Half Moon and Venus on Friday

Here are a couple of images taken on Friday May 1st.

The Moon looks particularly good, not much to see on Venus but it is a rather nice crescent.

Scope: Sky Watcher ED80 DS Pro (Moon image)
Scope: Celestron C8 (Venus Image)
Mount: Sky Watcher NEQ6 Pro
Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 183C
Software: AltairCapture, Registax 6, Photoshop Elements.

 Both images stacked from 60 second 8fps videos.

Sun in Ha

My first decent image in Hydrogen Alpha (656.28 nm wavelength).

Combining a well exposed image of the Sun's disc with an over exposed image to show prominences.

Stacked from two 60s 20fps videos, the first a well exposed Suns image, the second over exposed to reveal prominences.

Scope: Coronado PST
Mount: Celestron Advanced GT
Camera: Altair Astro 290 M3
Processed with Registax 6, combined and colourised in Photoshop Elements.

New M51 - Combining data from 2019 and 2020

A new image of M51 compiled from images taken over 13 sessions, from Feb, March and April 2019 and Feb and March 2020

Total Lights - 468
Total Darks - 320
Total Flats - 151

Deep Sky Stacker stacked 273 lights for a total integration time of 13hrs 30mins

Scope: Sky Watcher ED80 DS Pro
Mount: Sky Watcher CG-4 motorised (2019)
Mount: Sky Watcher NEQ6 Pro (2020)
Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 183C
Guide Cam: QHY 5L-II-C
Guide software: PHD2
Planetarium software: Cartes Du Ciel (2020)
Mount control: EQMOD (2020)

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and Photo Shop Elements 13

Closer crop

New M106

A new image of M106 compiled from images taken over two nights.

26/03/2020
90 x 120s lights
40 x 120s darks
30 flats

27/03/2020
75 x 120s lights
30 x 120s darks
30 flats

Scope: Sky Watcher ED80 DS Pro
Mount: Sky Watcher NEQ6 Pro
Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 183C
Guide Cam: QHY 5L-II-C
Guide software: PHD2
Planetarium software: Cartes Du Ciel
Mount control: EQMOD

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and Photo Shop Elements 13

Comet C/2019 Y4 ATLAS

Comet C/2019 Y4 ATLAS

The comet is about 160,353,958 km away. It is brightening and maximum brightness is expected  in May.

Scope: Sky Watcher ED80 DS Pro
Mount: Sky Watcher NEQ6 Pro
Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 183C
Guide Cam: QHY 5L-II-C
Guide software: PHD2
Planetarium software: Cartes Du Ciel
Mount control: EQMOD

60 x 120s subs
30 x 120s darks
30 flats

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and Photo Shop Elements 13

Static stars

Static comet

Movie

M101 - 2nd and 16th March 2020

A new image of M101

49 x 5 min Lights
24 x Darks
55 x Flats

Scope: Sky Watcher ED80 DS Pro
Mount: Sky Watcher NEQ6 Pro
Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 183C
Guide Cam: QHY 5L-II-C
Guide software: PHD2
Planetarium software: Cartes Du Ciel
Mount control: EQMOD

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and Photo Shop Elements 13

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy 17/02/2020 + 27/02/2020

Two sessions combined.
 
Session 1 - 17/02/2020
60 x 120s Light
30 x 120s Dark
31 Flat

Session 2 - 27/02/2020
21 x 300s Light
12 x 300s Dark
20 Flat

Scope: Sky Watcher ED80 DS Pro
Mount: Sky Watcher NEQ6 Pro
Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 183C
Guide Cam: QHY 5L-II-C
Guide software: PHD2
Planetarium software: Cartes Du Ciel
Mount control: EQMOD

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and Photo Shop Elements 13