaxy in Ursa Major. Astronomers originally thought that NGC 3718 was a Lenticular Galaxy. However later photos showed two faint extensions that emerge from the envelope on opposite sides of the periphery, showing that it is most likely a spiral galaxy. The distance to NGC 3718 is roughly 52 Million Light Years.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Celestron De-forked CPC 1100 Edge

Imaging cameras: Atik 4000

Mounts: Tak EM200 Temma 2

Guiding telescopes or lenses: Celestron De-forked CPC 1100 Edge

Guiding cameras: Starlight Xpress Lodestar2

Filters: Baader RGB

Resolution: 982×996

Dates: April 23, 2015

Frames: 63×300″

Integration: 5.2 hours

Avg. Moon age: 4.52 days

Avg. Moon phase: 21.43%

RA center: 173.270 degrees

DEC center: 53.055 degrees

Pixel scale: 1.080 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: 5.377 degrees

Field radius: 0.210 degrees

Author: cfpendock

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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The Whirlpool Galaxy, Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194

The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194) is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Recently it was estimated to be 23 ± 4 million light-years from the Milky Way, but different methods yield distances between 15 and 35 million ly. Messier 51 is one of the best known galaxies in the sky. The galaxy and its companion (NGC 5195) are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may even be seen with binoculars.

RA center: 202.485 degrees

DEC center: 47.211 degrees

Orientation: 98.181 degrees

Field radius: 0.221 degrees

Author: Gianluca Belgrado

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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NGC 3576, Statue of Liberty Nebula

NGC 3576 is a minor nebula in the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy a few thousand light-years away from the Eta Carinae nebula. Eventually this nebula even received six different classification numbers. Currently, astronomers call the entire nebula NGC 3576. A popular nickname is “The Statue of Liberty Nebula” because of the distinctive shape in the middle of the nebula.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Vixen R200SS f/4

Imaging cameras: ATIK 383L+ Mono

Mounts: Gemini G42 Observatory+

Guiding telescopes or lenses: Vixen R200SS f/4

Guiding cameras: ATIK 383L+ Mono

Focal reducers: Teleskop-Service Coma corrector

Software: Pixinsight 1.8

Filters: Baader Planetarium Ha 7nm, Baader OIII, Baader SII SII 7nm Filter

Resolution: 2960×2191

Frames: 80×180″

Integration: 4.0 hours

Author: Jonathan Durand

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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IC1396 HA-SHO, Elephant trunk Nebula

The Elephant’s Trunk nebula is a concentration of interstellar gas and dust within the much larger ionized gas region IC 1396 located in the constellation Cepheus about 2,400 light years away from Earth. The piece of the nebula shown here is the dark, dense globule IC 1396A; it is commonly called the Elephant’s Trunk nebula because of its appearance at visible light wavelengths, where there is a dark patch with a bright, sinuous rim. The bright rim is the surface of the dense cloud that is being illuminated and ionized by a very bright, massive star (HD 206267) that is just to the west of IC 1396A.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: TS 90mm F6.6 APO Triplet – 2.5 “focuser

Imaging cameras: SBIG 8300M

Mounts: AZ EQ6 GT SkyWatcher‎

Guiding telescopes or lenses: TS APO65Q 65mm F/6,5 Quadruplet Astrograph

Guiding cameras: Orion Starshoot Autoguider Orion Autoguider

Focal reducers: TS-Flattener 2,5″

Software: PixInsight

Filters: Baader 7nm Ha Ø 36, Baader SII 8nm Ø36, Baader OIII 8.5nm Ø36

Accessories: Orion Star Shoot Auto Guider Orion Starshoot Auto-Guider, SBIG Filter Wheel FW8-8300

Resolution: 1198×1240

Dates: April 10, 2015

Frames:
Baader 7nm Ha Ø 36: 20×900″ -10C bin 1×1
Baader OIII 8.5nm Ø36: 13×900″ bin 1×1
Baader SII 8nm Ø36: 13×900″ bin 1×1

Integration: 11.5 hours

Avg. Moon age: 19.96 days

Avg. Moon phase: 72.49%

Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 9.00

RA center: 324.483 degrees

DEC center: 57.480 degrees

Pixel scale: 3.706 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: -93.058 degrees

Field radius: 0.888 degrees

Locations: centre ville, ANTIBES, 06, France

Author: Stéphan & Fils

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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Spiral galaxy NGC 891

NGC 891 (also known as Caldwell 23) is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 group of galaxies in the Local Supercluster. It has an H II nucleus. The object is visible in small to moderate size telescopes as a faint elongated smear of light with a dust lane visible in larger apertures. In 2005, due to its attractiveness and scientific interest, NGC 891 was selected to be the first light image of the Large Binocular Telescope. In 2012, it was again used as a first light image of the Discovery Channel Telescope with the Large Monolithic Imager.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Gso RC 12″ Ritchey-Chretien

Imaging cameras: canon 350 D Baader

Mounts: Swan Astro WS180GT

Resolution: 3292×3301

Frames: 50×360″

Integration: 5.0 hours

RA center: 35.632 degrees

DEC center: 42.348 degrees

Pixel scale: 0.268 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: 87.739 degrees

Field radius: 0.174 degrees

Author: nicola76

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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