M97, the pale blue Owl Nebula in Ursa Major, distance 2600 light years, imaged by CP995 digicam at average seeing and -5°C C11 with 40mm Pentax + Nikon CP995 in wide mode; 12 exposures of 60 sec at ISO800 averaged, noise reduction by "blackframe"; levels, gaussian blur for colors and background in Photoshop, cropped, size reduced to 70%; |
|
NGC2392, the smallEskimo Nebula in Gemini, distance 3000 light years, mag 10, imaged by CP995 digicam at average seeing and 0°C C11 with 40mm Pentax + Nikon CP995 in wide mode; single exposure of 60 sec at ISO400, noise reduction by "blackframe"; levels, gaussian blur for colors and background in Photoshop, cropped, unsharp mask |
|
The center of M42, including the Trapezium, imaged by CP995 digicam at fair seeing (3-4) and 0°C C11 with 40mm Pentax + Nikon CP995 in wide mode; 5 exposures of 8 sec and one with 30 sec at ISO400 combined, noise reduction by "blackframe"; double layer technique, levels, mild gaussian blur for colors and background in Photoshop, unsharp mask, cropped due to bad distortion in outer parts. |
|
Orion`s sword, including M42, M43 and NGC1977; To cut the noise it is a composition of 10 images with the 4" refractor and 15 superimposed images with the C11 within a period of 6 weeks. Each exposure 60 sec with the CP995, noise reduction by "blackframe"; levels, mild gaussian blur for colors and background in Photoshop, unsharp mask; This image was published in the Sky & Telescope Magazine Gallery of November 2002. |
|
The globular cluster M3 in Bootes; C11 afocal to Pentax XL and CP995 in wide at ISO 400; 3 x 60 sec combined at -1°C at bad seeing; Noise reduction by "blackframe"; Logarithmic stretch, mild gaussian blur for colors and background in Photoshop, unsharp mask, size reduced to 50%; |
|
The galaxy group M65, M66 and NGC3628 in Leo, distance 35 million light years; CP995 in wide mode at ISO 400; 12 x 60 sec with the 4" refractor and 6 x 60 sec with the C11 combined at 0°C at medium seeing; Noise reduction by "blackframe"; Logarithmic level stretch, gaussian blur for colors and background in Photoshop, unsharp mask; |
|
M51, the famous Whirlpool galaxy with interacting companion in Canes Venatici, distance 37 million light years;
Top (closeup): C11 with 40mm Pentax + Nikon CP995 in wide mode at 0°C and at good transparency; 12 exposures of 60 sec at ISO400 averaged, noise reduction by "blackframe"; levels, gaussian blur for colors and background in Photoshop, cropped, size reduced to 70%; Bottom (wide view): 12 exposures each 60 sec averaged with 4" ED refractor; same processing, cropped; |
|
M45, the Pleiades with the MX7C and the 180mm f/2.8 lens at good conditions;
5 exposures of 120 sec averaged, alignment, levels, unsharp mask, color balance in Photoshop; |
|
NGC2237, the Rosette Nebula with the MX7C and the 180mm f/2.8 lens at good conditions;
5 exposures of 120 sec averaged, alignment, levels, unsharp mask, color balance in Photoshop; |
|
M42 and NGC1977 in Orion last time for this year with the MX7C and the 180mm f/2.8 lens at good conditions;
5 exposures of 120 sec averaged, alignment, levels, unsharp mask, color balance in Photoshop; |
|
M1, the Crab Nebula in Taurus with the MX7C and the 4" f/9 ED refractor at good conditions;
The red color shows the hydrogen emission, the pale blue shows the synchrotron radiation of electrons in a strong magnetic field; 4 exposures of 120 sec averaged, the resulting color was poor, so a seperate red channel was taken with a red filter; alignment, levels, unsharp mask, color balance in Photoshop; |
|
M5, a globular cluster in Serpens, distance 24000 light years;
C11 with 40mm Pentax + Nikon CP995 in wide mode at 11°C and at good transparency; 6 exposures of 60 sec at ISO400 averaged, noise reduction by "blackframe"; levels, gaussian blur for colors, unsharp mask in Photoshop, cropped, size reduced to 70%; |
|
M13, the globular cluster in Hercules, distance 25000 light years;
Top (closeup): C11 with 40mm Pentax + Nikon CP995 in wide mode at 11°C and at good transparency; 10 exposures of 60 sec at ISO400 averaged, noise reduction by "blackframe"; levels, gaussian blur for colors, unsharp mask in Photoshop, cropped, size reduced to 70%; Bottom (wide view): 5 exposures each 60 sec averaged with 4" ED refractor; center image additionally used from C11; same processing, cropped; size reduced to 70%; |
|
M92, a globular cluster in Hercules, distance 26000 light years;
C11 with 40mm Pentax + Nikon CP995 in wide mode at 11°C and at good transparency; 8 exposures of 60 sec at ISO400 averaged, noise reduction by "blackframe"; levels, gaussian blur for colors, unsharp mask in Photoshop, cropped, size reduced to 70%; |
|
M13, the globular cluster in Hercules again with the MX7C and the 4" f/9 ED refractor at average conditions;
Compared to the digicam image much less artefacts are present; 5 exposures of 120 sec averaged; alignment, levels, unsharp mask, color balance in Photoshop; |
|
M57, this time with the new Canon D60 and the C11 at f/6 and +20°C;
Some artefacts present due to the high ambient temperature; Top: 2 exposures of 600 sec averaged; darks subtracted; alignment, levels, unsharp mask, color saturation, crop in Photoshop; Lucy-Richardson deconvolution for Luminance in Astroart to correct guiding errors. In the top right corner the faint mag 15.1 galaxy IC 1296 is visible; This image was published in the Sky & Telescope Magazine Gallery of November 2002. Bottom: enhanced detail of IC 1296 |
|
A deep image of Beta-Cygni (Albireo), the famous orange-blue colored double star with the Canon D60
Single 30 sec exposure at ISO800 with the C11 at f/6 and +17°C with full moon up; size reduced to 70%; cropped; levels and light unsharp mask in Photoshop; stars down to mag 16 are visible; Compare image with webcam: here |
|
Emission nebula M16 imaged by the Canon D60; in the center the famous "pillars of creation" 10 x 120 sec exposures combined at ISO800 with the C11 at f/6 and +15°C at good transparency; darks subtracted; Curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 70% and cropped all in Photoshop; red color had to be enhanced; noise removal by NEATIMAGE This image was published in the Sky & Telescope Magazine Gallery of October 2002. |
|
Brightest Planetary Nebula M27, located in Vulpecula at a distance of 1250 light years;
8 x 120 sec exposures combined at ISO 800 with the D60 and the C11 at f/6 and +14°C at good transparency; darks subtracted; Richardson-Lucy deconvolution in Astroart; mild blur, curves, unsharp mask, color balance, cropped, all in Photoshop; see also comparison of raw images between the MX7C and the D60: here This image was published in the Sky & Telescope Magazine Gallery of October 2002. |
|
Double cluster NGC869/886 in Perseus in 7100-7400 light years distance;
3 x 300 sec autoguided exposures averaged at ISO 200 with the D60 and the 4" f/6.2 TMB refractor at +16°C at low transparency; darks subtracted; curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 40%; cropped, all in Photoshop; |
|
Great Andromeda galaxy M31 and companions in 2 Mio light years distance;
3 x 300 sec autoguided exposures averaged at ISO 200 with the D60 and the 4" f/6.2 TMB refractor at +16°C at low transparency; darks subtracted; noise reduction with NEATIMAGE; curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 50%; cropped, all in Photoshop; |
|
Wide view of the Andromeda galaxy M31 and companions in 2 Mio light years distance;
3 x 300 sec unguided exposures averaged at ISO 200 with the D60 and a 180mm f/2.8 lens at +15°C at high transparency; darks subtracted; curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 50%; cropped, all in Photoshop; |
|
Wide view of the eastern part of the Veil Nebula in 2600 light years distance;
2 x 300 sec unguided exposures averaged at ISO 200 with the D60 and a 180mm f/2.8 lens at +15°C at high transparency, but clouds rolled in after 2 shots; darks subtracted; curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 50%; cropped, all in Photoshop; |
|
NGC6992, the eastern part of the Veil Nebula - a supernova remnant in 2600 light years distance;
8 x 600 sec autoguided exposures at ISO 800 with the D60 and the 4" f/6.2 TMB refractor at +10°C and high transparency (mag 5.5); darks subtracted; averaged, curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 40%; cropped, all in Photoshop; noise reduction by Neatimage a tough and delicate processing, the original filament color was blue dominated, then shifted towards red. |
|
NGC6960, the western part of the Veil Nebula, this time from ITT star party high in the Alps in 2000m at mag 6 sky;
4 x 600 sec autoguided exposures at ISO 800 with the D60 and the 4" f/6.2 TMB refractor; darks subtracted; averaged, curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 40%; cropped, all in Photoshop; noise reduction by Neatimage red color channel increased; |
|
M45, the Plejades star cluster again during ITT star party at mag 6 sky, some haze present;
4 x 300 sec autoguided exposures at ISO 800 with the D60 and the 4" f/6.2 TMB refractor; darks subtracted; averaged, curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 40%; cropped, all in Photoshop; hints of IC349 visible south of Merope |
|
The open cluster M52, and the Bubble Nebula NGC7635 during ITT star party at mag 6 sky;
2 x 300 sec autoguided exposures at ISO 800 with the D60 and the 4" f/6.2 TMB refractor; darks subtracted; averaged, curves, unsharp mask, color balance, size reduced to 50%; cropped, all in Photoshop; |
|
IC1805 and IC1848, 2 very faint emission nebula in Cassiopeia at mag 5.5 sky and good transparency;
2 part mosaic each 5 x 300 sec and 4 x H-alpha filtered 600 sec exposures with the D60 and the 180mm f/2.8 lens piggibacked at ISO200; darks subtracted; red exposure added to the luminance, levels, color adjustment, size reduced to 40%; rotated (top-north) and cropped, all in Photoshop; |
|
