NGC 253. 3×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UV/IR filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.NGC 253. 3×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UV/IR filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8. Full field.
It surprised me how well this came out with only 3 sub-images. I was at the observing site south of Perry, LA where it is a Bortle 4/4.5 zone, which helped quite a bit. It was the first time I have used my QHY183c astro camera with just a clear UV/IR filter, which showed me how sensitive and noise-free this camera really is.
C/2021 A1. 12×120 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UV/IR filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.C/2021 A1. 12×120 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UV/IR filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8. Star-Streaks version.C/2021 A1. 1×15 sec, Canon T3, IDAS-LPS filter, Sigma 28-70 at 53mm, F/4.C/2021 A1. 1×15 sec, Canon T3, IDAS-LPS filter, Sigma 28-70 at 53mm, F/4.
Finally got some clear weather to image Comet Leonard again. It had been 20 days of clouds and poor conditions. A day or two before this night, it was announced that the comet was in outburst and had gotten significantly brighter. I was lucky to have the weather clear up just in time for me to catch it while it was still in outburst and displaying a dazzling tail!
Oh, here’s further work I did with those 15sec tripod mounted shots below. I was able to get 9 of the better ones to stack in IRIS and created this image showing the tail length better.
Comet Leonard, Dec 22, 2021, 00:30 UT. 9×15 sec @ ISO 1600, Canon T3, IDAS-LPS, Sigma 28-70 zoom at 53mm, F/4.
C/2021 A1 (Leonard) on Nov 29, 2021. 37×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.C/2021 A1 (Leonard) on Nov 29, 2021. 37×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.
Comet Leonard is getting bigger and brighter. First clear weather since the lunar eclipse allowed me to get some new data on this guy.
I made a quick comparison image to show the size of the comet compared to the moon (simulated):
Combined data – 32×180 sec taken with TV-85 and 35×180 sec taken with AT60ED.
RegiStar let me combine two shots, one from Nov 2021 and one from Jan 2021, both taken with my QHY183c camera, but with two different telescopes. Both were from the same location – a very light polluted metro area, using a Baader UHC-S L-Booster filter.
I am pleased that the UHC-S filter has this much response to blue reflection nebula while keeping out the enormous amount of LP that I have to shoot through here in the city.
The Lunar Eclipse, Nov 19, 2021. 2 sec, QHY183c, Gain 18, Offset 50, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60D.The Lunar Eclipse, Nov 19, 2021. 2 sec, QHY183c, Gain 18, Offset 50, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60D.
The lunar eclipse of Nov 19, 2019 was pretty good, considering it was only partial. I started imaging at 1:00 and didn’t stop until dawn. The two best images are above. The sequence below is exactly how they came out live in the field, so to speak.
BONUS:
Two comets, C/2021 A1 and 67P, just a quick look to see their progress from the last time. 67P appears to have faded a little and C/2021 A1 has gotten brighter.
The Moon on Nov 13, 2021. QHY183c, AT60ED at F/4.8.The Pleiades. 35×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.The Andromeda Galaxy. 50×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Star Streaks Version. 40×180 sec (comet, 20×180 sec background), Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Star Freeze Version. 40×180 sec (comet, 20×180 sec background), Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.C/2021-A1 (Leonard). 24×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.C/2021-A1 (Leonard). 24×180 sec, Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY183c at -20C, UHC-S filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8. Star Freeze version.
Great weather and very transparent skies for this session. I started out with the goal of getting two comets, but since they didn’t get into position until later, I started off with the Moon, then M45 and M31. I also shot Pickering’s Triangle, part of the Veil Nebula complex, but didn’t get enough subs to do it any justice.
The comets were small, but interesting with long tails instead of being just puff balls. 67P has a really long tail in images taken by others. I was glad to get as much as I got shooting from the middle of town with all the LP.
Earthshine from the Moon on Nov 7, 2021. An overexposed thin crescent and Earthshine from a 2 to 3-days old moon. 2 sec at Gain 42, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8, QHY183c at -15C, Optolong L-eNhance filter.Witch’s Broom – 20 x 180 sec at Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY-183C at -15C, Optolong L-eNhance filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.California Nebula – 51 x 180 sec at Gain 11, Offset 50, QHY-183C at -15C, Optolong L-eNhance filter, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8.
From last night, Sunday, Nov 7, 2021 local time.
I stayed out till almost 1:00 AM shooting this image of the California Nebula. It is 2.55 hours of 3 minute sub-images (51×180 sec) calibrated and stacked in SharpCap 3.2 LiveStacking. Taken with a QHY183c camera at -15C cooling, an Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8 and an Optolong L-eNhance filter. Metro area location under heavy light pollution, but clear and transparent skies.
At the beginning of the session, the moon was beautiful next to Venus, but I could not fit them in the same field of view. So, I decided to catch the Earthshine before it got too low.
The Witch’s Broom was taken to kill time while waiting for the California Nebula to get into position.
The Heart Nebula. 26×180 sec, QHY183c at -15C, Gain 11, Offset 50, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8, Optolong L-eNhance filter. Taken from a metro-area under heavy LP on Sep 26, 2021.
The Bubble Nebula and Friends. 42×180 sec, QHY183c at -15C, Gain 11, Offset 50, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8, Optolong L-eNhance filter. Taken from a metro-area under heavy LP on Sep 26, 2021.
IC 1396 with the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula. 30×180 sec, QHY183c at -15C, Gain 11, Offset 50, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8, Optolong L-eNhance filter. Taken from a metro-area under heavy LP on Sep 26, 2021Detail View – IC 1396 with the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (IC 13996A.) 30×180 sec, QHY183c at -15C, Gain 11, Offset 50, Astro-Tech AT60ED at F/4.8, Optolong L-eNhance filter.
Images of Comets, Nebulae, Galaxies and Star Clusters
