Author Archives: Kristina

The Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 780 kiloparsecs (2.5 million light-years; 2.4×10¹⁹ km) from Earth. Also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, it is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way, but not the nearest galaxy overall. It gets its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which was named after the mythological princessAndromeda. The Andromeda Galaxy is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy, and about 44 other smaller galaxies.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: William Optics GTF 81 APO 81GTF
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-G
RA center: 10.701 degrees
DEC center: 41.260 degrees
Pixel scale: 1.475 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: 1.242 degrees
Field radius: 1.137 degrees

Author: casey

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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AM 0644-741

AM 0644-741 is an unbarred lenticular galaxy, and a ring galaxy, which is 300 million light-years away in the direction of the southern constellation Volans. The yellowish nucleus was once the center of a normal spiral galaxy, and the ring which currently surrounds the center is 150,000 light-year diameter. The ring is theorized to have formed by a collision with another galaxy, which triggered a gravitational disruption that caused dust in the galaxy to condense and form stars, which forced it to then expand away from the galaxy and create a ring. The ring is a region of rampant star formation dominated by young, massive, hot blue stars. The pink regions along the ring are rarefied clouds of glowing hydrogen gas that is fluorescing as it is bombarded with strong ultraviolet light from the blue stars. Galactic simulation models suggest that the ring of AM 0644-741 will continue to expand for about another 300 million years, after which it will begin to disintegrate.

Author: Joachim_Dietrich

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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Lagoon Nebula, M 8

The Lagoon Nebula (catalogued as Messier 8 or M8, and as NGC 6523) is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. It is classified as an emission nebula and as a H II region. The Lagoon Nebula was discovered by Giovanni Hodierna before 1654 and is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the naked eye from mid-northern latitudes. Seen with binoculars, it appears as a distinct oval cloudlike patch with a definite core. A fragile star cluster appears superimposed on it.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Orion ED80T CF
Imaging cameras: Atik 428EX
Mounts: Celestron Advanced VX
Guiding cameras: Orion Starshoot Autoguider
Focal reducers: Orion 0.8x Imaging Focal Reducer for Refractors
Software: PixInsight, Photoshop CS6, Stark Labs Nebulosity 3.1, Star Tools
Filters: Baader O III 8.5nm, Baader H-Alpha 7nm
Resolution: 1636×1272
Dates: June 22, 2014, April 19, 2015
Frames:
Baader H-Alpha 7nm: 21×420″ bin 1×1
Baader O III 8.5nm: 15×420″ bin 1×1
Integration: 4.2 hours
Avg. Moon age: 12.33 days
Avg. Moon phase: 13.42%
RA center: 271.049 degrees
DEC center: -24.321 degrees
Orientation: -177.214 degrees
Field radius: 0.719 degrees

Author: Ezequiel

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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Crab Nebula, M 1

The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. It is not, as its name might suggest, in Cancer. The now-current name is due to William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse who observed the object in 1840 using a 36-inch telescope and produced a drawing that looked somewhat like a crab. Corresponding to a bright supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054, the nebula was observed later by English astronomer John Bevis in 1731. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ 106 ED
Imaging cameras: Atik 460 EX Mono
Mounts: Takahashi EM 200 Temma 2
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS 60 CB
Guiding cameras: QHYCCD QHY5 II Mono
Software: Main Sequence Software Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Filters: Astronomik OIII 12nm, Astronomik Ha 12nm, Astronomik SII 12nm
Accessories: Atik EFW2 Filter Wheel
Resolution: 1282×1023
Dates: Jan. 28, 2014
Frames:
Astronomik Ha 12nm: 12×300″
Astronomik OIII 12nm: 12×300″
Integration: 2.0 hours
Avg. Moon age: 26.17 days
Avg. Moon phase: 12.25%
RA center: 83.628 degrees
DEC center: 22.010 degrees
Pixel scale: 1.767 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: 87.704 degrees
Field radius: 0.403 degrees

Author: Kingo

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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The Large Magellanic Cloud

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a nearby galaxy, and a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs (≈163,000 light-years), the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with theSagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal (~ 16 kiloparsecs) and the putative Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy (~ 12.9 kiloparsecs, though its status as a galaxy is under dispute) lying closer to the center of the Milky Way. The LMC has a diameter of about 14,000 light-years (~ 4.3 kpc) and a mass approximately 10 billion times the mass of the Sun (10¹⁰ solar masses), making it roughly 1/100 as massive as the Milky Way. The LMC is the fourth largest galaxy in the Local Group, after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Milky Way, and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33).

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Samyang Walimex 85mm 1.4

Imaging cameras: Canon DSLR 1000(d) modifiziert

Mounts: Skywatcher EQ-5 + Synscan

Guiding cameras: ZWO optical ASI 120mm

Software: Fitswork4, Adobe Photo Shop

Resolution: 3837×2453

Dates: April 14, 2015

Frames: 20×240″

Integration: 1.3 hours

Avg. Moon age: 24.11 days

Avg. Moon phase: 29.73%

RA center: 80.858 degrees

DEC center: -67.791 degrees

Pixel scale: 13.675 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: -92.003 degrees

Field radius: 8.647 degrees

Locations: Gästefarm Wildacker, Grootfontein, Namibia

Author: sbothe

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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NGC 4945, Spiral galaxy

NGC 4945 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus, and near the bright star, Zeta Centauri. The galaxy was discovered by James Dunlop in 1826. It is thought to be similar to the Milky Way Galaxy, although X-ray observations show that NGC 4945 has an unusual energetic Seyfert 2 nucleus that might house a large black hole.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: MEADE LX850 12″
Imaging cameras: Meade Starlock
Mounts: Meade LX850 Starlock
Guiding cameras: SBIG ST-8300C
Software: Nebulosity 3.2, Photoshop, Maxim DL, Software Bisque The Sky X
Resolution: 3030×1845
Dates: April 23, 2015
Frames: 24×600″
Integration: 4.0 hours
Avg. Moon age: 4.52 days
Avg. Moon phase: 21.43%
Locations: Canopo’s Observatory, Perth, WA, Australia

Author: Fabian Rodriguez

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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M 63, Sunflower Galaxy

Messier 63 (also known as M63, NGC 5055, or the Sunflower Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici consisting of a central disc surrounded by many short spiral arm segments. M63 is part of the M51 Group, a group of galaxies that also includes M51 (the ‘Whirlpool Galaxy’).

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: Pixinsight 1.8
Filters: Baader 2″ Ha 7nm, Baader 2″ Green, Baader 2″ Blue, Baader 2″ Red, Baader 2″ Lum
Accessories: Starlight Xpress lodestar 2
Resolution: 3027×2002
Dates: April 24, 2015, April 25, 2015, April 26, 2015
Frames:
Baader 2″ Blue: 10×300″ -35C bin 2×2
Baader 2″ Green: 10×300″ -35C bin 2×2
Baader 2″ Ha 7nm: 6×300″ -35C bin 1×1
Baader 2″ Lum: 18×600″ -35C bin 1×1
Baader 2″ Red: 10×300″ -35C bin 2×2
Integration: 6.0 hours
Avg. Moon age: 6.44 days
Avg. Moon phase: 40.21%
RA center: 198.942 degrees
DEC center: 42.037 degrees
Orientation: 173.647 degrees
Field radius: 0.257 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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Antares and Rho

This is a reprocess of this glorious image of space. About 11 hours of data at various exposure times and ISO settings. All up about 105 light frames. All at 100mm taken on the Canon 600D
Antares, also known by its Bayer designation Alpha Scorpii (abbreviated to α Scorpii or α Sco), is the seventeenth brightest star in the nighttime sky and the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, and is often referred to as “the heart of the scorpion”. Along with Aldebaran, Regulus, and Fomalhaut, Antares comprises the group known as the ‘Royal stars of Persia’. It is one of the four brightest stars near the ecliptic. Rho Ophiuchi (ρ Ophiuchi) is a multiple star system in the constellation Ophiuchus. It consists of at least two blue subgiants, ρ Oph A and ρ Oph B, both of which are of class B.

RA center: 247.208 degrees
DEC center: -26.454 degrees
Pixel scale: 8.982 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: 89.143 degrees
Field radius: 7.166 degrees
Locations: Backyard, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Author: DJScotty

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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The Triangulum Galaxy, Messier 33, NGC 598

The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light-years (ly) from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101. The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy and about 44 other smaller galaxies. It is one of the most distant permanent objects that can be viewed with the naked eye. The galaxy is the smallest spiral galaxy in the Local Group and it is believed to be a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy due to their interactions, velocities and proximity of one another in the night sky.

RA center: 23.439 degrees
DEC center: 30.663 degrees
Pixel scale: 1.860 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: -101.776 degrees
Field radius: 0.495 degrees

Author: geco71

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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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

SPONLI is a project about astrophotography, for amateur astronomers.

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