Astrophotography
- Thread starter TPerry
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TPerry
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Yeah, spring is galaxy season for North America.... and M101 is one of the best targets to get because it's exactly what most people think of when you say "galaxy".
I was really worried about that one as it was after I had to use J-B Weld to re-attach the optical tube ring to the telescope body and if you don't get it "flat" your stars will look like M&M's, and it's hard to fix once you've done something that "permanent".
TPerry
Well-known member
Something one doesn't see that often.... a supernova... this is M101, and this is actually the second supernova in about 10 years it has had occur in it... which is rather unusual.
The supernova is in the outside left arm at about 11 o'clock and is the brighter blue/purple dot.
This galaxy normally looks like this
The difference in the images is mainly due to a LOT of Canadian wildfire smoke sitting over my location, and less captures (due to weather) for the integration of the supernova version. They were also processed in two different software packages (the first Astro Pixel Processor - which is mainly a stacking software) so there is a definite difference in the end processed image. PI and the smoke was taking a LOT of research to work through to get a decent image.
The supernova is in the outside left arm at about 11 o'clock and is the brighter blue/purple dot.
This galaxy normally looks like this
The difference in the images is mainly due to a LOT of Canadian wildfire smoke sitting over my location, and less captures (due to weather) for the integration of the supernova version. They were also processed in two different software packages (the first Astro Pixel Processor - which is mainly a stacking software) so there is a definite difference in the end processed image. PI and the smoke was taking a LOT of research to work through to get a decent image.
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Mendalla
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Well, any around it for starters. Others would depend on how close their systems were. E.g. there's a lot of speculation about where Betelgeuse (pronounced "Beetlejuice" like the movie) is headed but if it blows, at 600ish LY away it's not going to wipe out life on Earth, just put on a heck of a light show.
TPerry
Well-known member
Yep... would be fully visible during the day... basically a miniature sun, but no real heat output from it, just light.
l3ta
Well-known member
I'm looking forward to that one blowing up
l3ta
Well-known member
It will signal the end of civilization according to the Hopi prophecy
TPerry
Well-known member
That's one of the things I love about astronomy... there is SO much lore based upon events that have happened in our cosmos.... usually dealing with comets, supernova and heavy meteor showers.It will signal the end of civilization according to the Hopi prophecy
If Betelgeuse pops the top, it would be the first one since the early 1600's to do so in the Milky Way galaxy... the one I imaged is an entirely different galaxy... but the unique thing is it's had 2 noticeable ones within the last decade decide to go bang.
The only other recent "bright" one was in the LMC (supernova 1987A) and happened in a sister galaxy of ours.
This is a slightly better processed image of the current one in M101 (SN 2023ixf).
The neat thing is, this supernova was discovered by an amateur astronomer in Japan.. not any government/education funded system... a simple home astronomer.
Mendalla
Well-known member
Amen. Just think about how many trees have died for papers about what the Star of Bethlehem might have been, or at least what might have inspired the writer of Matthew to put it in (not everyone thinks the Magi story was historical).
l3ta
Well-known member
You could be the next David Levy of Shoemaker-Levy 9 fame
l3ta
Well-known member
TPerry
Well-known member
doubt it, since I currently target specific regions and am not really cognizant of what is there and what is "new"... but ironically.. the current supernova in M101 was actually found by... guess what... an amateur astronomer... so there are those amongst us who have the knowledge (and equipment) to find some really neat stuff that is going on in our cosmos. I'd love to have about $150K to invest into my hobby.. but I'm not a rich person (I'm simply a retired average level - not those that get those "special benefits" - government employee), so I make do with what I can afford. Luckily good financial planning has resulted in us being in a comfortable (not great) position with our property being fully paid off and our transport being also.
Would I like to be "rich" like Elon and such.. you bet your bottom dollar.... I'd be donating a LOT of monies towards areas of interest (pet adoption/homing being one of them) and then have a REALLY nice dark sky astronomy site that I could go to and also access remotely. But once again... I'm simply a mid-level retired government shrub. Those at the base level never got into government work to "get rich".... it is only (typically) those that are "in power" that do so... the poor working shrubs usually are more concerned with a guaranteed retirement and medical coverage. One guarantee that you have in government employment.... you aren't going to make ANYWHERE near what the free market would pay you... you simply work cheap for a promised retirement benefit of some note.
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TPerry
Well-known member
As Woody and Buzz commented about "Stars - Stars Everywhere"™.
We bring you NGC 663 and it's surroundings courtesy of a new 72mm telescope (telescope package is an intro level one) and ZWO Pro OSC camera.
Really makes you realize how small our solar system is.
Meanwhile, we've added several new feature to the site as well as tweaking some of the add-ons to provide more "information" in them.
We bring you NGC 663 and it's surroundings courtesy of a new 72mm telescope (telescope package is an intro level one) and ZWO Pro OSC camera.
Really makes you realize how small our solar system is.
Meanwhile, we've added several new feature to the site as well as tweaking some of the add-ons to provide more "information" in them.
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TPerry
Well-known member
Odds are not... my solar film still hasn't arrived.. if it gets here by this morning I probably will be able to at least get one scope rigged as well as the camera.
Right now I'm chasing the Horsehead nebula. I get about 2 hours in on it at the best because of trees. On my second rig I'm getting as much of the Heart nebula in as I can before I process it.
This has been my most recent targets of limited opportunity.
Bubble nebula
M16 - Eagle nebula (also known as the pillars of creation)
Then you have the time it's taken to do a few new articles and create some reviews of equipment....
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TPerry
Well-known member
I'm waiting until the 2024 one, which is supposed to be a full eclipse and not an annular one (although the annular would probably have been more photogenic)... I have some film on order (ordered prior to the annular eclipse but still hasn't arrived) for use with both my DSLR camera and the NexStar 8se.Sigh, no eclipse here. Just clouds and rain.
Meanwhile... I still chase those DSOs.
All my latest target pursuits are uploaded to the site, and in higher quality images than the linked ones.
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Mendalla
Well-known member
I know a guy in the US who just got back from New Mexico where he viewed this one and has a trip for the 2024 one booked.
Nice nebulae. One of my favourite books in my younger days (teens, I think) was a coffee table space encyclopedia that had a gorgeous shot of a nebula on the cover. This was pre-Hubble so must have been from a ground-based scope.
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