Astrophotos Archives

May 1, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Awesome Views of a Sombrero in Space

A lovely view of the Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo. Taken remotely from Siding Spring Observatory, Australia during several nights in April. Credit and copyright: Ian Sharp.

Here’s a wonderful view of the Sombrero Galaxy (M104, NGC 4594) in Virgo. This multi-hour, deep exposure was taken remotely by astrophotographer Ian Sharp from the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia over the past few weeks, with 12 hours of Luminance and 5 hours each on R, G and B channels.

The Sombrero Galaxy is a spiral galaxy that we see edge-on from Earth. Its outer dust lanes and bright central bulge aare visible in this wonderful image. There’s a zoomed out version, below, and you can see more of Ian Sharp’s great imagery at his website.

A expanded view of M104, the Sombrero Galaxy and the surrounding region. Credit and copyright: Ian Sharp.

Here are the details of the equipment Ian Sharp used to take these images:

Optical Tube Assembly RCOS 12.5” F/9 (2857mm focal length) Carbon-Fibre Tube w/TCC2, PIR and FFC
Equatorial Mount Bisque Paramount ME
Imaging Camera Apogee F16M-D9 (KAF-16803) with 7 slot filter wheel
Imaging Camera Filters Astrodon Series II L,R,G,B, Ha (5nm), OIII (3nm) and SII (3nm)
Guide Camera MMOAG with SBIG ST-402ME
The system delivers a 44×44 arcmin FoV operating at .65 arcsec/pixel
Processed entirely in PixInsight.

Want to get your astrophoto featured on Universe Today? Join our Flickr group 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.

April 29, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Special Delivery to the Moon

Airbus A300 B4-622R from London to Paris -- and to the Moon? -- on April 5, 2014. Credit and copyright: Sebastien Lebrigand.

Fly me — or my package — to the Moon? “Anything is possible!” said astrophotographer Sebastien Lebrigand, via email to Universe Today. Lebrigand lives along the flight path to the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and regularly takes images of planes flying in front of the Moon, (see another of his shots here), but he’s thinking this might be his best one yet.

He used a 102/660 mm refractor telescope with a Canon EOS60d camera to capture this shot.

Note: This photo does not constitute an endorsement or advertisement.

April 28, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Breathtaking Astrophoto: Milky Way Over Monument Valley

A stunning view of the night sky over Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona, USA. Credit and copyright: Gavin Heffernan/Sunchaser Pictures.

One of our favorite astrophotographers and timelapse gurus, Gavin Heffernan from Sunchaser Pictures is currently out in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona shooting footage for a new timelapse. With this sneak peak photo, we can’t wait for the video!

This gorgeous shot taken on April 26, 2014 is just breathtaking. “It was an epic Milky Way night,” Gavin said on Facebook.

Monument Valley one of the most majestic and most most photographed regions in the US, and is known for its dramatic landscape and mesmerizing lighting during the day — with the sun illuminating the towers and casting long shadows on the valley — but it is equally dramatic at night, too, as this image attests.

Gavin told Universe Today the video will be completed in about 2 weeks, and that he was in Arizona as an “artist in residence” at Northern Arizona University, showing the photography students some timelapse tricks on some field trips.

April 1, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Eye-Popping Aurora in Alaska

Aurora Borealis coronal display near Fairbanks Alaska, on March 25, 2014. Credit and copyright: John Chumack.

For the past several years, astrophotographer John Chumack has lead a tour to Alaska on how to photograph the northern lights and the night sky, and this year was a great success. “We experienced perfect weather this year: 10 clear nights in a row, with an aurora display every night,” John said via email. Last week, we featured some of images from this year’s trip, but here are some additional images that are really amazing, plus John has put together a stunning timelapse from images he took on March 26, see below:

Another image of the Aurora Borealis coronal display near Fairbanks Alaska, on March 25, 2014. Credit and copyright: John Chumack.

John Chumack stand under the Aurora Borealis near Fairbanks, Alaska on March 25, 2014. Credit and copyright: John Chumack.

Find out more about John’s Alaska aurora tour for 2015 here.

March 24, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Amazing Aurora in Alaska, March 2014

Aurora seen near Fairbanks, Alaska on March 21, 2014. Credit and copyright: John Chumack.

Every year, our friend and astrophotographer extraordinaire John Chumack co-leads a tour to Alaska on how to photograph the northern lights and the night sky, and this year they hit paydirt. “Absolutely amazing aurora about 30 minutes outside Fairbanks, Alaska!!!!” John wrote via email. “I took over 450 photos of it, I watched it dance and sway from 9:30pm until 4:00am!!! It got so bright at times it turn the snow green, to red to purple too!”

Sounds incredible, and here are some great pictures to showcase what John and his friends saw. If you have an aurora trip on your bucket list, you can find out more about the Alaskan astrophotography tour here.

UPDATE: John sent us an update and a couple of additional aurora photos from subsequent nights in Alaska. He said he has done quite a bit of research over the years, and Fairbanks has the highest number of clear nights late March — when he annually hosts the aurora tour. “Also the Earth’s Magnetic Field is weaker near equinox, so even if you don’t get flares, the solar wind is enough to spark aurora displays,” John said via email. “We are on our 4th consecutive clear nights with great Aurora displays. Only a KP-2 index Level is need to see them here.”

A good enticement to check out his tour for 2015!

Aurora on March 24, 2014 near Fairbanks, Alaska. Credit and copyright: John Chumack.

A group of attendees at John Chumack's Aurora Borealis tour watch the aurora together near Fairbanks, Alaska on March 24, 2014. Credit and copyright: John Chumack — A group of attendees at John Chumack’s Aurora Borealis tour watch the aurora together near Fairbanks, Alaska on March 24, 2014. Credit and copyright: John Chumack

March 14, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Beautiful Encounter with the Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is photographed with two Iridium Flares, airplanes and stars among the dark sky background. Credit and copyright: Giuseppe Petricca.

There is so much going on in this picture – taken by astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca — it’s hard to know where to start. Of course, there’s the famous Leaning Tower in Pisa, Italy. But one evening earlier this week, a “beautiful encounter” happened, said Petricca via email.

“A wonderful -7.5 magnitude Iridium Flare, clearly visible even in the light polluted sky of the city center, photographed from the famous Miracle Square, with the Leaning Tower as a special guest,” he said. “But I was lucky, because two airplanes crossed the portion I was photographing, and a second Iridium satellite was really near the bright one, but this second one did not create a flare.”

Also visible in the background is the dim but beautiful Ursa Minor, culminating with the North Star, Polaris, high corner in the top left corner.

Wow.

The picture is an 8 second exoposure, f4.0, ISO 100 taken with a Nikon Coolpix P90 Bridge on a tripod.

“I was planning to do this shot for two or three days, and luckily the clouds gave way to clear sky just in time,” said Petricca.

March 12, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: “Second Star to the Right and Straight on Until Morning!”

So many stars! A 14-image panorama taken under very dark skies in the heart of the Riverina, New South Wales, Australia, with a bit of direction from a road sign. Credit and copyright: Carlos Orue.

Which way to the center of the galaxy? This very creative — and gorgeous — view of the Milky Way was taken this past weekend (March 9, 2014) by astrophotographer Carlos Orue from Australia. Carlos said the Milky Way was so bright under these dark skies that “I almost needed sunnies to turn down the glare! Lots of green airglow visible too.” Also visible are the large and small Magallanic clouds.

While taking the images for this 14-image panorama, Carlos said he had lots of company: “Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, emus, bunny rabbits and foxes.”

And just remember, according to Walt Disney, “That second star to the right shines in the night for you, to tell you that the dreams you plan really can come true.”

March 10, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Gorgeous Panorama of the Orion & Horsehead Nebulae and Orion’s Belt

A panoramic view of the Great Orion Nebula and the Horsehead Nebula including the very familiar three bright stars of Orion's belt. This was captured in January, February and early March 2014 over 8 nights. Credit and copyright: Terry Hancock.

Astrophotographer Terry Hancock has been working on this for several weeks and the results are fabulous. This panoramic view of the Orion region includes two of the most recognizable objects in this constellation — the Orion Nebula and the Horsehead Nebula. It also takes a look at the three bright stars of Orion’s belt Alnitak (to the left of the image), Alnilam and Mintaka. Additionally, it shows part of the Orion molecular cloud.

Wow!

More info on this image from Terry:

This is data I captured in January, February and early March 2014 over 8 nights using a QHY11S Monochrome CCD/Takahashi E-80 F2.8 from DownUnder Observatory in Fremont Michigan, USA.

190 individual exposures make up this 5 panel mosaic for a Total Exposure time of 11 hours
Equipment:
Camera: QHY11S monochrome CCD cooled to -20C
Optics: Takahashi Epsilon F2.8 ED-180 Astrograph
Mount: Paramount GT-1100S German Equatorial Mount (with MKS 4000)
Image Aquisition Maxim DL
Stacking and Calibrating: CCDStack
Registration of images in Registar
Post Processing Photoshop CS5

See more of Terry’s astrophotography at his Flickr page or G+.

March 3, 2014December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophotos: Sun Halo, Crescent Moon and Earthshine

A solar halo was visible neara the Chilidog Observatory in Monterrey, Mexico. Credit and copyright: César Cantú.

Here’s a few great astrophotos for today! Astrophotographer César Cantú from the Chilidog Observatory in Monterrey, Mexico captured this stunning halo around the Sun on March 2, 2014. A solar halo is an optical phenomenon produced by ice crystals creating colored or white arcs and spots in the sky. Conditions in the atmosphere have to be just right, with moisture or ice crystals creating a “rainbow” effect around the Sun. Sometimes the halos surround the Sun completely, other times, they appear as arcs around the Sun creating what is known as sundogs. Basically, sunlight is reflecting off moisture in the atmosphere.

Ice crystals in Earth’s atmosphere can also cause rings around the Moon, and moondogs and even Venus “pillars.”

But make sure you look at the crescent Moon tonight — if you’ve missed seeing the thin crescent the past two evenings, tonight it will still be only 11% illuminated (according to Universe Today’s Phases of the Moon app!). Tonight you still might have the chance to see a little Earthshine — reflected Earthlight visible on the Moon’s night side.

See some great crescent Moon and Earthshine images below!

This image comes from one of our “regulars,” John Chumack, who says, “If you have clear skies, go out again tonight (03-03-2014) and look West between 7:00pm and 8:00pm EST, you will see the crescent Moon with Earthshine!”

Also, just another note from John: between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm the Planet Uranus is 7.5 degrees below the Crescent Moon just after Sunset, but you will not see Uranus until it gets dark enough. You will need a telescope or binoculars to easily view Uranus at Magnitude 5.9, shortly after 8:15pm Uranus will set in the west and then the Moon follows shortly after that.

The young thin Crescent Moon with Earthshine was hanging low in the west near Tampa, Florida on March 2, 2014. Credit and copyright: John Chumack.

The Crescent Moon at 2.45 days old on March 3, 2014. Credit and copyright: James Lennie.

Crescent Moon with Earthshine on March 3, 2014. Credit and copyright: Raymond Gilchrist.

Check out more great images on our Flickr group page.

February 28, 2014April 8, 2018 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophotographer’s Dream: Venus and Milky Way Galaxy Over Singapore

Rise of Venus and the Milky Way in Singapore on Feb. 28, 2014. Credit and copyright: Justin Ng.

“My dream to capture the beautiful Milky Way galaxy in Singapore has finally come true this morning after the monsoon season is over,” said noted astrophotographer Justin Ng, who lives in this island country in South East Asia. Justin noted that since Singapore is known for its heavy light pollution, there are many people who believe it’s impossible to capture stars and the arc of the Milky Way under those conditions. Justin has been taking amazing deep sky and night sky photos for quite some time, but he said with this particular image he’s hoping to prove the naysayers wrong.

“Plus, I hope to inspire more astrophotographers residing in heavily light polluted city to try to capture these ‘impossible’ images,” Justin added.

UPDATE: Below is a new timelapse video from Justin Ng.

This is a single exposure shot of planet Venus and Milky Way Galaxy in Singapore. However, the light pollution near the horizon is also visible.

Justin has now created a timelapse of his Milky Way photography from the same night he took this image, and he says a timelapse like this never been attempted by any photographers in Singapore, this is is the first:

Rise of Milky Way and Venus in Singapore from Justin Ng Photo on Vimeo.

You can see more of Justin’s fantastic astrophotography at his website, on G+, Facebook and Twitter.