Recent Images

The Bubble Nebula

Caldwell 11, NGC 7635

Cassiopeia

Emission Nebula

02/07/25 and 03/07/25

This is my first image since getting the CGX mount fixed. The Guiding was good with 0.3" to 0.6" rms all night. I have captured this target before but it's in a good position at the moment and bright enough to give it a go close to the Summer Solstice.

4 hours, 31xL,11xR,9xG,9xB @ 240 seconds.

9.25" SCT, CGX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Wizard Nebula

NGC 7380

Cepheus

Emission Nebula

21/05/25 and 22/05/25

The last time I captured the Wizard Nebula was with the 9.25" SCT in 2022. This is a nicely framed wider field version of the target, captured over two nights. The guiding was really bad, starting off ok but when the humidity rose to 99% the rms error struggled to stay below 2 arc seconds, often rising above 3" and causing NINA to abort the exposure. As a result the target and the background are mottled. Looks like I've over sharpened it to compensate and the stars don't look natural. Looks like I need to get the mount looked at!

3.5 hours LRGB @ 240 seconds

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Pelican Nebula

IC 5070

Cygnus

Emission Nebula

15/05/25

The Pelican Nebula is associated with the North America Nebula. I've captured parts of this area of the sky before but this is my first go at this target. We are coming to the end of astronomical dark here at 51° North so this image consists just over an hour of true dark and just over two hours of astronomical twilight. Guiding with the AVX was not good as the humidity rose so some of the later frames were aborted. All in all, I'm quite happy to have captured the Pelican peering out of the dark.

3.5 hours LRGB @ 240 seconds

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Sunflower Galaxy

Messier 63, NGC 5055

Canes Venatici 

Spiral Galaxy

15/05/25

Fourth night out in a week again! This is another target that I captured early in my astrophotography journey. So here it is again. The Moon light is still affecting the smoothness of the image but the galaxy disc dust lanes and the periphery foreground dust lanes are evident. The surrounding nebulosity shows in many M63 images, most clearly with radio telescopes at the 21cm hydrogen line. The two background galaxies frame the image nicely. Satellite trails seem more pronounced than usual, the unprocessed individual frames show many lines.

3.5 hours LRGB @ 240 seconds

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

Ursa Major Warped Galaxy

Arp 214, NGC 3718

Ursa Major

Galaxy

13/05/25

NGC 3718 is approximately 52 million light years away. Near NGC 3718 is galaxy NGC 3729. NGC 3718 is warped into an S-shape probably due to gravitational interaction. The Hickson Compact Group 56 above NGC 3718 is 8 times further away. It was a surprise to capture a fairly decent image of this dim 10.6 magnitude galaxy under the light of a full Moon. The Moon only rose to 11° above the horizon this lunation.

A shade under 4 hours LRGB @ 240 seconds

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Other Hercules Globular Cluster

Messier 92, NGC 6341

Hercules

Globular Cluster

12/05/25

The Moon was now at  99% lit waxing gibbous and the rain sensor was triggered after 52 minutes, so I shut the roof quick! The Winsorized Sigma Clipping seems to have missed a couple of satellites and the lack of data has not provided any star colour.

52 Minutes LRGB @120 seconds

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Great Hercules Globular Cluster

Messier 13, NGC 6205 

Hercules

Globular Cluster

10/05/25

No darks, didn't have any 90 second darks. There was a 97% lit waxing gibbous Moon close by in Virgo so I'm quite pleased with how this came out. First time I captured this target  was in 2019 with the SCT and the Canon 660D, it came third in the SGL 30 second and under image competition. The prize was a mug. The postman broke it.

3.3 hours LRGB @ 90 seconds

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula

IC 1396

Cepheus

Concentration of interstellar gas and dust

01/05/25

I love all the dust and gas that's in this area of the sky. I might have another go at it moving down and to the right to include the nebulosity that's there.

5.2 hours LRGB @ 4 minutes 

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

Markarian's Chain

M86 and others

NGC 4406 and others

Virgo

Galaxy Group

24/04/25

This is the end bit of Markarian's Chain in Virgo. There are hundreds of galaxies in the direction of Virgo, this image shows just a few of them. 

3.2 hours LRGB @ 4 minutes

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Headphones Nebula

Jones-Emberson 1

Lynx

Planetary Nebula

17/04/25

Jones-Emberson 1 (PK 164+31.1), also known as the Headphone Nebula, is a 14th magnitude planetary nebula in the constellation Lynx at a distance of 1600 light years. It is a larger planetary with low surface brightness. The 16.8-magnitude central star is a very blue white dwarf. I increased the exposure for this dim target to 4 minutes. 

4.5 hours LRGB @ 4 minutes.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

Bode's Galaxy

M81

NGC 3031

Ursa Major

Grand Design Spiral Galaxy

11/04/25

Last night was the last session after a whole week of clear night time skies. Almost unheard of. The almost full Moon was 90° away so I'm pleased  to have got a half decent image. I've used the same flat frames for a week now and there is evidence of new dust halos. The dwarf Galaxy in the corner is the Garland Galaxy, NGC 3077. M82 is just out of frame.

84 x LRGB @ 3 minutes. 4 hours 12 minutes total.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Moon

Leo

08/04/25

When the Moon is close to full there's not much chance of capturing any nearby deep sky targets. So here's the Moon. This is 5% of the frames from a 1000 frame video. Plate solved on Regulus and slewed across to the 85% lit Moon in NINA with coordinates from Stellarium.  Then switched to SharpCap and recorded the video.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, Luminance filter only, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, SharpCap, PixInsight. 

The Splinter Galaxy

NGC 5907

Draco

Edge on Spiral Galaxy

06/04/25

48xLRGB @ 4 minutes, 3 hours total 

This edge on Spiral Galaxy sits in the constellation of Draco the Dragon. Captured under clear skies but the mount seems to forget how to guide when the humidity rises so I stopped the sequence after 3 hours when the reading reached 99%. This is probably a better target for the 9.25" SCT.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PHD2, PixInsight. 

The Dark Shark Nebula

LDN 1235

Cepheus

Dark Nebula

05/04/25

60xLRGB @ 5 minutes, 5 hours total 

Another clear night, fifth in a row and more to come. This is the Shark Nebula, a faint cloud of interstellar gas and dust 650 light-years away in Cepheus. There are a couple of dim blue reflection nebulae as well. The dust cloud obscures the background stars in the shape of a shark. The target was low in the sky and the first quarter Moon was in the sky too so the shark is difficult to see. The big fish slipped silently through the water!

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PixInsight. 

Canes Venatici Galaxy

NGC 4395

Canes Venatici 

Spiral Galaxy 

04/04/25

80xLRGB @ 4 minutes, 5.5 hours total 

The week of clear skies continues. The Canes Venatici Galaxy has a very low surface brightness so I am pleased how this has come out. 14 million light-years from Earth. Classified as a Seyfert Type I galaxy and known for its very low-mass supermassive black hole. Not much detail in the spiral arms but the central bar is clearly evident. Perhaps 5 minute exposures would have been better. An Ha filter would have picked up more. The lack of guide stars after the meridian flip bought the session to an end.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, OA Guiding, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PixInsight. 

The Leo Triplet

M65, M66, NGC 3628

Leo

Spiral Galaxy Group

03/04/25

58xLRGB @ 4 minutes, 4 hours total 

This is the Leo Triplet, three spiral galaxies at different angles, Messier 65, Messier 66 and the Hamburger Galaxy. They make a nice group that fits in my 660mm FL refractor field of view. The image is upside down because that's the best balance I get on the telescope. And I quite like the anthropomorphic pareidolia effect too! Besides, there is no up and down in space, no one can hear you scream either! Captured last night, a shade under 4 hours of 4 minute exposures.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PixInsight. 

The Pinwheel Galaxy

Messier 101

Ursa Major

Spiral Galaxy

02/04/25

60xLRGB @ 4 minutes, 4 hours total 

Galaxy season is upon us and South East England is experiencing uncommonly clear night time skies. This is Messier 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major. Another one I've done before but not in wide field. A couple of years ago there was a supernova in one of the spiral arms that was clearly visible as bright as one of the foreground Milky Way stars, but now it's faded. This is just over four hours of four minute exposures from last night captured with LRGB filters.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PixInsight. 

The Whirlpool Galaxy

Messier 51

Canes Venatici

Spiral Galaxy

01/04/25

45xLRGB @ 4 minutes, 3 hours total 

Messier 51, also known as The Whirlpool Galaxy is interacteracting with a companion galaxy. The pair are 31 million lightyears away in. M51 was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy by William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, using his 72-inch reflecting telescope at Birr Castle, Co Offaly, Ireland, he found that the galaxy had a spiral structure, the first "nebula" to be known to have one. I went to Ireland and visited Birr Castle and the telescope, known as the Leviathan of Parsonstown for my 60th birthday. I'm always reminded of the trip when I see this galaxy! I've imaged this one before at a longer focal length but I like the wider field of view I'm using now.

Stellamira 110mm refractor, AVX mount, LRGB filters, Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PixInsight. 

The Jellyfish Nebula

IC443

Gemini

Supernova Remanent

04/03/25

90xL 25xRGB @ 4 minutes 11 Hours total 

An unprecedented week of clear nights allowed imaging sessions on five nights in a row! Three of those ended prematurely with only a couple of hours of photons captured before the 99% humidity ended the session for the night. My longest ever exposure but still quite a dim target. The bright star is Propus, Castor's left ankle. 

Stellarium, Pegasus, CPWI, NINA, PixInsight. 

The Twinkling Comet Cluster

NGC 2420

Gemini

14/14/25

98xL 27xRGB at 60 seconds - 3 hours. Guiding still not working.

A tad under three hours. 

One of three Sky Searchers Astronomy Forum DSO Target of the Month for February 2025

Stellarium, Pegasus Unity, CPWI, NINA. Stacked and Processed in PixInsight 1.9.2. 

The Tadpoles Nebula and the Letter Y Cluster

IC 410/NGC 1893

Auriga

30/01/25

500 x 30 seconds each, LRGB (3:1:1:1) because my guiding calibration refuses to work. 

A tad over four hours. 

Significant because it's my 100th astro image! 😁

Stellarium, Pegasus Unity, CPWI, NINA. Stacked and Processed in PixInsight 1.9.2. 

The Flame Nebula and the Horsehead Nebula

NGC 2024 and B33 IC 434

Orion

09/01/25

This is from the third clear night in a Week! I have captured both the Flame and the Horsehead before but not together. The bright star is Alnitak, the Eastern star of Orion's belt. The Flame, next to Alnitak, but in front of, not associated with it, is an Emission nebula and the iconic Horsehead dark nebula Barnard 33 is on the edge of the HII star cloud IC 434.  I captured this with 60 second exposures to help prevent Alnitak from becoming too saturated. 219 x 60 second LRGB. 3 hours 40 minutes total exposure. Humidity and frost threatened the session again so I parked the scope at 22:20 just prior to the meridian flip. There was a waxing gibbous Moon not too far away so I'm pleased this came out as well as it did. The PI Lockhart Gradient Removal Tool is a life saver!

Stellarium, Pegasus Unity, CPWI, NINA, PHD2. Stacked and Processed in PixInsight 1.9.2. 

The Orion Nebula

Messier 42

NGC 1976

Orion

08/01/25

The Orion Nebula M42 is a diffuse nebula in Taurus just below Orion's belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible with the naked eye. My mount refused to guide so I captured this one with 30 second exposures. 144 x 30 second LRGB. 1 hour 12 minutes total exposure. Humidity and frost ended the session again.

This image won the Sky Searchers Astronomy Forum Astronomy Photo of the Day 10/01/25.

Stellarium, Pegasus Unity, CPWI, NINA, PHD2. Stacked and Processed in PixInsight 1.9.2.