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Telescope: Meade LXD75 SC8 @ f/30
Camera: Imaging Source DBK21, Meade IR (Lum) Filter
Exposures: 3min @ 7.5fps (~1,000 frames out of 1,350)
Software: IC Capture, Registax 6, Photoshop

This is my first attempt at Saturn with my SC8 & DBK21. The seeing was fair, but not great, but I was just finishing with Mars and decided to take at least a quick look at Saturn. Not too bad, but I definitely want to try this one again. It’ll be fun to watch as Saturn comes around this spring and summer.

-John

Telescope: Meade LXD75 SC8 @ f/30 (images scaled 2x)
Camera: Imaging Source DBK21, Meade IR (Lum) Filter
Exposures: 3min @ 30fps (~4,200 frames out of 5,400)
Software: IC Capture, Registax 6, Photoshop

These are my first real attempt at Mars. The seeing was fair, but not great, but I was thrilled with the results. I was really surprised to see how much detail the final images showed. I’m tempted to try and stretch my SC8 out to f/50, but I suspect that I won’t actually gain much by doing that. The times of these three images were approximately 6h, 7h, and 8h UT.

-John

Having problems identifing this capture from today.

Clear skies,
Keith

Hi All,

Lunar X, perfect timing!

Last nights Observing/Imaging session was perfect timing to catch the Lunar X, a few hours prior to the First Quarter Moon revealed the Lunar X ...

I was actually imaging Jupiter, when I swung it over to the Moon for a quick look and immediately Noticed the Lunar X staring me in the Face!

This is a famous "optical feature" on the Moon, which appears like the letter "X" when the terminator is at an optimal position.

Telescope: Meade ETX-60, #497 Controller, #884 tripod, AC adapter
Luminance: 30x1sec, Meade DSI Pro III, Baader Semi-Apo Filter
Color: None
Guide scope: None
Software: Envisage, Registax 6, Photoshop

Just for fun I kicked the exposure up to 1 second and grabbed a quick set of images to capture the Earthshine. It’s amazing how much detail you can see by Earthlight and this is a great way to observe occultations of faint stars.

-John

Telescope: Meade ETX-60, #497 Controller, #884 tripod, AC adapter
Luminance: 23x5sec, Meade DSI Pro III, Baader Semi-Apo Filter
Color: 12x10sec, Meade DSI III, Baader Semi-Apo Filter
Guide scope: None
Software: Envisage, Autostar Imaging Processing, Photoshop

This is my best picture of M42/43 yet with my little ETX-60. I caught just a bit of the outer loop (swinging around to the lower left) as well as NGC1977 (upper right). The Baader Semi-Apo filter did a great job reducing the violet halo around the brighter stars.

-John

Telescope: Meade ETX-60, #497 Controller, #884 tripod, AC adapter
Luminance: 28x5sec, Meade DSI Pro III, Baader Semi-Apo Filter
Color: 16x10sec, Meade DSI III, Baader Semi-Apo Filter
Guide scope: None
Software: Envisage, Autostar Imaging Processing, Photoshop

M35 is a rich patch of stardust lying in western Gemini. The object is a great match for the wide field of the little ETX-60. Note the open cluster NGC2158 just to the right of M35.

-John

Telescope: Meade ETX-60, #497 Controller, #884 tripod, AC adapter
Luminance: 50x0.0005sec, Meade DSI Pro III, Baader Semi-Apo Filter
Color: None
Guide scope: None
Software: Envisage, Registax 6, Photoshop

Since it only takes a few minutes to get my ETX-60 set up and ready for imaging I had a bit of time to burn waiting for it to get fully dark, so I slewed over to the moon and took a quick set of images.

Tonight is Member's Night by the MVAS calendar!

Though the Clear Sky Clock may not indicate the greatest skies (http://cleardarksky.com/c/JnBrObOHkey.html), it is a welcomed change from the gray. Come on out if you can make it.

David Orth

Telescope: Meade LXD75 SN6
Luminance: 26x60sec, Meade DSI Pro III, Hutech IDAS LPS-2 Filter
Color: 28x60sec, Meade DSI III, Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter
Guide scope: Meade DSX-90, DSI Pro II, PHD
Software: Envisage, Autostar Image Processing, Photoshop, Nebulosity

M79 is a small, condensed globular cluster that’s fairly easy to locate in Lepus. Not the flashiest of globulars, it’s one of the few notable globular clusters in the winter sky.

-John

Telescope: Meade LXD75 SN6
Luminance: 20x120sec, Meade DSI Pro III, Hutech IDAS LPS-2 Filter
Color: 27x60sec, Meade DSI III, Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter
Guide scope: Meade DSX-90, DSI Pro II, PHD
Software: Envisage, Autostar Image Processing, Photoshop, Nebulosity

This in one of my annual challenge objects. This is the first time I’ve tried 120 sec exposures with my luminance, which is about as long as I can go with my usually light pollution (red zone). Processing is also a tad tricky, I think having Alnitak in the frame makes setting the contrast tougher than usual.

JB is now open.
Saturday Jan 21

Telescope: Meade LXD75 SN6
Camera: Meade DSI III
Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter
Guide scope: None
Exposure: 30x30sec (auto dark-subtracted) saved as FITS3P
Software: Envisage, Photoshop, Nebulosity

You can never take too many pictures of M42. The contrast between the red emission and smoky reflection is just fantastic. I didn’t intend to image M42 on this evening, but I was in the area and my other SN6 was busy taking luminance images of nearby NGC2024.

-John

Hi All,

NASA has featured my Mars Image as their "Earth Science Picture of the Day" today!
http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2012/01/mars-observed-from-a-10-inch-telescope.html

Best Regards,
John Chumack
www.galacticimages.com

Telescope: Meade LXD75 SC8 @ f/30
Camera: Imaging Source DBK21, Meade IR (Lum) Filter
Exposures: 3min @ 30fps (~4,200 frames out of 5,400)
Software: IC Capture, Registax 6, Photoshop

This series of images were taken on the evening of January 10, 2012, during a brief period of good seeing from about 8 to 9 o’clock local time. From top to bottom, these were taken on January 11 at 01:16, 01:29, and 01:43 UT. The moon to the left is Ganymede.

-John

Hi All,

Fly me to the Moon Please! Dual aircraft crossing over the Waxing Gibbous Moon.
Usually these aircraft and their contrails ruin my Shots, but not this time!
I provided a cropped inset to make it easier for all to see the jets!

Captured on 01-06-2012 at 17:47pm E.S.T.
Canon Rebel Xsi DSLR & 300mm Lens @ F8, ISO 400,
1/800 second exposure

Best Regards,
John Chumack
www.galacticimages.com

My Orion Starshoot Allsky cam picked up this Lunar halo at 1:42 am this morning.
I just added the DSLR version taken with Canon XTi

Clear Skies,
Keih

I had my ETX-125 out tonight with my binoviewers. Just an absolutely wonderful evening. The binoviewers are so relaxing to use. The moon is fantastic with this setup. I've also got my all-sky camera up'n running. The air is so clear there's very little glarenfrom the moon.

Neat stuff.

-John

Afew images from today.
Lunt LS80THa/PT/B1200/C/DSII,DMK41,FireCapture,RegiStax 6,Photoshop 7,Prime focus and Powermate 2.5X

Keith

Telescope: Meade LXD75 AR-6
Camera: Canon Rebel XTi
Filter: Baader Semi-Apo
Guide scope: None
Lights: 1x1/250sec, ISO 400, saved as RAW
Flats: None
Software: Digital Photo Pro, Photoshop

We had a rare winter even that was clear, dry, and mild, but with the brilliant moon in the sky and a bit of a gusty wind I set my LXD75 AR-6 up for visual. However, as I got closer to brining my gear inside I couldn’t resist taking at least one picture of the moon.