Newest Images

The Rosette Nebula without the hydrogen alpha ż
8th December 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Canon 5D Mark II
9 x 15 min sub exposures with flats and dark frames.
Scope: TMB 130SS using WO/TMB 68mm Field Flattener.
Autoguided with Orion Auto Guider on Stellarvue 10x60
Mountain Instruments MI-250 Mount
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky stacker and processed
with Photoshop CS3, using Noel Carboni's tools, diffraction spikes have been added.

Here is 2.25 hours of RGB using the modified Canon 5D Mark II, SO I THOUGHT!! ż
Not realizing at the time that when Canon had returned my camera they had mistakingly removed the Baader UV/IR block filter and replaced it with the stock Canon IR filter.
When modified this camera produced a high degree of hydrogen alpha sensitivity, in the stock form however the Ha sensitivity is vastly reduced.
Due to this mistake this image reveals a different wavelength of light and the hot young blue stars at the center.

M42 The Orion Nebula from the light and the dark side
Combined on 19th November 2010

M42 Orion Nebula, NGC 1977 Running Man Nebula with Ha
Another joint project by Andy and myself using different cameras and scopes 700 miles apart. This is my original RGB image reprocessed
from the 10th and 12th September using the Canon 5D Mark II on the TMB 130 together with Andy's layer of hydrogen alpha that he shot last week
in Long Island New York, using an FLI ML8300 Mono CCD on his TMB92SS at F4.4.I felt my original image was too saturated and we both prefer
the natural look in this attempt, I also added some 1 minute sub exposures that were layered into the final image of HA RED, HAL and RGB to prevent
the area surrounding the trapezium from being totally blown out.

Terry's Location: Fremont, Michigan
Date of Shoot: 10th and 12th September 2010
Camera: modified Canon 5D Mark II
4x15 min sub exposures at 400ISO with flat and dark frames.
6x5 min sub exposures at 100ISO with flat and dark frames.
30x1 min sub exposures at 200ISO with flat and dark frames.
Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on Stellarvue 10x60
Mount: Mountain Instruments MI-250 (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky
Stacker and processed with Photoshop CS3.
Terry's original Image

Andy's Location: Long Island, New York
Date of shoot: 19th November 2010
Camera:FLI ML8300 Mono CCD with FLI CFW 2-7 Filter wheel
11x20 minute sub exposures with hydrogen alpha filter
Scope: TMB 92ss F5.5 Refractor At.8 Reducer
CGE Mount
Star shoot Autoguider - Borg Mini 50 Guidescope
Astronomik 50mm Round filters
Aquisition and Stacking: CCD Stack
Post processing: Photoshop CS/2
Andy's's original Image

The Horsehead Nebula(Barnard 33) Flame Nebula(NGC 2024)
30th and 31st October 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon XSi 15 x 1200 min sub exposures at 800ISO with flat and dark frames.
Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on Stellarvue 10x60
Mount: Mountain Instruments MI-250 (pier mounted
) Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky
Stacker and processed with Photoshop CS3.

Although I am eager to start shooting again with the 5D Mark II, I decided to use the Canon XSi just one more time for a closer view.
I shot this image over 2 nights on the 30th and 31st October from my little backyard observatory in Fremont Michigan. Consisting of 15 x 20 minute exposures
(5 hours) mounted on the TMB 130SS.

M81 (NGC 3031) Bode's Galaxy (12.5 hours)
6th 7th and 8th October 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon XSi (450D)
50x15 min sub exposures 800 ISO with flat and dark frames.
Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on Stellarvue 10x60
Mount: Mountain Instruments MI-250 (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky Stacker
and processed with Photoshop CS3.

Crop of M81 also known as Bode's Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, a recent target using the Canon XSi.
Shot from my back yard observatory in Fremont Michigan, 12.5 hours of 15 minute sub exposures over 3 nights early October. I should have waited for a month or so because
they are still very low on my horizon but I am very impatient.
I hope to re visit this target soon now I have my Canon 5D Mark II back from repair.

M81 (NGC 3031) and M82 (NGC 3034) galaxies (12.5 hours)
6th 7th and 8th October 2010

A couple of my favorites M81 also known as Bode's Galaxy and M82 also known as the cigar galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, were a recent target using the Canon XSi.
Shot from my back yard observatory in Fremont Michigan, 12.5 hours of 15 minute sub exposures over 3 nights early October. I should have waited for a month or so because
they are still very low on my horizon but I am very impatient.
I hope to re visit this target soon now I have my Canon 5D Mark II back from repair.

M42 The Great Nebula in Orion and NGC 1977 The Running Man Nebula
10th and 12th September 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon 5D Mark II
4x15 min sub exposures at 400ISO with flat and dark frames.
6x5 min sub exposures at 100ISO with flat and dark frames.
Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on Stellarvue 10x60
Mount: Mountain Instruments MI-250 (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky Stacker
and processed with Photoshop CS3.

M42-The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible
to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of 1,344 ± 20 light years and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is
estimated to be 24 light years across. Older texts frequently referred to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula. The Orion Nebula is one
of the most scrutinized and photographed objects in the night sky, and is among the most intensely studied celestial features. The nebula has revealed much about the
process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust. Astronomers have directly observed protoplanetary disks, brown dwarfs,
intense and turbulent motions of the gas, and the photo-ionizing effects of massive nearby stars in the nebula. There are also supersonic "bullets" of gas piercing the
dense hydrogen clouds of the Orion Nebula. Each bullet is ten times the diameter of Pluto's orbit and tipped with iron atoms glowing bright blue. They were probably formed
one thousand years ago from an unknown violent event.The Orion Nebula is an example of a stellar nursery where new stars are being born. Observations of the nebula
have revealed approximately 700 stars in various stages of formation within the nebula

RunningMan Nebula- NGC 1977 is a large blue reflection nebula in Orion located just above the Great Nebula, M-42. The running man shape appears easily
in CCD images, but is much more difficult to detect visually. In fact nebulosity around these stars is not readily visible in 6"-8" scopes.

Pleiades (M45)
10th and 12th September 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon 5D Mark II
3x15 min sub exposures at 800ISO with flat and dark frames.
Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on Stellarvue 10x60
Mount: Mountain Instruments MI-250 (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky
Stacker and processed with Photoshop CS3.

Shot from my back yard observatory in Fremont Michigan on the 12th September using the Canon 5D Mark II with TMB 130SS mounted on MI-250 GEM. Consisting of 3 x 15 min exposures at 800ISO. In astronomy, the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters (Messier object 45), 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. Pleiades has several meanings in different cultures and traditions. The cluster is dominated by hot blue and extremely luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. Dust that forms a faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars was thought at first to be left over from the formation of the cluster (hence the alternate name Maia Nebula after the star Maia), but is now known to be an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium that the stars are currently passing through. Astronomers estimate that the cluster will survive for about another 250 million years, after which it will disperse due to gravitational interactions with its galactic neighborhood.

M31 Andromeda Galaxy (NGC 224) (10 HOURS)
19th, 21st and 22nd July, 17th August 2010 (Date Shooting)

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon 5D Mark II
61x10 min sub exposures with flat and dark frames.
Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS
Mount: CGE PRO GEM (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky Stacker
and processed with Photoshop CS3.

Here is another 5 hours of 10 minute sub exposures, making a total of 10 hours and 10 minutes. I had originally planned to do 20 hours
of subs but I think this might just do it. What do you think? Besides it's taken me a lot longer than earlier expected due to equipment
problems, bad weather and then a setback processing as the original stacked image had a lot of artifacts which turned out to be caused by bad
dark frames, it took me ages to process. I am pretty happy with the final result. The lightbridge is visible between M110 and M31.

M31 The Andromeda Galaxy (Latest Version)
19th, 21st and 22ns July 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon 5D Mark II
31x10 min sub exposures with 20 each flats and dark frames.
Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS
Mount: CGE PRO GEM (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky Stacker and processed with Photoshop CS3.

I decided to process the DSS version again (last image posted was stacked using Nebulosity) the galaxy now spans edge to edge almost.
This time I tried to retain the galactic bulge without blowing out but in doing so some of the core detail is lost in this version. This is a planned
20 hour project, I will post a 10 hour version soon after the moon wanes weather prevailing and I don’t get hit by a bus.

NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4 (Iris Nebula)
17th and 19th June 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon 5D Mark II
40 x 10 minute sub exposures with 20 each flats and dark frames
added separately for each night.
Telescope: TMB 130SS F7 Refractor using AT 2" Field Flattener.
Auto guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS guide scope
Mount: Celestron CGE PRO GEM
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Nebulosity II
and processed with Photoshop CS3.

IC 5146 Cocoon Nebula(with star reduction)
14th, 15th and 16th July 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Camera: modified Canon 5D Mark II
51x10 min sub exposures with 20 each flats and dark frames
Scope: Astro Tech RC 8" using AT 2" Field Flattener
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS Mount: CGE PRO GEM (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky Stacker
and processed with Photoshop CS3.

I managed to capture a few more photons of one of my favorite targets in between storms. Last night my biggest fear happened, an unexpected
rain storm and I had to close the roof at lightning speed, no damage done that's the main thing. This is another 6 hours of sub exposures (total 8.5 hours)
I plan to shoot another 3 hours so I can compare with my 11 hour shoot using the TMB.

Veil Nebula
May 2010

Equipment Used and other info
QHY8 Gain 1% Offset 130
50 subs 600 seconds, with flats and bias
TMB 130SS
Auto guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS
CGE PRO Mount
Stacked with Nebulosity, and processed with Photoshop CS4

Finally the modified RA drive for the CGE PRO arrived yesterday. I have had the stock bearings replaced with SS/ceramic, Worm block is now spring loaded (floating worm) and the worm was lapped to ring gear. I had problems getting the mount to go to “SWITCH”. Thanks to help from Andy, Jim at Aeroquest who helped me troubleshoot and to Terry Lacy who flew over to my house when I called him up in panic mode (I figured it out just before he pulled into my driveway). It was only adjustment needed on the switch that shuts the RA drive off when in the correct position. As soon as I got the mount assembled and calibrated. I did a PE run using pempro, I was very disappointed only to discover afterwards that I had forgotten to change the counterweights for shooting west so it gave me an incorrect reading of 31 arc seconds (talk about a dumb ass). As it was almost 2am I decided to try to get a few more photons on the veil. I used PHD for guiding and using the graph (see attached) you can see that the curve is much smoother than before when I was getting readings of about RMS 0.45, last nights readings were around RMS 0.18-0.19. I managed to get only 8 10 minute subs of the veil but the data I got was almost equal to the 14 subs I got in May just before the mount was shipped. I did a quick process and several passes of star reduction which is attached, I’m not posting this to flickr as I intend to be shooting a few more hours on this subject before I’m done with it. I am so happy to be back in business, especially as the modification seems to have improved the PE “thanks to Jim of Aeroquest”. It’s raining here tonight but next clear sky I will be doing another run in pempro to get some accurate readings.

M101(Pinwheel Galaxy- 9.3 HRS)
April 2010

Equipment Used and other info
9.3 HRS M101
55 x 10 minute subs
24 darks 24 flats
Canon 450D modded ISO 800
TMB 130 SS
Guided w/TMB 80SS and Auto guider
Celestron CGE Mount
Post Processing Nebulosity II

I have managed a few more photons, now this is 55 x 10 minute subs with flat and dark frames. I'm not real happy with the end result here because the
are much bigger than they should be due to bad PE with the CGE PRO. End of may this will be fixed with a new worm. Also I feel the focus is a bit soft
tonight I collimated with a Howie Glatter and it was way off, so I guess I will find out when next it clears up.

M81(cropped)
16th, 21st, and 22nd of November 2009

Equipment Used and other info
52 subs x 900 seconds
with flats and bias frames
QHY8 Gain 1% Offset 110
TMB 130 SS F7 Refractor
with AT 2" Field Flattener
Guided w/TMB 80SS and Auto guider
CGE Pro Mount
Image Acquired and Stacked with Nebulosity II
Post Processing Photoshop CS3, tweaked with
Noise Ninja and wavelet sharpen.

I decided to reprocess my earlier 13 hour image of the M81 Galaxy taken with the QHY8 as Andy processed
the last one shown in here and I was interested to try my own hand at processing and compare with the more
recent shots taken with the Canon XSi, it's not really a fair comparison because the Canon shoot was only 5.5
hours compared to 13 hours. If we get some clear skies I might try to get another 6 hours using the XSi,
now that will be interesting. Let me know what you think

M82(cropped)
7th, 8th and 12th February 2010

Equipment Used and other info
22 subs x 900 seconds
20x Dark subs and 100xflat subs
Canon XSi (450D) modified
TMB 130 SS F7 Refractor
with AT 2" Field Flattener
Guided w/TMB 80SS and Auto guider
CGE Pro Mount
Image Acquired and Stacked with Nebulosity II
Post Processing Photoshop CS3, tweaked with
Noise Ninja and wavelet sharpen.

M82 Galaxy with modded XSi DSLR I am still waiting for the Mark II so I have to shoot with something...lol.
I managed to get a few more subs, this is 5 1/2 hours of 15 min exposures. For some reason pempro isn't
working with my starshoot auto guider so stars are not as round as I would like. I have been having a lot
of problems with PS CS4 shutting down when using the Astra Image tool (wavelet sharpen) so I've migrated
back to PS CS3 and I was able to use it here with no problems.

M13
7th March 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Canon XSi Modded 400 ISO
15 subs x 900 seconds, with 3 darks and 100 flat
TMB 130SS F7 Refractor with AT 2" Field Flattener
Auto guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS
CGE PRO Mount, Image Acquired and Stacked with Nebulosity II
and re processed with Photoshop CS3, using the tools
GradientXterminator and Astra Image (wavelet sharpen)

As I wait for my new camera to arrive and we finally got some clear skies. I decided to shoot one
of my favorites using the Canon XSi DSLR, I'm not totally happy with the image but its my best shot
of M13 to date. There are quite a number of small galaxies visible in this shoot, the largest being NGC
6207 and IC 4617 which lies halfway between NGC 6207 and M13. I am so not used to having to shoot
dark frames, by the time I set up to shoot dark frames the sun was almost up, consequently this image
has only 3 darks. Since then the temp has soared to 50F and I doubt if I will be able to shoot darks for this
until next year. (not that I will really miss the cold).

Arguably one of the most photographed and largest globular clusters in the northern hemisphere. In this
cropped image, both galaxies NGC6207 and IC 4617 are visible upper left of M13.

First Light with Canon 5D Mark II Whirlpool galaxy Messier 51
16th March 2010

Equipment Used and other info
Canon 5D Mark II Modded 800 ISO
8 subs x 900 seconds, with 10 darks and 100 flat
TMB 130SS F7 Refractor with AT 2" Field Flattener
Auto guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS
CGE PRO Mount, Image Acquired and Stacked with Nebulosity II
and re processed with Photoshop CS3

Crop Whirlpool galaxy Messier 51
16th March 2010

M1 The Crab Nebula (NGC 1952, Taurus A) (Cropped)
12th November 2009

Equipment Used and other info
QHY8 Gain 1% Offset 130
16 subs x 900 seconds,(4hrs) with flats and bias.
TMB 130SS using AT 2" Field Flattener
Auto guided with Orion Auto Guider on TMB 80SS
CGE PRO Mount
Image Acquired and Stacked with Nebulosity II
Processed with Photoshop CS3
Tweaked with Wavelet Sharpen and Noise Ninja

Four Hours of M1. This is one of the last images I shot using the QHY8 OSC CCD camera, I didn’t process it then as I really didn’t think it turned out that great,
with a OSC camera this object needs a minimum of 6 hours IMHO.