Astrophotography

Horsehead and Flame Nebula

The Horsehead (Barnard 33) and Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) are about 1,400 light years away in the constellation Orion. Part of the Orion complex, the dark cloud of gas and dust is a region where star formation is taking place. Color images are created by taking individual images with a monochrome camera through separate hydrogen alpha, red, green and blue filters. Since the objects have very low brightness, multiple long exposures are used to create the final image. A tracking mount that compensates for the earth's rotation prevents star trailing during the long exposures. Camera Santa Barbara Instuments Group STL11000M Telescope Astro-Physics 130mm EDFS f6 Focal Length 780mm Aperture f6 Exposure Time Hydrogen Alpha 5 x 30 min (total 5.5 hr.) Red 4 x 15 min Green 4 x 15min Blue 4 x 15min Date Taken 1/20/2006 - 1/21/2006 Image by Tom Auchter

The Eagle Nebula (Messier 16)

This cloud of interstellar gas and dust appears low in the southern night sky during late summer and early fall in the constellation Serpens. Image tby Greg L Stepanek

The Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31)

A barred spiral galaxy rises in the eastern sky in early fall. Image by Greg L Stepanek

Bode's Galaxy

ColBode's Galaxy (Messier 81) is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Fun fact, light travels almost 6 trillion miles in a year. The light you see when looking at M 81 or capturing with a camera left it 12 million years ago. Color images are created by taking individual images with a monochrome camera through separate luminance, red, green and blue filters. Since the objects have very low brightness, multiple long exposures are used to create the final image. A tracking mount that compensates for the earth's rotation prevents star trailing during the long exposures. Camera Santa Barbara Instuments Group STL11000M Telescope RC Optical Systems 12.5in f9 Focal Length 2858mm Aperture f9 Exposure Time Luminance 8 x 15 min (total 5 hr) Red 4 x 15 min Green 4 x 15 min Blue 4 x 15 min Date Taken 2/17/2009 - 2/18/2009 Image by Tom Auchter

Running Man and Orion Nebula

The Running Man NGC 1977) and Orion Nebula (Messier 42) are visible to the naked eye about 1,400 light years away in the constellation Orion. They are the closest region of active massive star formation to Earth. Color images are created by taking individual images with a monochrome camera through separate luminance, red, green and blue filters. Since the objects have very low brightness, multiple long exposures are used to create the final image. A tracking mount that compensates for the earth's rotation prevents star trailing during the long exposures. Camera Santa Barbara Instuments Group STL11000M Telescope Astro-Physics 130mm EDFS f6 Focal Length 780mm Aperture f6 Exposure Time Luminance 9 x 5 min (total 1.75 hr) Red 4 X 5 min Green 4 x 5 min Blue 4 x 5 min Taken 2/26/2009 Image by Tom Auchter

The Eyes Galaxies

The Eyes Galaxies (NGC 4435 and NGC 4438) are gravitationally interacting lenticular galaxies about 52 million light years away in the constellation Virgo. Also in the image are a near edge-on spiral galaxy (NGC 4402), an elliptical galaxy (Messier 86) and other faint galaxies. All are members of the Virgo Cluster of up to 2,000 galaxies. Color images are created by taking individual images with a monochrome camera through separate luminance, red, green and blue filters. Since the objects have very low brightness, multiple long exposures are used to create the final image. A tracking mount that compensates for the earth's rotation prevents star trailing during the long exposures. Camera Santa Barbara Instuments Group STL11000M Telescope RC Optical Systems 12.5in f9 Focal Length 2858mm Aperture f9 Exposure Time Luminance 11 x 15 min (total 6.5 hr) Red 5 x 15 min Green 5 x 15 min Blue 5 x 15 min Date taken 4/15/2009 - 4/16/2009 Image by Tom Auchter

Lunar Mid-Eclipse

On average total Lunar Eclipses occur every 2.5 years due to the tilt of the lunar orbit. Sunlight filtered and refracted by the Earth's atmosphere turns the Moon a deep orange red color. Telescope Astro-Physics 130mm EDFS f6 Focal Length 780mm Aperture f6 Image by Tom Auchter

Comet NEOWISE

Outer solar system interloper Comet NEOWISE visited us in the pre-dawn hours. It will return in about 6,700 years. Image by Tom Auchter

Lunar Eclipse

November 8, 2022, gave us a chance to see a Lunar Eclipse on a mostly cloud-free night. Composite image by Bob Reynolds

Oort Cloud Interloper over Hill ‘N Dale Preserve

Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3): February 1, 2023, this once-every-50,000-years, bright green comet from the Oort cloud near Pluto was seen over Hi,, "N Dale. Image by Tom Auchter