rbrecher

Beautiful image.

This data was captured in 2013, but I wasn't happy with my processing at that time. I reprocessed it today, and like this better. It needs longer focal length and some narrow band data, but I'll take it. astrodoc.ca/m76 Happy New Year, everyone. Clear skies, Ron

This image shows a pretty pair of open clusters. Image data collected in 2012, but not posted previously. Enjoy, and Happy New Year! http://astrodoc.ca/ngc457-436/ Clear skies, Ron

Excellent result.

I did not know that there are HUNDREDS of galaxies in the same field as the Pleiades star cluster. If you can (and if you want to), please click the pic in my web post to get to the high res image to hunt for galaxies. There's also a link to an annotated version that highlights some the galaxies. It is very easy to get lost in this rich star field. The image is a two pane mosaic. http://astrodoc.ca/m45/ Clear skies, Ron

Heheh.

I spent the last few week capturing this deep image of the Bubble Nebula region. In addition to the most famous object, NGC7635 (the Bubble Nebula), several other interesting objects are in this image. The most interesting, for me, is Herbig-Haro 170. Hope you like it! http://astrodoc.ca/ngc7635/ Clear skies, Ron

I had a crack at this dark nebula after seeing a few posts of it by others. It's quite pretty! http://astrodoc.ca/b150/ Clear skies, Ron

I'm a toxicologist.

Well this was fun to do. You;d think being so bright it would be easy, but it wasn't. In fact I gnashed my teeth, grimaced and complained a lot while doing it. LOL. http://astrodoc.ca/m27/ Clear skies, Ron

My testing of the Moravian G3-16200 continues with this image of the Western Veil Nebula. This is the first time I've acquired data with an O(III) filter. astrodoc.ca/ngc6960-2016/ Clear skies, Ron

NGC660 is a polar-ring galaxy in Pisces, and I gather it is the only example of this class known. Pretty interesting field, with dozens of galaxies strewn everywhere. http://astrodoc.ca/ngc660/ Clear skies, Ron

This is the first test of a camera that I'm demonstrating for a dealer in Canada. It was taken over the last two nights under bright moonlight. astrodoc.ca/double-cluster/ I hope you enjoy it. Clear skies, Ron

Although the moon was nearly full for acquisition these last two nights, I wanted to shoot this with my trusty SBIG STL-11000 at my scope's longer working focal length (1700mm) before removing the camera from my telescope for awhile. Last night, I installeda Moravian G3-16200 on my 10" ASA, which I'll be demoing for a dealer for the next several months. I'll share images when I get them... http://astrodoc.ca/gamma-cas/ Clear skies, Ron

For a change I had some fun and shot a relatively bright object. I gave it 5 hours per RGB channel and then processed it fairly aggressively to show off the surrounding dust. I hope you enjoy it! astrodoc.ca/ngc7023/ Clear skies, Ron

This object is the furthest south that I can shoot from my observatory at this time of year. The proof is the horizontal “spikes” on the bright stars. They are from the scope being partly obstructed by the walls of my observatory! Other challenges included shooting right into the glow of the Guelph auto mall and various rogue trees. The image contains only R, G and B; no luminance or Ha data. Processing details with the image, as always. http:/astrodoc.ca/m20/ Clear skies, Ron

Several years ago I got some broadband data on the Eagle Nebula in a relatively wide field. Recently, my friend Peter Proulx sent me his Ha, O3 and S2 masters to try combining with my broadband data. This is my first effort at using any narrowband data other than Ha in an image. It was a very challenging and fun project. I really liked the shades of blue towards the centre right of the image, which I can't say I ever noticed in other images (which is not to say it wasn't there!). http://astrodoc.ca/m16-pillars/ Clear skies, Ron

I spent a few hours between prime targets to go after M72 around the August new moon. M72 makes a very interesting comparison with M22, which I shot around the same time, and I provide some comparisons in my web post. http://astrodoc.ca/m72/ Clear skies, Ron

I don't shoot many "showpiece objects" these days, opting instead for dimmer targets. I also don't often shoot to the south, where my sky is impacted by the Guelph auto mall just a few km away. But hold the phone! I just found an entire, untapped 6-degree (in dec) strip of southern sky that is full of showpiece objects and accessible to me. For years, I thought that my practical southern limit for this time of year was the Eagle Nebula. But last week when my intended target was clouded out, I checked to see what I could reasonable get in the south and uncovered a whole new area of sky containing things like the Swan, Triffid and Saturn nebulae, as well as a bunch of nice globulars, open clusters and dark nebulae. I'm like a kid in a candy store. I hope you enjoy this image as much as I enjoyed (a) finding I could get the Swan at all ( acquiring the data between tree branches and observatory walls and © processing it. http://astrodoc.ca/m17/ Clear skies, Ron

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to shoot M22 from my observatory; I thought it was blocked by trees and my observatory's southern wall. This is another image taken during the incredible string of clear weather that will give me an 8th straight imaging night tonight. No clouds, and very good transparency and seeing are forecasted. Do I sound excited???? http://astrodoc.ca/m22 Clear skies, Ron

I initially could find no name or catalogue number for this beautiful patch of nebulosity near the North America Nebula. With the help of my wife and daughter I quickly came to the conclusion that it should be named "the Fireball XL5 Nebula." Look below the image on the web post to see why! (It's catalogued as Sh2-119 and LBN400, officially, but I like my name better.) http://astrodoc.ca/sh2-119/ Clear skies, Ron

Due to poor weather it took me about 6 weeks to get the 12 hours that went into this image. I usually try to shoot a little longer, but these objects don't seem to show that much detail even with longer exposures -- they are nebulous (newsflash). http://astrodoc.ca/sh2-84/ Now working on a somewhat brighter patch of nebulosity "under" NGC7000... Clear skies, Ron

The hunt continues. One of my friends actually suggested I shoot some bright objects. I say piffle! I will be testing a camera later this summer, and will shoot bright objects then. In the meantime, I'm sticking with the Sharpless catalogue. This one actually shows some detail - a nice treat compared to the last few I've done. Both colour and Ha versions are posted at my website. Enjoy. http://astrodoc.ca/sh2-72/ Clear skies, Ron

My quest for overlooked, dim objects continues, with extremely faint Sh2-97. It is mainly an emission nebula, but blue reflection nebula imparts a purplish hue to a patch near the bottom. I love the incredible variety of star colours in this shot. http://astrodoc.ca/sh2-97/ Clear skies, Ron

This faint nebula is Sh2-65 in Aquila. Although somewhat amorphous, I am pleased with the result. Most of the images I found on the web show only the diagonal bar at right, and none show the patchy dust surrounding it (maybe there are others that I didn't find, of course). I guess they can't all be showpieces! http://astrodoc.ca/sh2-65/ Clear skies, Ron