Melotte 15 in IC 1805 (Oct. 28, 2011)

Melotte 15 is a cluster of young stars at the heart of a large cloud of gas and dust often called the Heart Nebula, IC 1805.  Mel 15 is the heart of the Heart.  The cloud and cluster lie in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Telescope: Orion 10" f/4.7 Newtonian and Baader RCC1
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C, 20x10'
Filter: IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: SX Lodestar and SX OAG
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX

SH2-232 & PK 173+3.1 (Oct. 20, 2011)

This rather dim cloud of hydrogen is found in the constellation Auriga.  I don't know much about it, but I'm always intrigued when nature makes a more geometrical shape.  There are forces at work here!  This is the object I trained the SXVF-H9 on for the rest of the night after NGC 281, before I sent the camera off for repairs.

Smack dab in the middle of this nebula sh2-232 is another nebula, a planetary nebula called PK 173+3.1.  It is very small.  In the middle of sh2-232 are three brighter stars, two together and one just a bit a way.  The planetary is the fourth bright (but diffuse) object in the group.  It forms a triangle with the two brighter stars that are closer together.  Here is a closeup on the planetary.

Telescope: Orion 120ST f/5 Achromat w/WO ff/fr 0.8 II (so effectively at f/4)
Camera & Exposure: SXVF-H9, 15x15'
Filter: Astronomik 12nm H-alpha
Guiding: Borg 50mm, Meade DSI Pro, PHD
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX

NGC 281, the Pacman Nebula (Oct. 20, 2011)

OK, I've shot this before, but this is first light with a used SXVF-H9 camera I have obtained.  The camera has an electrical problem that sends a noise-creating current into the system, and I've sent it off for repair.  SX makes wonderful cameras, and their customer service has been top notch.  I have every hope the camera will come back in fine working order.  At any rate, this first light gives a hint at what the camera can do.  Darks and bias frames subtracted, and flats applied, and reduced in size by one-third.

Telescope: Orion 120ST f/5 Achromat w/WO ff/fr 0.8 II (so effectively at f/4)
Camera & Exposure: SXVF-H9, 18x10'
Filter: Astronomik 12nm H-alpha
Guiding: Borg 50mm, Meade DSI Pro, PHD
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX

IC 410 & NGC 1893 (Oct. 2, 2011)

This nebulous cloud of gas (IC 410) and embedded cluster of stars (NGC 1893) are found in the constellation Auriga.  They are perhaps 12,000 light years away.  As an image, the scene presents wonderful contrasts: the bright red, hydrogen emission tadpoles in the lower left; the purplish glow of ionized hydrogen and oxygen in the larger nebula; the light-deprived dust clouds in the upper part of the image; and, spread out across the scene, are the stars that have formed from the very gas in this cloud on this side facing earth---a brilliant spread of jewels on purple velvet.

This is my third observation of IC 410 and NGC 1893.  The first is here, just an h-alpha take with a smaller scope.  The second is here, a close-up on the tadpoles. 

Telescope: Orion 10" f/4.7 Newtonian and Baader RCC1
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C, 20x10'
Filter: IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: SX Lodestar and SX OAG
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX

M76 (October 2, 2011)

This is M76.  It is a planetary nebula in the constellation Perseus.  It is colorful, with red emission from hydrogen and nitrogen and blue emission from oxygen.  It is a beauty!

Sometimes, everything works.  The night of October 2 was clear and cool.  The air was still.  I had taken my camera and off-axis guider apart and put them back together in a better way.  I had tightened everything down.  M76 is a fairly bright target.  What you see here is probably near the resolution limit of this scope and camera.  If I can, I would like to get another three or four hours on this lovely object and see if I can make the extended lobes brighter and more defined.

The image above is a wide field and will not be viewed at 100% if you click on it.  Here is a 100% view:

Telescope: Orion 10" f/4.7 Newtonian and Baader RCC1
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C, 14x10'
Filter: IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: SX Lodestar and SX OAG
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX

Iris Nebula & M1: Promising But Need More Time (September 24, 2011)

These two images are beginnings.  At the observatory last week, one friend suggested I image the Iris.  I took several frames.  The air was turbulent and guiding was difficult.  I decided to switch over to the Helix Nebula.  After the Helix set, another friend suggested M1, which was rising above Orion in the constellation Taurus.  Both of these objects, the Iris and M1, could use several more hours exposure, but these images are promising.  This is my first observation of the Iris and my second of M1.  I would have taken more subs of M1 but my light-pollution filter dewed up (just about my only optical surface in danger from dew).

The Iris Nebula:

Telescope: Orion 10" f/4.7 Newtonian and Baader RCC1
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C, 5x10'
Filter: IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: SX Lodestar and SX OAG
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: SHSU Observatory, Huntsville, TX

And M1, sometimes called the Crab Nebula:

Telescope: Orion 10" f/4.7 Newtonian and Baader RCC1
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C, 2x10'
Filter: IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: SX Lodestar and SX OAG
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: SHSU Observatory, Huntsville, TX