rbrecher

This is NGC6503. Probably a bit on the small side as a target for my setup but it has an interesting story, so I went for it. This galaxy is on the edge of the Local Void, a huge, nearly empty area of space adjacent to the Local Group of galaxies. Might be a cool setting for a Star Trek episode - last outpost to get supplies before entering the Local Void... http://astrodoc.ca/ngc6503-dwarf-spiral-galaxy/ Clear skies, Ron

My first review for the digital and print journal Astronomy Technology Today has been published in the July 2015 edition. My image of IC405 is on the cover of the same issue (note - I did not use the refractor on the cover for the image; it’s reviewed in the magazine). The review looks at the PixInsight tutorial series from IP4AP.com, which I used to improve my image processing repertoire. I hope to have the opportunity to review equipment and software for this magazine again the future. Cover image: http://astrodoc.ca/ic405-the-flaming-star-nebula/ Review:http://astrodoc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/AstronomyTechnologyTodayJuly15.pdf Clear skies, Ron

I posted an Ha version of this image about a month and a half ago. It's taken since then to get the colour data I wanted on this object. I am happy with how it turned out. http://astrodoc.ca/sh2-124-emission-nebula-colour/ Clear skies, Ron

Apparently I am not the only one who appreciates these pretty open clusters! The editors of Astronomy Magazine have selected my image of NGC6791 as the online picture of the day. Thanks, as always, goes to the editors of Astronomy Magazine, and Michael Bakich in particular, for sharing my work. I truly appreciate it. An image of the web page is available here by clicking on the thumbnail: http://astrodoc.ca/ngc6791-open-cluster/ Clear skies, Ron

I'm continuing my exploration of open clusters in the Cygnus-Lyra area while waiting for the Moon to wane. This is NGC6819. Quite pretty, and very different than 6791, which I posted yesterday. http://astrodoc.ca/ngc6819-open-cluster/ Enjoy! Clear skies, Ron

What to shoot under a full moon? Well, there's the moon. And then there are open clusters! Here's NGC6791 in Lyra: http://astrodoc.ca/ngc6791-open-cluster/ Clear skies, Ron

It was a hazy, steady, moonlit night last night. I used my deep sky rig for this shot, a stack of 40 15msec exposures through the red filter. Enjoy! http://astrodoc.ca/gibbous-moon-june-29-2015/ Clear skies, Ron

Yes, the processing description is posted with the image on the website. I do this with every image. I am glad you like it. Clear skies, Ron

This is perhaps the most unusual looking object I've ever imaged. I've provided a fair bit of info about it with the image at the link below. One interesting thing is that it is one of the largest known spheres, with a diameter of 2.5 light years. I thoroughly enjoyed imaging this nebula. The processing was challenging, but I got to try out a few new techniques. Lots of bonus galaxies to see in this one too... http://astrodoc.ca/abell-39-planetary-nebula/ Clear skies, Ron

My M92 image from just a couple of weeks ago is this week's SkyNews Photo of the Week. I put a full-sized image of the web page here: http://astrodoc.ca/m92-globular-cluster/(click on the thumbnail), and the SkyNews link is http://www.skynews.ca/photo-of-the-week-hercules-cluster-m92-by-ron-brecher/. When you look at the full-resolution view, I encourage you to look away from the cluster for the many small galaxies throughout the field. Thanks, as always, to the editors of SkyNews for selecting my work for the website. And thanks to those of you who provide feedback and encouragement by email, and in comments left in this forum and at at http://astrodoc.ca. It is appreciated. Clear skies, Ron

The last time I imaged M92, in 2010, I used a one-shot colour camera, a refractor, and imaged for about 150m. The last few nights I acquired 10.5 hr data using my STL-11K camera and ASA astrograph. I'm very happy with the result. http://astrodoc.ca/m92-globular-cluster/ There is a link to the 2010 picture at the above web page - in the first paragraph. Clear skies, Ron

Although it is a fairly bright object, M97 presented challenges, starting with my location: It was setting behind a tree only a couple of hours after dark, so I had to capture it in short sets over multiple nights. On top of that, I had to acquire it under substantial moonlight in the last 2 weeks, as it would have been completely inaccessible to me if I waited for the moon to wane. I am sure that I will want to come back to this object when it is better placed for me in the winter. http://astrodoc.ca/m97-the-owl-nebula/ Clear skies, Ron

Great shot!

Lovely.

very nice!

I got a day-early birthday present: Astronomy Magazine selected my image of M12 - finished almost exactly a year ago - as today's online Picture of the Day. To see the Astronomy web page, click on the thumbnail on my M12 web post: http://astrodoc.ca/m12-globular-cluster/ Thanks to the editors for choosing it and Chuck Manges for letting me know about it. Clear skies, Ron

I've been imaging this object in Ha while the Moon has been big and bright. I will be getting RGB data in the coming days, but the monochrome version gives a sense of what is to come... http://astrodoc.ca/sh2-124-emission-nebula-h-alpha/ Clear skies, Ron

Well this caps off quite a week for getting stuff published and publicized. I just got an email notifying me that my NGC2403 image is Amateur Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 30 2015. Click on the thumbnail here to see the AAPOD page: http://astrodoc.ca/ngc2403/ Clear skies, Ron

I just received my July 2015 S&T and found my Crescent Nebula shot on page 78. Seeing how good the images are in these magazines every month, I always feel very honoured (and surprised, proud, etc.) to have my work shown. Image, details and a link to the S&T page are at http://astrodoc.ca/ngc6888-the-crescent-nebula/ Clear skies, Ron

Less than a degree from faint NGC5053 which I posted recently, lies comparatively bright M53. I love all the little galaxies all around M53, so I avoided over darkening the image so they stand out. Enjoy. http://astrodoc.ca/m53-globular-cluster/ Clear skies, Ron

Very nice, unfortunately not accessible from my location. Thanks for sharing.

Although it is a bit brighter and denser than NGC5053 (my last target), M107 is still 3 magnitudes fainter than the brightest northern globulars. It shows a pretty mix of blue and red stars that characterizes GCs. Although it looks fairly densely packed, it is a Class X globular, so still relatively loose. http://astrodoc.ca/m107-globular-cluster/ Clear skies, Ron

I'm continuing looking for less-imaged objects, and this is NGC5053 in Coma. In monochrome it almost looks like an open cluster, but the colour image shows the mix of old blue and red stars that gives it away as a sparse globular. http://astrodoc.ca/ngc5053-globular-cluster/ Clear skies, Ron

Thanks!

After a couple of months of shooting faint galaxy clusters and sparse globular and open clusters, I thought it was time for a bright object. I had some data from 2011 on the Double Cluster, but hadn't really processed it in a way I was happy with. I processed it today, and hope you enjoy it. http://astrodoc.ca/the-double-cluster/ Clear skies, Ron