Tag Archives: Taurus

Crab Nebula

At X-ray and gamma ray energies above 30 keV, the Crab is generally the strongest persistent source in the sky, with measured flux extending to above 10 TeV. Located at a distance of about 6,500 light-years (2 kpc) from Earth, the nebula has a diameter of 11 light years (3.4 pc, corresponding to an apparent diameter of some 7 arc minutes) and expands at a rate of about 1,500 kilometers per second (0.5% c). It is part of the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Ian King Ikharos 8″ RC
Imaging cameras: Atik 460 EX
Mounts: Software Bisque Paramount MX
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Ian King Ikharos 8″ RC
Guiding cameras: Atik 314L+
Software: PixInsight, Software Bisque CCDSoft 5, Software Bisque TheSkyX, iLanga AstroPlanner, Matt Thomas’s CCDCommander
Filters: Baader H-alpha 7nm 36mm, Baader Luminance 36mm, Baader OIII 8,5nm 36mm, Baader Red, Green, Blue 36mm, Baader SII 8nm 36mm
Accessories: Atik EFW2, Innovations Foresight On-axis guider
Dates: Nov. 23, 2013
Frames: 121×600″
Integration: 20.2 hours

Author: Colin McGill
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 1 Oct 2014

Simeis 147

Simeis 147, also known as the Spaghetti Nebula, SNR G180.0-01.7 or Sharpless 2-240, is a supernova remnant (SNR) that may have occurred in the Milky Way, on the constellation borders of Auriga and Taurus. Discovered in 1952 at theCrimean Astrophysical Observatory using a 25 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, it is a very difficult object to observe due to its extreme low brightness.
The nebulous area is fairly large with an almost spherical shell and filamentary structure. The remnant has an apparent diameter that covers approximately 3°, an estimated distance of approximately 3000 (±350)ly away and an age of approximately 40,000y old.
It is believed that after its stellar explosion a rapidly spinning neutron star known as pulsar PSR J0538+2817 was left behind in the nebula core, emitting a strong radio signal.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ 106ED
Imaging cameras: SBIG STL-11000
Mounts: Losmandy G11
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Orion ShortTube 80 f/5
Guiding cameras: Orion Star Shoot Planetary Imager & Autoguider
Focal reducers: Takahashi 0.75x FSQ
Filters: Astrodon Red, Astrodon G, Astrodon Filter: Blue, Astrodon h-Alpha
Dates: Jan. 1, 2014
Frames:
Astrodon G: 8×600″ -25C bin 1×1
Astrodon h-Alpha: 8×1200″ -25C bin 1×1
Astrodon h-Alpha: 8×900″ -25C bin 1×1
Astrodon Filter: Blue: 8×600″ -25C bin 1×1
Astrodon Red: 8×600″ -25C bin 1×1
Integration: 8.7 hours
Darks: ~3
Flats: ~3
Flat darks: ~3
Bias: ~3

Author: Maurizio Cabibbo
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 15 Sep 2014

M45, Pleiades

In astronomy, the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters (Messier 45 or M45), is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. The celestial entity has several meanings in different cultures and traditions.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Orion 80ED
Imaging cameras: Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS
Mounts: Orion Sirius EQ-G
Guiding cameras: Orion Star Shoot Planetary Imager & Autoguider
Focal reducers: Orion 0.85x Reducer/Corrector
Software: DeepSkyStacker, PHD guiding, photoshop, Canon EOS
Dates: Oct. 7, 2011
Frames: 24×240″ ISO1600
Integration: 1.6 hours

Author: Mike Carroll
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 10 Sep 2014

M1, Crab nebula

The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in theconstellation of Taurus. Corresponding to a bright supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054, the nebula was observed later by English astronomer John Bevis in 1731. At an apparent magnitude of 8.4, comparable to that of the largest moon of Saturn, it is not visible to the naked eye but can be made out using binoculars under favourable conditions.
At X-ray and gamma ray energies above 30 keV, the Crab is generally the strongest persistent source in the sky, with measured flux extending to above 10 TeV. Located at a distance of about 6,500 light-years (2 kpc) from Earth, the nebula has a diameter of 11 light years (3.4 pc, corresponding to an apparent diameter of some 7 arc minutes) and expands at a rate of about 1,500 kilometers per second (0.5% c). It is part of the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy.
At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star 28–30 km across with a spin rate of 30.2 times per second, which emits pulses of radiation from gamma rays to radio waves. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.
The nebula acts as a source of radiation for studying celestial bodies that occult it. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Sun’s corona was mapped from observations of the Crab’s radio waves passing through it, and in 2003, the thickness of the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan was measured as it blocked out X-rays from the nebula.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: TPO 8″ Ritchey–Chrétien
Imaging cameras: SBIG ST-8300M
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-G
Guiding cameras: SBIG ST-i Planetary and Guide Camera Mono
Software: DeepSkyStacker, PHD guiding, photoshop, Nebulosity
Filters: Astrodon H-alpha 5nm, Astrodon Tru-Balance Generation 2 E-Series – LRGB 36mm Round Fil
Accessories: SBIG OAG-8300
Dates: Jan. 4, 2014, Jan. 7, 2014, Jan. 24, 2014
Frames:
Astrodon Tru-Balance Generation 2 E-Series – LRGB 36mm Round Fil: 8×1200″ -20C bin 1×1
Astrodon Tru-Balance Generation 2 E-Series – LRGB 36mm Round Fil: 27×600″ -20C bin 2×2
Astrodon H-alpha 5nm: 6×1800″ -20C bin 1×1
Integration: 10.2 hours

Author: Mike Carroll
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 07 Sep 2014

Pleiades

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The nine brightest stars of the Pleiades are named for the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology: Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygeta, Celaeno, and Alcyone, along with their parents Atlas and Pleione. As daughters of Atlas, the Hyades were sisters of the Pleiades. The English name of the cluster itself is of Greek origin (Πλειάδες), though of uncertain etymology. Suggested derivations include: from πλεῖν plein, “to sail,” making the Pleiades the “sailing ones”; from πλέος pleos, “full, many”; or from πελειάδες peleiades, “flock of doves.”

**Pleiades bright stars**
Name	Pronunciation (IPA & respelling)	Designation	Apparent magnitude	Stellar classification
Alcyone	/ælˈsaɪ.əniː/ al-sy-ə-nee	Eta (25) Tauri	2.86	B7IIIe
Atlas	/ˈætləs/ at-ləs	27 Tauri	3.62	B8III
Electra	/ɨˈlɛktʃrə/ i-lek-trə	17 Tauri	3.70	B6IIIe
Maia	/ˈmeɪə/, /ˈmaɪə/ may-ə, my-ə	20 Tauri	3.86	B7III
Merope	/ˈmɛrəpiː/ merr-ə-pee	23 Tauri	4.17	B6IVev
Taygeta	/teɪˈɪdʒɨtə/ tay-ij-i-tə	19 Tauri	4.29	B6V
Pleione	/ˈplaɪ.əniː/ ply-ə-nee	28 (BU) Tauri	5.09 (var.)	B8IVpe
Celaeno	/sɨˈliːnoʊ/ sə-lee-noh	16 Tauri	5.44	B7IV
Sterope, Asterope	/ˈstɛrɵpiː/, /əˈstɛrɵpiː/ (ə)-sterr-ə-pee	21 and 22 Tauri	5.64;6.41	B8Ve/B9V
—	—	18 Tauri	5.65	B8V

Imaging telescopes or lenses: TMB 92SS
Imaging cameras: SBIG ST-8300C, SBIG ST-8300M
Mounts: Sky-Watcher HEQ5
Guiding telescopes or lenses: TMB 92SS
Guiding cameras: QHYCCD QHY5
Focal reducers: Teleskop-Service TS 2.5″ flattener
Software: Maxim DL, photoshop
Filters: Baader Planetarium UV/IR Cut Filter, Hutech IDAS LPS-P2
Accessories: Teleskop-Service OAG 9mm
Dates: Sept. 17, 2012, Sept. 24, 2012
Frames:
Hutech IDAS LPS-P2: 40×600″ bin 1×1
Baader Planetarium UV/IR Cut Filter: 25×600″ bin 1×1
Integration: 10.8 hours

Author: Jacek Bobowik
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 30 June 2014

The Pleiades in Taurus

The cluster core radius is about 8 light years and tidal radius is about 43 light years. The cluster contains over 1,000 statistically confirmed members, although this figure excludes unresolved binary stars. It is dominated by young, hot blue stars, up to 14 of which can be seen with the naked eye depending on local observing conditions. The arrangement of the brightest stars is somewhat similar to Ursa Major andUrsa Minor. The total mass contained in the cluster is estimated to be about 800 solar masses.

The cluster contains many brown dwarfs, which are objects with less than about 8% of the Sun’s mass, not heavy enough for nuclear fusion reactions to start in their cores and become proper stars. They may constitute up to 25% of the total population of the cluster, although they contribute less than 2% of the total mass. Astronomers have made great efforts to find and analyse brown dwarfs in the Pleiades and other young clusters, because they are still relatively bright and observable, while brown dwarfs in older clusters have faded and are much more difficult to study.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi TSA120
Imaging cameras: Canon 60Da
Mounts: Software Bisque Paramount MX
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Astro-Tech AT72ED
Guiding cameras: SBIG ST-i Mono
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Deep Sky Stacker, Software Bisque The Sky X Pro
Accessories: Astro Tech ATFF
Dates: Nov. 24, 2013
Frames: 53×300″
Integration: 4.4 hours

Author: Chad Quandt
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 08 June 2014

T Tauri and Hind’s Variable Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Bill Snyder (at Sierra Remote Observatories)

The yellowish star near center in this dusty telescopic skyview is T Tauri, prototype of the class of T Tauri variable stars. Just next door is the yellow cosmic cloud historically known as Hind’s Variable Nebula (NGC 1555). Over 400 light-years away, at the edge of an otherwise invisible molecular cloud, both star and nebula are seen to vary significantly in brightness but not necessarily at the same time, adding to the mystery of the intriguing region. T Tauri stars are now generally recognized as young (less than a few million years old), sun-like stars still in the early stages of formation. To further complicate the picture, infrared observations indicate that T Tauri itself is part of a multiple system and suggest that the associated Hind’s Nebula may also contain a very young stellar object. The naturally colored image spans about 7 light-years at the estimated distance of T Tauri.-

NASA APOD 03-May-14

M1: Crab Nebula in Ha, OIII

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Selfmade Super Astrograph 8″ f4
Imaging cameras: SBIG ST- 8300M
Mounts: Skywatcher AZ EQ6 GT
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Selfmade Super Astrograph 8″ f4
Guiding cameras: ALccd5-IIm
Software: Fitswork, Adobe Photoshop CS5
Filters: Baader Planetariun Ha 7nm, Baader Planetariun OIII 8.5nm
Accessories: TS 9mm OAG, Pal Gyulai Komakorrektor
Dates: March 11, 2014, March 12, 2014
Frames:
Baader Planetariun Ha 7nm: 16×900″
Baader Planetariun OIII 8.5nm: 16×900″
Integration: 8.0 hours

Autor: Petko Marinov

15 March 2014

We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.

M1: Crab nebula in Taurus

At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star 28–30 km across with a spin rate of 30.2 times per second, which emits pulses of radiation from gamma rays to radio waves. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified with a historical supernova explosion.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: TPO 8″ Ritchey–Chrétien
Imaging cameras: SBIG ST-8300M
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-G
Guiding cameras: SBIG ST-i Planetary and Guide Camera Mono
Software: DeepSkyStacker, PHD guiding, photoshop, Nebulosity
Filters: Astrodon H-alpha 5nm, Astrodon Tru-Balance Generation 2 E-Series – LRGB 36mm Round Fil
Accessories: SBIG OAG-8300
Dates: Jan. 4, 2014, Jan. 7, 2014, Jan. 24, 2014
Locations: Jamestown, NC, Cedar Key, FL
Frames:
Astrodon Tru-Balance Generation 2 E-Series – LRGB 36mm Round Fil: 8×1200″ -20C bin 1×1
Astrodon Tru-Balance Generation 2 E-Series – LRGB 36mm Round Fil: 27×600″ -20C bin 2×2
Astrodon H-alpha 5nm: 6×1800″ -20C bin 1×1
Integration: 10.2 hours

Autor: Mike Carroll

07 March 2014

We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.

The Pleiades Deep and Dusty

Image Credit & Copyright: David Lane

The well known Pleiades star cluster is slowly destroying part of a passing cloud of gas and dust. The Pleiades is the brightest open cluster of stars on Earth’s sky and can be seen from almost any northerly location with the unaided eye. The passing young dust cloud is thought to be part of Gould’s belt, an unusual ring of young star formation surrounding the Sun in the local Milky Way Galaxy. Over the past 100,000 years, part Gould’s belt is by chance moving right through the older Pleiades and is causing a strong reaction between stars and dust. Pressure from the star’s light significantly repels the dust in the surrounding blue reflection nebula, with smaller dust particles being repelled more strongly. A short-term result is that parts of the dust cloud have become filamentary and stratified, as seen in the above deep-exposure image.

NASA APOD 25-feb-2014

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