Month: <span>March 2021</span>

2021-03-29

Washed out image of the Whirlpool Galaxy

Washed out image of whirlpool galaxy — Whirlpool Galaxy

This is a stack of over 70-some 30 second exposures of the Whirlpool galaxy. While there is significant detail, the dynamic range is pathetic. I think this is because 1) the individual exposures are short, and 2) there was a nearly full moon.

However, I’ve seen beautiful photos from stacks of hundreds of 3 second exposures, and the cumulative time from my frames is larger. So undoubtedly my processing technique is faulty. OTOH, I’m not sure of the magnitude of the effect from the moon. Further investigation is required…

2021-03-22

Whirlpool Galaxy

A chestnut. Taken with a small (61mm) low-power telescope from my light-polluted back yard. Heavily cropped, otherwise it would be too small to identify. I’m running into the limits of my equipment — this is about 200 individual one minute exposures stacked together, taken over two nights.

2021-03-18

Practice makes better.

The Orion Nebula - 2021-03-16 — Orion Nebula below, “Running Man” Nebula at top..

Actually there’s another nebula, making three all together. The Orion Nebula proper, also known as M42, is the large spread wings brightness in the lower center. Separated from M42 by a narrow dark lane is the tear drop shape in the slightly left upper dead center, M43, apparently also known as “Mairan’s Nebula”. And finally in the upper third is the dimmer”Running Man” Nebula, in the top.

I’m getting better at this, but it is an incremental process.

2021-03-10

A rank beginner image of the Rosette Nebula

The standard image of the Rosette Nebula is a glorious swirl of red gas sprinkled with a multitude of glittering stars. This, on the other hand, is a dim, noisy, dirty smudge covered with a multitude of oddly distorted spots. Still, it represents progress. My first attempts yielded nothing.

r_pp_r_rosette_stacked- rosette nebula 2021-03-06 — The Rosette Nebula