Abell 12

 

Nature does not always give us a good vantage point to see things. Here a foreground star, Mu Orionis, nearly overwhelms the more distant light of the planetary nebula Abell 12. This dying star that cast off its outer envelope of gas glows behind the scattered light of Mu Orionis at 6900 light years distance from Earth.

Technical details:

Optics: Vixen VC200L @ f/6.4
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod)
Guiding: ST-237 guide chip of SBIG ST2000XM
Camera: SBIG ST2000XM
Filter Wheel: SBIG CFW9
Filters: L
CCD Temperature: 0 degrees Celsius
Constellation: Orion
Date: Feb 27, 2021
Location: Korinthos - Greece - Albireo Observatory 1
Exposure:
L=32x180 sec bin 1x1
Calibration: Darks, Flats, Bias 

M81

 

Discovered by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in 1774, M81 is one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky. It is located 11.6 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major and has an apparent magnitude of 6.9. Through a pair of binoculars, the galaxy appears as a faint patch of light in the same field of view as M82. A small telescope will resolve M81’s core. The galaxy is best observed during April.  

Technical details:

Optics: Vixen VC200L @ f/6.4
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod)
Guiding: ST-237 guide chip of SBIG ST2000XM
Camera: SBIG ST2000XM
Filter Wheel: SBIG CFW9
Filters: L
CCD Temperature: 0 degrees Celsius
Constellation: Ursa Major
Date: Feb 27, 2021
Location: Korinthos - Greece - Albireo Observatory 1
Exposure:
L=32x180 sec bin 1x1
Calibration: Darks, Flats, Bias