Shoestring Astronomy - Deep Sky Gallery

Deep Sky Gallery

Shoestring Astronomy by Doug Anderson

In my opinion, deep sky imaging is the most challenging area of astrophotography. Long exposure times open the door to so many things that can go wrong: tracking errors, clouds, airplanes, car lights, bug bites, tired astronomer,... But, when everything goes right, the results can be simply amazing. I have so many things to learn and to try, I feel like I am just starting to scratch the surface.

	The Orion Nebula - When you look at the sword of Orion, what appears to be the middle star is actually a huge star-forming region known as M42. This is one of the few nebulae that are visible to the naked eye, and it is really impressive in a decent pair of binoculars. The smaller nebula just immediately to the left is M43, and the larger blue nebula to the far left is NGC1977 (the Running Man Nebula). Taken 4-Feb-2006, Canon 350D DSLR camera prime focus on ED-80, 6 x 120sec exposures, stretched and stacked with Images Plus.
	The Great Andromeda Galaxy and Companions - This neighboring galaxy in Andromeda (M31) is the farthest object you can see with your unaided eye. On the scale of the universe, it is quite close to us, a mere 2,900,000 light-years away! Companion galaxies are M32 and M110. Taken 19-Dec-2006, Canon Digital Rebel XT through a 300mm f/5.5 lens, 9 x 180sec exposures, stacked and stretched with Images Plus
	M13 - The Great Cluster in Hercules - One of the best globular clusters that can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere. A small galaxy (NGC6207) can be seen above and slightly left from the cluster. Taken 26-Apr-2006, Canon 350D DSLR camera prime focus on ED-80, 11 x 120sec exposures, stretched and stacked with Images Plus.
	The Leo Trio - Three galaxies of roughly equal size can be seen in this field of view. NGC3628 is near the top, M66 is to the left, and M65 is to the right. Taken 26-Apr-2006, Canon 350D DSLR camera prime focus on ED-80, 11 x 180sec exposures, stretched and stacked with Images Plus.
	Central Milky Way Region in Sagittarius - This is a 10-by-15 degree region of Sagittarius near the galactic center that is known for the richness of its features. The red patches are the Swan Nebula is at the top, the Lagoon Nebula near the bottom, with the Trifid Nebula above it. The star clusters M18, M21, M22, M23, M24, M25, and M28 are all visible. This was a 10 minute piggyback exposure with a 135mm lens at f/4 using Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film, then digitized.
	The Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae - Another view in Sagittarius, centered on the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae . Piggyback photograph - 135mm lens, f/4 for 10 minutes, Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film, then digitized.
	The Veil Nebula - In the constellation of Cygnus, there is a thin shell of glowing hydrogen gas that is a remnant of a star that exploded a long time ago. Note the faint red sections that, taken altogether, define a circle with a diameter of about one-third the picture. Piggyback photograph - 135mm lens, f/4 for 10 minutes, Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film, then digitized.
	The North American Nebula - Near Deneb, in the constellation of Cygnus, is a cloud of glowing hydrogen that mimics the shape of the North American continent. The features of Florida, Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, and the East Coast are particularly evident. Piggyback photograph - 135mm lens, f/4 for 11 minutes, Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film, then digitized.
	M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula - One of the larger planetary nebula, as seen from Earth. It resembles a dumbell, or perhaps an apple core. Prime focus through C-8 at f/6.3 for 20 minutes, Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film, then digitized.
	M57 - The Ring Nebula - A beautiful and easy to locate object. This one is always a crowd pleaser. Prime focus through C-8 at f/6.3 for 20 minutes, Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film, then digitized.
	M11 - The Wild Duck Cluster - Perhaps my favorite open cluster, this one sparkles like a jewel box. Prime focus through C-8 at f/6.3 for 5 minutes, Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film, then digitized.
	The Double Cluster - This is a beautiful object in binoculars or a telescope, situated between Cassiopeia and Perseus, NGC869 and NGC884. Prime focus through Orion ED80 f/7.5 for 8 minutes, Fuji Superia 800 print film, then digitized from negative.