Main Menu
Homepage Home
Equipment Gallery
Equipment Movies  New
About About
Equipment Equipment
Planned Photography Planned Photography
Feedback Feedback
Viewing Reports '08
December December
November November
October October
September September
August August
July July
juny June
May May
April April
March March
February February
January January
Archive
rep07 Reports 2007 Reports
2006 Reports 2006 Reports
Astro Resources
Astronomy Calender Astro Calender
Astronomy Hints / FAQ Viewing Hints
Space Station & Shuttle Viewing Station (ISS) / Shuttle
Astro Resources Resources
Astro Store Astro Store

DEEP SKY photos

Newest at the top
2008 Gallery
NGC4565
The Leo Triplet
Click image to enlarge

One of the finest examples of an 'edge on' view spiral galaxy. Simply known as NGC4565 (its catalogue number), it is located in the constellation of Coma Berenices. This area of the sky is literally riddled with galaxies, many of which are visible in amateur telescopes. I was told that this is a good galaxy to photograph but at the time did not know what it looked like. As you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised with what appeared on screen.

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  9x 45 seconds @ ISO 1600
 
The Leo Triplet
The Leo Triplet
Click image to enlarge

Three galaxies in the constellation of Leo all of which can be seen in the same field of view. The group of galaxies is roughly 35 million light years away. The galaxies are identified as M65 (top right), M66 (bottom right) and NGC3628 (left). As the constellation of Leo is a long way from the pole star, this area of sky moves more quickly. As a result, I could only manange 30 second exposures. Any longer and I get star trailing. I'm sure with a little more time taken on aligning the mount I can improve on these exposure lengths.

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  37x 30 seconds @ ISO 1600
 
M97 - The Owl Nebula
M97 - The Owl Nebula
Click image to enlarge

A distinctive planetary nebula resembling two wide eye's looking back at you in the sky. Quite a strange object both photographically and visually through a telescope

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  25x 75 seconds @ ISO 1600
M45 - The Pleiades (aka The 7 sisters)
M45 - The Pleiades (aka The 7 sisters)
Click image to enlarge

The closest open cluster to our solar system is well known as 'The seven sisters', easily visible to the naked eye for which at least 5 or 6 stars can be seen with the naked eye (I've never counted 7 myself). Through a telescope many more stars are revealed amongst the main 7 bright stars. In behind the stars is cloudy nebulosity which you can only see a hint of in this photo.

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  8x 90 seconds @ ISO 1600
M1 - The Crab Nebula
M1 - The Crab Nebula
Click image to enlarge

This Nebula represents the left over gas and material from an exploded star.

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  10x 60 seconds @ ISO 1600
M81/M82 - The Bodes Galaxies
M81 & M82 - The Bodes Galaxies
Click image to enlarge

These two galaxies in Ursa Major are in gravitational combat with each other and m82, the cigar shaped galaxy, is the one loosing the battle hence its irregular shape.

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  30x 45 seconds @ ISO 1600
M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy
M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy
Click image to enlarge

The closest galaxy to the Milky Way at a staggering distance of 2.2 million light years. That means the light from this photo has taken 2.2 million years to reach my camera! Taking photos of galaxies really is like looking in to the past.

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  10x 60 seconds @ ISO 1600
M42 - The Great Orion Nebula
M45 - The Great Orion Nebula
Click image to enlarge

My first photo of 2008 and first taken through the 250px telescope mounted on the EQ6 Synscan mount. The Orion Nebula is the closest star forming region to our solar system. The colourful clouds of dust and gas are collapsing in to create bright new stars. It is these very stars which illuminate the immense clouds for us to see in all their glory.

Camera:  Canon EOS 400D
Telescope:  250px on EQ6 Synscan Mount
Exposures:  7x 20 & 2x 40 seconds @ ISO 1600
2007 Gallery
M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula
M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula
Click image to enlarge

The Dumbbell Nebula (M27), is a planetary nebula. This is the result of a star that reached the end of its life and the remaining shell of 'star material' is expanding outwards. The left over dwarf star can be seen in the center of the nebula in this photo. Taken with DSLR and 120mm refractor.

M57 - The Ring Nebula
M57 - The Ring Nebula
Click image to enlarge

The Ring Nebula (M57) is a fascinating object. Another example of a planetary nebula that through a telescope looks like a tiny grey smoke ring hanging in the sky. In this photo some colour comes out. The ring is made up of a glowing shell of gas and plasma formed by certain types of stars at the end of their lives. There is a very faint central star in the middle however it would take a very large telescope to capture it in a photo leave alone view it.

M81 & M82 Galaxies
M81 & M82
Click image to enlarge

Two Galaxies that can be found in Ursa Major. M81 to the left is a large spiral galaxy with a bright core. M82 to the right is an irregular galaxy, a messy pulp of exploded stars and violently colliding gas. It is also known as 'the cigar' due to its shape. Both galaxies are locked in gravitational combat with each other. 9x90 second exposures at ISO 800. I really need to try longer exposures next time to reveal M81's spiral arms which are sadly hidden in this image

M13 - The Hercules Cluster
The Hercules Cluster
Click image for normal version
Click here for large version

The Hercules Cluster - Zoomed in

The Great Hercules Cluster is a globular cluster of stars containing several 100,000 stars. This object can just be seen with the naked eye in a dark moonless sky resembling a dim fuzzy like star. A showpiece object through a telescope. These two images were created from a composite of 18 exposures ranging from 30 to 60 secs taken with the Canon 400D DSLR camera attached to telescope.

The Double ClusterThe Double Cluster
Click image to enlarge

The Double Cluster in Perseus is one of my favourite objects to view in the sky. A photograph never seems to be able to capture the richness of these clusters when viewed in an eyepiece. Taken with Canon EOS 400D connected to telescope, 2x 60 sec exposure, ISO 800/1600

M35 - Open ClusterM35 - An open cluster in Gemini
Click image to enlarge

M35 - A pretty open cluster in Gemini easily revealing around 50 stars in the eyepiece. The cluster actually consists of a few hundred individual stars. A composite of multiple 30 second exposures taken with the Canon 400D / telescope.

M37 - Open ClusterM37 Open Cluster
Click image to enlarge

The richest of the three open cluster's in the constellation of Auriga, M37. Thought to contain over 500 stars. 9x1 minute exposures taken with Canon EOS 400D

M51 - The Whirlpool GalaxyM51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy<
Click image to enlarge
/td>

My first Digital SLR image of the Whirlpool Galaxy. Using the DSLR nicely shows the surrounding area with M51 'hanging' in the sky. A better picture can be found further down the page. I need to practice more to get a better quality image of this magnificent deep sky object. Multiple images totalling around 15 minutes of exposure time.

M42 - The Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula
Click image to enlarge

The Orion Nebula. Seeing this photo appear on my camera's LCD screen was my proudest astro-photography moment to date. 3 minute exposure, ISO 1600 with Orion Skyglow filter attached to camera

The Orion Nebula
Click image to enlarge

The Orion Nebula. A composite of 3 images taken at 1,2 and 3 minute exposures on the same night as the left image. Processed in ImagesPlus Software.




The 3 images below were taken in unpolluted skies of North Devon at astro-adventures using my telescope and a borrowed Meade Deep Sky Imager - May 2006
M13 - The Hercules ClusterM13 - The Hercules Cluster
Click image to enlarge

M13 - The Hercules Cluster contains several 100,000 stars and can be just seen with the naked eye in a dark moonless sky resembling a dim fuzzy like star. Taken using a Meade Deep Sky Imager, Meade software and finalised in Paintshop Pro

M51 - The Whirlpool GalaxyM51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy
Click image to enlarge

M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy. In all its glory again taken with the Meade DSI.

M82M82
Click image to enlarge

M82 - A side on view galaxy also taken with the Meade DSI.