The Pelican Nebula (IC 5070)

This is a 2x2 mosaic of Pelican Nebula. The Pelican Nebula is a star-forming region about 30 light years wide located 1,800 lightyears from Earth. It is also known as IC 5070 and IC 5067, and is found near bright star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation.

 

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/7.7 

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod) 

Camera: QHY 533M 

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR 

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini (mono)

Guidescope: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Cygnus

Date: 3-4 Aug 2024 

Location: Albireo Observatory 2, Ileia, Greece

Sky brightness: B2

Exposure Time: 

4-pannel mosaic

Ha: 36x600 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

Acquisition: N.I.N.A v3 

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

Messier 17

                                    

M17, also known as the Omega Nebula or Swan Nebula, is one of the largest star-forming regions in the Milky Way galaxy. The Omega Nebula was discovered in 1745 by the Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux. It is located 5,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The nebula has an apparent magnitude of 6 and can be seen with a pair of binoculars. M17, which appears near M16 and M18 in the sky, is best viewed on clear nights in August.

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/7.7 

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod) 

Camera: QHY 533M 

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR 

Filters: L,R,G,B

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini (mono)

Guidescope: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Sagittarius

Date: 13-14 Aug 2024 

Location: Albireo Observatory 3, Achaia, Greece

Sky brightness: B2

Exposure Time: 

L: 20x300 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

R: 20x60 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

G: 20x60 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

B: 20x60 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

Acquisition: N.I.N.A v3 

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

Messier 31 (The Andromeda Galaxy) 9 Panel Mosaic

                                         

This 3x3 mosaic of M31 is my largest project so far. The 9 panels total 6 hours of exposure, using my QHY533M and a luminance filter. 36 files where stacked using Pixinsight into the nine raw panels. The mosaic assembly was done using Pixinsight (image solver, mosaic by coordinates, and gradientmerge mosaic). Further processing was also done in Pixinsight and Photoshop. 

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/7.7 

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod) 

Camera: QHY 533M 

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR 

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini (mono)

Guidescope: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Andromeda

Date: 8-9 Aug 2024 

Location: Albireo Observatory 3, Achaia, Greece

Sky brightness: B2

Exposure Time: 

8-pannel mosaic

L: 36x600 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

Acquisition: N.I.N.A v3 

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

This is a LRGB composite of the central part of the galaxy

Barnard 147 area in Cygnus

This narrowband image presents a series of objects, highlight by Barnard 147 at top left, located in the constellation of Cygnus at a declination of +35 degrees.  Barnard 147 is located about 1.5 degrees east of Sh2-101 (Tulip Nebula). The image is filled with several LDN nebulae including LDN 856, 852, 849 and 848.

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/7.7 

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod) 

Camera: QHY 533M 

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR 

Filters: Ha

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini (mono)

Guidescope: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Cygnus

Date: 09-10 Aug 2024 

Location: Albireo Observatory 2, Ileia, Greece

Sky brightness: B3

Exposure Time: 

4-pannel mosaic

Ha: 27x600 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

Acquisition: N.I.N.A v3 

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

 

Barnard 104

 

Barnard 104 is a dark nebula in the constellation Scutum , just north of the star Beta Scuti. It is commonly called the Fishhook Nebula, the Checkmark Nebula, and the "L" Nebula. Dark nebulae – or absorption nebulae – are clouds of gas and dust in space dense enough to obscure and block light from background stars. These vast clouds are mostly composed of molecular hydrogen. Often, they are locations where material is coalescing to form new stars.

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/7.7 

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod) 

Camera: QHY 533M 

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR 

Filters: L

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini (mono)

Guidescope: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Scutum

Date: 13 July 2024 

Location: Korinthos - Greece - Albireo Observatory 1

Sky brightness: B6

Exposure Time: 

L: 20x120 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

Acquisition: N.I.N.A v3 

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

M100 Spiral Galaxy

 

Imaging Telescope: Vixen VC200L f/6.4

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod)

Camera: QHY 533M

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR

Guiding: DMK21AU04 + 9x50 Skywatcher finder

Filters: L,R,G,B

Constellation: Coma Berenices

Date: May 18-19, 2024

Location: Korinthos - Greece - Albireo Observatory 1

Exposure Time:

L,R,G,B: 15x120 sec (gain: 50.00, offset: 60.00) 0°C bin 1×1

Calibration Frames: Darks, Flats, Bias, Dark Flats

Acquisition: N.I.N.A, phd2

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

Messier 35 and NGC 2158

 

Messier 35 or M35, also known as NGC 2168, is an open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Gemini. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux around 1745 and independently discovered by John Bevis before 1750. The cluster is scattered over an area of the sky almost the size of the full moon and is located 3,870 light-years (1,186 parsecs) from Earth. The compact open cluster NGC 2158 lies directly southwest of M35. 

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/7.7 

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod) 

Camera: QHY 533M 

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR 

Filters: L,R,G,B

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini (mono)

Guidescope: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Gemini

Date: 27-28 April 2024 

Location: Kifisia - Athens, Greece

Sky brightness: B7

Exposure Time: 

L: 40x60 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

R: 40x60 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

G: 40x60 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1  

B: 40x60 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1

Acquisition: N.I.N.A v3 

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop