Cygnus – Summer Triangle

Cygnus 22/08/2011 (7x4min)
Canon EOS 40D (H)
OM Olympus 50mm f1.8 @ f4
ISO1600
Astronomik CLS 
Mount – Astrotrac TT320x

Stacked in DSS Processed/Stiched in PS3

IC1318 in Cygnus

With a clear sky & Cygnus high in the evening sky I focussed my attention on IC1318. For some time now I have been using the Astronomik h-alpha filter, mainly due to the fact that the moon is almost always present when I have clear skies.

One of the main issues I have using the CLS filter is harsh gradients & high green channel. Gradients can be removed to some extent by miens of flats  and post processing techniques.

IC1318 22/08/2011 (20x4min)
Canon EOS 40D (H)
Leitz 180/f3.4 at f4
ISO1600
Astronomik CLS
Mount – Astrotrac TT320x
Stacked in DSS Processed in PS3

IC1318 & SH2-101 Mosaic

SH2-101 20/06/2011 + IC1318 31/05/2010 (32+29.3min)
Canon EOS 40D (H)
Leitz 180/f3.4 at f4
ISO1600
Astronomik 12nm h-alpha filter
Mount – Astrotrac TT320x
Stacked in DSS Processed/Stiched in PS3

Better viewed in large : Mosaic on black
(opens in new window)

SH2-101

SH2-101 20/06/2011
Canon EOS 40D (H)
Leitz 180/f3.4 at f4
33x 3min – ISO1600
Astronomik 12nm h-alpha filter
Mount – Astrotrac TT320x, Manfrotto 475B
Stacked in DSS Processed in PS3

Observations: moon at 76% illumination, Solstice twilight also affecting final image.

IC1396 in Cepheus

IC1396 20/06/2011 01:52-03:30
Canon EOS 40D (H)
Leitz 180/f3.4 at f4
32x 3min – ISO1600
Astronomik 12nm h-alpha filter
Mount – Astrotrac TT320x, Manfrotto 475B

Stacked in DSS Processed in PS3
Observations: moon at 76% illumination, Solstice twilight also affecting final image.

IC1318

Here is a tighter crop from previous image, it may require a little extra post processing to bring out the darker nebulosity.

The Summer Triangle

With summer pretty much at my door step the summer triangle is the first thing I think of in terms of astrophotography. Over the winter there have been some additions to my kit bag, an EOS 7D (review on low noise is in Draft), a Leica/Leitz Apo-Telyt 180mm f3.4 & a Nikon 50mm f1.2 AIs.  I hope to get some good images – especially from the Leitz Apo-Telyt it was originally built for the US Navy as a reconnaissance telephoto lens.

Back to the summer triangle.

Canon EOS 40D (Baader IR Filter)
Astronomik 13nm Ha Filter
Leitz 180/f3.4 @ f4
AstroTrac TT320x

29x 200sec ISO1600

31x 200sec ISO1600

M42

Here is another attempt at M42, this time with plenty more exposures. The additional exposures have revealed allot more of the nebulosity around M42 but perhaps not as much as I had hoped for.

 34x3min ISO1600 200mm f5.0

M42, NGC1976 } Orion Nebula

With the Orion Nebula rising I thought id try and bring out some of the fainter nebulosity surrounding m42, much to my disappointment this would not be as easy as I thought. These two images in m42 one using the Astronomik CLS Light pollution filter and the other using the Astronomik CLS Ha 12nm  filter only seem to bring out the more prominent features. All images are taken using the Canon EOS 40D with Baader IR replacement filter, Canon 100-400mm @200mm f5.0 ISO800.

I am quite surprised that the Ha data didnt reveal more of the  fainter nebulosity, especially with 70min total exposure.

Canon EOS 40D (baader filter) Canon 100-400 @ 200mm f5, 6x5min No Darks No Flats. Astronomik LP CLS filter, stacked with the AstroTrac TT320X.

Canon 40D (baader filter) Canon 100-400 @ 200mm f5, 14x5min No Darks No Flats. Astronomik Ha 12nm CLS filter

NGC 1893 & IC405

Here is another attempt imaging NGC1893 in the hopes of achieving something atlease half decent, I still don’t think there is enough detail. I may need to review my post processing procedure or look at adding more subs, I may even try using the h-alpha filter.

Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF 100 f2.8 @ f3.5/ISO800  20x300s