M33 (Nov. 16 & 17, 2012)

Link to full resolution image.

M33 is about 2.88 million light years away (give or take a hundred thousand or so).  That's practically in our backyard.  M33 is, with M31, our next-door neighbor in the universe.  M33's nearness is why it appears so large in this scene.  As galaxies go, M33 is not that big, or that bright.  Compare it with M31, which I shot a couple of months ago with the exact same equipment, and you can see how much larger and brighter M31 is by comparison.

Anyway, M33 is beautiful.  I've always wanted this kind of image of it.  I'm sure this won't be the last time I shoot it.  This image has been shrunk to 80% of original size to hide latent noise; this image could use another six hours or so (and from a darker site).

Telescope: SV80ED (and William Optics 0.8x II fr/ff (eff. at f/5.6))
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C (49x480"), Alnitak Flat-man flats
Filter: Hutech IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: Meade DSI Pro and Hutech 50mm
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX

NGC 1977, the Running Bigfoot Nebula (Nov. 16 & 17, 2012)

Link to full resolution image.

This nebula is part of a great complex of gas and dust in the constellation Orion.  The most prominent part of the complex is M42 and M43.  M43 and part of M42 can be seen at the bottom of this image.

The Running Bigfoot Nebula glows mostly for a different reason than M42 and M43, however.  While M42 and M43 radiate the light of ionized gas, the Running Bigfoot reflects the light of the bright blue stars in and around it.  If you look closely at the Bigfoot figure, you see in his trailing arm the reddish glow of ionized gas, probably hydrogen and nitrogen.  But the blue light of the nebula is reflected.  Further away from the bright stars, where the light is too dim to be reflected in blue, it is reflected in gray and then brown.

The Running Bigfoot Nebula is called by most folks the Running Man Nebula, but look at the size of those arms!  And he's got no neck.  He's like no man I ever saw.  His trailing leg is behind a bush, I think.

Telescope: SV80ED (and William Optics 0.8x II fr/ff (eff. at f/5.6))
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C (50x480"), Alnitak Flat-man flats
Filter: Hutech IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: Meade DSI Pro and Hutech 50mm
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX

M46, NGC 2438, Minkowski 1-18 (Nov. 16 & 17, 2012)

 Link to full resolution image.

This image shows the open cluster M46 in the constellation Puppis.  The non-stellar ring of material that seems to be within the cluster is planetary nebula NGC 2438.  The nebula is actually in front of the cluster, astronomers believe, and just a chance alignment makes the cluster and the nebula appear together in the sky.

A wide field view is great for an apparently large open cluster like M46.  But to see the planetary nebula in detail, an imager must use a much longer focal length.  How about this image, taken through narrowband filters with the 0.82 meter IAC80 telescope?  The IAC80's 9-meter focal length reveals a host of details that my telescope's 0.5-meter focal length could never show.

As I was processing this image, I found another planetary nebula in it to the left of M46 and NGC 2438.  This nebula is cataloged as Minkowski 1-18, PK 231+04.1, and PN G231.4+04.3.  It is to the left (north) and down (east) just a bit from NGC 2438 and is near the edge of the frame.  It appears as a dim, dark red, circular patch just a little larger than the footprint of the brighter stars near it.  You may have to look at the full resolution image to see it.  I was happy to see it as I did not know it was there before taking this image.

Telescope: SV80ED (and William Optics 0.8x II fr/ff (eff. at f/5.6))
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C (46x480"), Alnitak Flat-man flats
Filter: Hutech IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: Meade DSI Pro and Hutech 50mm
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX