Latest CCD images

Click on the thumbnails for full size images

Dumbbell nebula revisited with H-alpha and OIII filters. I've copied earlier photographs of the Dumbbell nebula that were taken with RGB-filters (2007) and the FTF1020C colour CCD (2000, now out-of-use).


DUMBBELL nebula HOO palette August 21/22, sept. 6/7 2023 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 reduced with simple coma-corrector to f/D=4.6 FTT1010M CCD with Baader 6.5nm H-alpha and OIII filters H-alpha 133120 sec OIII 128120 sec FoV: 0.34x0.34 degr	Date: 16 september 2007 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD RGB-filterweel Exp. RGB 12x90sec FoV: 0.3x0.3 gr	Date: 23 august 2000 Scope: 25cm Newton at f/D=5.7 CCD: FT1020 colour CCD Exp.: Sum of 29 images of 120sec

Coincidentally I photographed M101 on 17 May 2023, two days before supernova SN2023ixf was discovered. On 19 may I could confirm the supernova during a short break in the clouds. The wheather cleared on 24 May and the few astronomically dark hours enabled me to photograph M101 and SN2023ixf in L and RGB.
Below the results shown in different ways.

Image information:
Equipment: 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 with FTT1010M CCD and RGB filterwheel

Sub-image exposures:
	17 May: Luminance 15*120sec
	24 May: Luminance 30*120sec
	25 May: RGB 30*120sec each

FoV: 0.48x0.44 deg


Gif switching between 17 and 24/25 May 2023	17 May and 24 May side by side	Sum of 17 and 24/25 May images

M42 imaged with SII, H-alpha and OIII narrow-band filters (Baader Planetarium, 6.5-8.5nm bandwidth), shown in three different ways. To the left H-alpha is shown in Red while the OIII image is distributed over Green (100%) and Blue (100%) to obtain the characteristic teal colour. The middle image has the same colour assignment and is unsharp masked, i.e. the luminance of the image was devided by a smoothed version of itself, lowering the intensity of the central part of the nebula and revealing the (nearly overexposed) trapezium star cluster. The image to the right shows M42 with H-alpha again assigned to Red (150%), S-II to Green (400%) and OIII to Green (80%) and Blue (100%). In order to have a clear effect, the Sulfur contribution had to be increased 4-fold.

Images are obtained on february 8, 2023, with the FTT1010-M CCD camera and the f/D=3.5 Newton configuration described below (and in the equipment section, see here). M42 is a relatively bright object and for H-alpha and OIII short, 60-second exposures were needed to avoid overexposure of the central part: H-alpha 19x60 seconds, OIII 30x60seconds. The Sulfur contribution is much weaker and 16 exposures of 120 seconds were acquired.

The images cover a 0.8x0.8 degree field of view, are sharpened and shown with a gamma of 2.2. The luminance is based on the (photopic) eye sensitivity for the H-alpha wavelength (656nm: sensitivity 0.08) and OIII wavelength (501nm: sensitivity 0.34). Thus L=0.08*H-alpha+0.34*OIII.

Horse nebula HOO
14/27/28 february 2023
H-alpha 155x2min
OIII 95x2min
FoV 0.73x0.73 degrees
Gamma 2.0
Intenser red contributions are shown with increasing whiter appearance
The image is sharpened and rotated 90-degrees (CCW)


M42, HOO	M42, HOO, Unsharp masked.	M42, HSO	Horsehead nebula

Images obtained with the FTT1010-M CCD camera and my latest Newton telescope. In fact it is a modified Cassegrain telescope with a 25cm, f=1091mm primary. By adding a plane-convex lens close to the CCD the effective focal length is reduced to f=880mm and the f/D is improved from 4.3 to 3.5. Without this lens, coma of the parabolic primary over the 12mmx12mm focal plane of the CCD is substantial. The plano-convex lens reduces coma and increases sensitivity by some 50% (which compensates for the relatively low quantum efficiency of the CCD's I'm (still) using). For more details click here.
The images are cropped to 0.5x0.5 degrees of the 0.8x0.8 degrees field of view. The bandwidth of the H-alpha and OIII filters are 6.5nm and 8.5nm (Baader-Planetarium).

Bubble nebula
NGC7635
19 nov, 12/14 dec 2022
25cm Newton f/D=3.5
Exposure:
H-alpha 76x120sec
OIII 93x120sec
Cropped FoV: 0.50 x 0.50 degr

Crescent nevel
NGC6888
20/23 aug, 1/21 sep 2022
25cm Newton f/D=3.5
Exposure:
H-alpha 94x120sec
OIII 149x120sec
Cropped FoV: 0.52 x 0.52 degr


Proper motion of 2 stars in Hickson44 galaxy field. 2012 / 2022 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010M CCD with RGB-filter wheel FoV: 0.28x0.28degr	M1, SHO as RGB H-a: Febr. 25..27, 2022 SII,OIII: Jan 28, 2011 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010M CCD with SHO-filter wheel H-alpha: 151x120sec SII,OIII: 26x120sec FoV: 0.37x0.28 degr	M1, HOO as RGB H-a: Febr. 25..27, 2022 OIII: Jan 28, 2011 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010M CCD with SHO-filter wheel H-alpha: 151x120sec OIII: 26x120sec FoV: 0.37x0.28 degr	PK205 planetary neb. 4, 5 and 7 March 2022 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010M CCD with Baader H-alpha filter. 203x2 minute exposures FoV: 0.43x0.43 degr

NGC2903 February 26&28, 2022 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010M CCD with RGB-filter wheel Lum.: 83x120sec RGB: 24x120sec FoV: 0.38x0.38degr	M90 and IC3583 March 7&8, 2022 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010M CCD with RGB-filter wheel Lum.: 94x120sec RGB: 30x120sec FoV: 0.38x0.38 degr	M105, NGC3384,3389 Feb. 28 (RGB) and March 4&7, 2022 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010M CCD with RGB-filter wheel Lum.: 111x120sec RGB: 30x120sec FoV: 0.38x0.38 degr	M31 Andromeda nebula December 2&25, 2021 FTF2020M CCD with RGB-filter wheel 300mm Tele-objective F#4.0, on fork-mount Lum.: 48x2 min RGB: 18x3 min FoV, cropped: 0.48 degr

ECLIPSED MOON IN PISCES STAR FIELD
September 28, 2015
300mm Tele-objective F#4.0
FTF2020-M CCD
RGB-filter wheel
Eclipsed Moon: 2 sec RGB
Star field: 30 sec RGB
FoV: 4.7x3.5 degrees


Hickson 44 group April 16, 2012 and April 4, 2011 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD with RGB-filterwheel Lum.: 87x100sec (2011) RGB: 15x120sec binned (2012) FoV: 0.4x0.3degr	M95 with SN2012aw March 28, 2012 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD Lum.: 37x120sec RGB (2007):14x100sec binned FoV: 0.13x0.13degr	M95 and M96 March 11 and April 7, 2007 Reprocessed 25cm Newton, f/D=5.7 FTF2020-M CCD RGB-filterwheel L: 55x90sec RGB: 14x100sec binned FoV: 0.87x0.67degr


M58 and Siamese twins NGC4567 and NGC4568 May 3, 2011 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTF2020-M CCD with RGB-filter wheel Lum.: 58x120sec RGB: 25x120sec binned FoV: 0.85x0.61degr North=Left	M106 and NGC4217 May 1, 2011 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTF2020-M CCD with RGB-filter wheel Lum.: 114x100sec RGB: 19x100sec binned FoV: 0.90x0.64 degr	M1 Crab nebula January 28, 2011 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD with SHO-filter wheel Lum.: H+O SHO: 25x120sec FoV: 0.26x0.26 degr	NGC2683 8,11 en 17 april 2010 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD with RGB-filter wheel Lum.: 59x2 min RGB: 12x2 min FoV: 0.28x0.28 degr


NGC3198 6 and 9 april 2010 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD with RGB filter wheel Lum.: 79x90 sec RGB: 16x120sec FoV: 0.28x0.28degr	NGC4490 and 4485 20 apr/22 may 2009 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD with RGB filter wheel Lum.: 72x90 sec RGB: 18x120sec FoV: 0.28x0.28degr	NGC3184 20/22 april 2009 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTT1010-M CCD with RGB filter wheel Lum.: 75x90 sec RGB: 12x120sec FoV: 0.28x0.28degr	Comet Lulin March 2, 2009 25cm Newton f/D=5.7 FTF2020-M CCD with RGB filter wheel Lum.: 1x60 sec RGB: 4x60sec FoV: 0.9x0.9degr

Images made with the FTF2020-M CCD camera equipped with a Baader H-alpha filter (7nm bandwidth) and with either the 25cm Newton using a simple coma-corrector, resulting in f/D=4.7, or a Leica f=300mm teleobjective at F#4.

IC1848 Eastern part
2 jan 2009
25cm Newton f/D=4.7
Exposure: 84x150 sec
Field of View: 1.1 x 1.0 degr.

IC1805 and 1848
27/28 dec 2008
f=300mm Leica teleobj.
Exposure: 66x3 min
Field of View: 4.6 x 3.5 degr.


IC410 30 dec 2008 25cm Newton f/D=4.7 Exposure: 55x150sec FoV: 0.9 x 0.9 degr.	IC405 29 dec 2008 25cm Newton f/D=4.7 Exposure: 59x150sec FoV: 1.1 x 0.8 degr.	Auriga nevels IC405, IC410 en IC417 27/28 dec 2008 f=300mm Leica teleobj. Exposure: 112x3 min FoV: 4.6 x 4.4 degr.	IC59&IC63 7 december 2008 25cm Newton f/D=4.7 Exposure: 31x3 min FoV: 1.1x0.9 degr.