Space and astronomy news
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This image of startrails is a composite of 209 one-minute exposures captured by Rick Wainwright on July 30, 2011. He used a Canon EOS Kiss X4 camera.
Check out Rick’s Flickr page for more astrophotos.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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This two-panel mosaic image of Mu Cephei in IC1396 was captured by Jan Inge Berentsen Anvik in Oslo, Norway during the spring/fall of 2011.
Mu Cephei is a red supergiant star located in the constellation Cepheus, at the top of the emission nebula IC 1396. The star is approximately 1,650 times larger than our Sun’s solar radius. Mu Cephei is also called Herschel’s Garnet Star because of its notable deep red color.
Here are some technical details about the image:
Palette: HST (SII-Ha-OIII)
Optics: Vixen R200SS 8″ f/4 MPCC
Camera: QSI 583wsg
Guider: DSI II via OAG
Mount: EM-200 Temma 2m
Exposures: Ha: 32h, OIII:12,5h, SII:28h, 30 minute subs +Darks, Flats
Total 72h 30min
Filters: Astrodon 5nm Ha, OIII, SII
For more photos, you may check out Jan’s Flickr page.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) is currently the most visible comet in the night sky. This makes it one of the most favorite targets for binoculars and small telescopes. As this comet remains visible in the coming months, we surely won’t be missing the sight of this very soon.
This is an image of Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) taken by Bob Christmas from near Barry’s Bay, Ontario, Canada on the evening of September 25, 2011. “The comet was in southeastern Hercules. North is to the right in the image.”
This image is a stack of 8 images of just over 2 minutes exposure each, for a total exposure of 16 minutes 41 seconds. Bob used a Canon Digital Rebel 300D camera and a Tamron 300mm f/2.8 telephoto lens, mounted on an unguided Super Polaris EQ mount. His setting are f/2.8 and ISO 800. Stacked using Deep Sky Stacker and post-processed using The Gimp.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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John Hlynialuk captured this image of the night sky from their roll-off roof observatory (the ES Fox Obs.) just outside Wiarton Ontario on October 22, 2011. John can bee seen peeking at the eyepiece.
“Image shows our 12 inch reflector -a donation by the University of Guelph to our club, the Bluewater Astronomical Society.”
The photo is a 30 second exposure with a 10 mm focal length lens at f2.8 on a Canon 50D camera attached to a tripod at ISO 1600.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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Just in time for Halloween, the Sun has been putting on some spectacular shows recently, including this ghostly-looking prominence captured by amateur astronomer Monty Leventhal from Australia. He estimates this giant pillar shot up over 158,000 km (98,000 miles) from the Sun’s surface! Monty took the image on October 26, 2011 using a Meade SC 10 inch telescope, with a Hydrogen Alpha filter and a Canon 300D camera.
Monty Leventhal is a noted amateur astronomer in Australia and his work has been recognized with several awards including a medal in the General Division of the Order of Australia, “For service to science through volunteer roles at the Sydney Observatory,” and also the Steavensen Award from the British Astronomical Association for his careful and conscientious observations of the Sun for almost two decades. Congratulations to Monty and we thank him for sharing his observations with Universe Today.
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This photo of the Milky Way was taken by Brent Hall about 15 miles north of Clines Corners on October 15, 2011.
Brent used a Canon 60D camera with the following specs:
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8
[email protected], 30″ ISO 4000
Check out Brent’s Flickr page here for more astrophotos.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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Tavi Greiner of North Carolina captured the pass of the recently-launched Chinese Space Station, Tiangong 1 on October 4, 2011. The spacecraft passed between Cygnus and Cassiopeia and right through Lacerta at an estimated -0.4 magnitude.
Tiangong 1, the first Chinese space laboratory module, was launched on September 29, 2011 by China National Space Administration. The Shenzhou 8, Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10 spacecraft are expected to visit it during its 2-year operational lifetime.
Tavi took this picture with a Canon XTi/400D, EFS 18-55mm at 35mm, f/4.5, ISO-800, 30secs.
Check out Tavi’s Flickr page for more astrophotos.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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John R. Taylor was able to pull off a nice image of the IC 1396 despite the not so good viewing conditions in his area. He captured this photo on October 16, 2011 from his back garden in semi-rural Kent in the UK.
“My northern view is very restricted by trees making this available for just a couple of hours either side of the meridian. I had to wait a good while but I finally managed a decent run at it.”
IC 1396 is an emission nebula which contains glowing cosmic gas and dark dust clouds. About 3,000 light-years from Earth, this nebula hosts the formation of new stars. The Elephant’s Trunk nebula can be found in this region.
The image was taken with an Atik 314l+ through an Orion ED80 carbon fibre triplet on a Skywatcher HEQ5. Four guiding, he used a QHY5 camera, Skywatcher ST80 and Maxim DL5. Here are some of the technical details provided by John:
x6 10 minute Ha
x8 10 minute OIII
x12 10 minute SII
Total exposure time 4 hours 20 minutes
Processed in Pixinsight & Photoshop CS5
Check out John’s Flickr page for more photos.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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Stephen Mounioloux captured this photo of Messier 45 or the Pleiades on September 30, 2011 in Anza, California.
Messier 45 is a usual night sky view during winter in the Northern Hemisphere and during summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The cluster contains middle-aged hot B-type stars. It is also called Seven Sisters.
Here are some details on how Stephen came up with this photo.
Mount: Losmandy G11 Gemini 2
Imaging Telescope: AT65EDQ
Guiding Telescope: ST80 w/ SSAG
Camera: Canon 500D Baader modified and CP30T cooled
Data: 2 hours at ISO1600 (50% 300 s, 50% 600 s)
Calibration: Darks, Flats
Stacking: DSS
Processing: Photoshop CS5
Check out Stephen’s Flickr page for more photos.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.
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Sam Crimmin captured this panoramic image of the Milky Way from Grytviken (an abandoned whaling station) May of this year. It looks back on the lights of King Edward Point Research Station.
This image is a combination of three photos stitched together. Sam took the photos using a Canon 5D MK II camera and a 17-40mm f4.0 L series lens. The settings used for this photo are f/4 exp 25sec.
Check out Sam’s website for more astrophotography.
Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group, post in our Forum or send us your images by email (this means you’re giving us permission to post them). Please explain what’s in the picture, when you took it, the equipment you used, etc.