M63 (The Sunflower Galaxy) with UGC8313 in upper right.
M63 is approximately 37 million light years away and can be found in the constellation Canes Venatici.
Taken with a SBIG ST-237 CCD camera on a Celestron C8 on a Vixen GP-DX/Skysensor 2000PC mount using a Fastar lens assembly at F/1.9. The CCD camera was operating at -13 degrees C.
Taken June 17, 2001. San Francisco CA.
The central M63 portion of the image is the sum of 120 30-second unguided exposures. Central M63 portion was composited onto a background summed from 30 30-second exposures.
Image Processing Applied: Individual exposures were reduced using flats, bias and dark frames. Stretched using a gamma curve. Some light DDP applied to central portion. Image processing done in MaximDL 2.11. Compositing and JPEG compression done in Photoshop 5.5.
This represent my best effort yet. The 60-minute exposure resulted in the best signal to noise ratio I've been able to achieve with the Fastar configuration in my urban skies.
(This image actually won a first place in the SCT Users' mailing list's imaging contest - Novice catagory! My thanks to the judges.)
M27 (The Dumbell Nebula)
M27 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula.
Taken with a SBIG ST-237 CCD camera on a Takahashi Sky90 (FCL-90) on a Takahashi EM-10 mount at F/5.6. The CCD camera was operating at -15 degrees C.
Taken August 27, 2001. San Francisco CA.
L-RGB image: L (1x1) 8x 2 min, R (2x2) 8x 1 min, G (2x2) 9x 1 min, B (2x2) 10x 1min
Image Processing: Individual exposures were reduced using flats, bias and dark frames. Image processing done in MaximDL 2.11 and Photoshop 6.0.
Look! Color.
M57 (The Ring Nebula)
M57 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Lyra.
Taken with a SBIG ST-7E ABG CCD camera on a Takahashi Sky90 (FCL-90) on a Takahashi EM-10 mount at F/5.6. The CCD camera was operating at -10 degrees C.
Taken Sept. 5, 2001. San Francisco CA.
2x 10 min autoguided.
Image Processing: Individual exposures were reduced using flats, bias and dark frames. Image processing done in MaximDL 2.11 and Photoshop 6.0.
Some problems with egg-shaped stars probably caused by a mistake in polar alignment procedure.
M27 (The Dumbell Nebula)
M27 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula.
Taken with a SBIG ST-7E ABG CCD camera on a Takahashi Sky90 (FCL-90) on a Takahashi EM-10 mount at F/5.6. The CCD camera was operating at -15 degrees C.
Taken Sept. 13, 2001. Lake San Antonio, CA. (CalStar 2001)
60 min autoguided. (3x 20 min exposures)
Image Processing: Individual exposures were reduced using flats, bias and dark frames. Image processing done in MaximDL 2.11 and Photoshop 6.0.
Having a little trouble with guiding and misshaped stars.
Content updated Sept. 25, 2001