Skybadger Observatory
This is the website of Skybadger.net, dedicated to all aspects of Astronomy from the Skybadger observatory : observing, imaging, building instruments and getting results.
This is the website of Skybadger.net, dedicated to all aspects of Astronomy from the Skybadger observatory : observing, imaging, building instruments and getting results.
Everyone images M31 the Andromeda Galaxy. I already have pictures of M31, that could be considerably better, but they are mine. I wanted to do something a little bit different and that was appropriate for an automated - image Andromeda at 2000 mm focal length. At this focal length, the image is much bigger than the sensor and osI will have to assemble the image into a mosaic. 25 frames to be accurate. The image below, taken from the framing helper in the Voyager webdesktop shows the images as they are combined from the mosaic. The rationale for doing this is that you get so much more resolution at a long focal length . the other is that that is the telescope I have setup on the mount so that is the one to be used. Each frame is a set of colour fits images - typically 20 x 300 second exposures on my 12" Richey-Chretien.
Current progress is row is complete, row 2 is half complete. Roll on some more clear skies!.
Image of comet 12p Pons-Brooks taken at 19:45 on the evening of 26 February 2024 using the 12.5" RC at Prime focus and focal length of 2005mm.
This is about 1 hr after sunset and 12 degrees above the absolute horizon and getting close to my local horizon.
This is a single frame from the sequence - you can see frost on the sensor in the horizontal banding due to the internal cooler having a little tizz.
I couldn't get a larger field image setup working to complement this one. Other images from elsewhere show a tail about 5 degreees long and part disconnected.
This field is approx 32' x 24'.
The overall magnitude at the time was about mv = 8.0.
Comet Lovejoy imaged in 2013 using a DSLR on tripod from side garden. Stacked in DeepSkyStacker.
19/11/2013 06:25 Nikon D5000 ISO400 120 seconds stack of 10, lights, darks and flats.
Comet [TBD ] imaged in 2020 using a DSLR on tripod from garden over observatory in Riseley, Berkshire Tracked using Skywatcher star adventurer on tripod for 60s images. Captured using Nikon D5000 using ISO 800 at 80mm.