Galaxy M100 !

Galaxy M100 !
Distance: 60 million light years

This was the last of three targets I had on my last night out. I have already posted the other two results. So, here is this one. From my backyard here in Las Cruces - portable setup. For the curious, I have also recently updated my "Equipment" page on my website talking about the new hardware, here: http://jeffjastro.com/equip/

TPO 12" RC AP1100 GTO ATS Portable Pier QSI 690wsg 14x5mins Lum, 3x5min ea RGB Calibration frames: 10xdarks/flats/fdarks/bias

Updated --- my Astronomy page

Hi all: I have updated my astronomy page's "equipment" area to include a couple of pics of my new telescope and new mount.

I think it is accurate to say: This new equipment has been my dream - dream to go after very deep sky and difficult targets. In particular, my personal favorite of galaxies. The new scope and mount did not disappoint, and you can see the results of course further down in my blog with this new setup.

Here is a direct link to my equipment page on my astronomy site (check it out!): https://jeffjastro.com/equip

Here I am including a screenshot preview of the page:

NGC 3389 --- 72 million light years away!

Hi all,

Here is the second target of three targets I had on 21 May 2025 from my backyard here in Las Cruces.

Main target here for me was NGC 3389 (the spiral galaxy with "structure")... also seen here is NGC 3384 and just out of the frame is M105 (you can see part of it at the bottom of the frame).

NGC 3389 is about 72 million light years away --- and FURTHER way than the other two by roughly 20-30 million light years!

There are about a dozen or more total galaxies that were picked up in this shot...and you can see the many different structures of those very distant galaxies.

Friday Night: Movie Night/Date Night!

Friday Night: Movie Night/Date Night ... just Papa and daughter. Feeling Blessed! 🥰

My image Featured: BBC Sky at Night Magazine!!

HONORED!!!

I just found out (accidentally!):

My M81 - Bode's Galaxy image was featured by BBC Sky at Night Magazine!!!

Their feature of my image is on their Instagram page, here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGdZ-iDun_t/

It turns out... they featured it on my birthday!!!
My original image is here: http://jeffjastro.com/dso/M81_30Apr24.htm

NGC 6888 (Crescent Nebula) - from Las Cruces

Hi all,

Update: I also have this on my site, now: https://jeffjastro.com/dso/NGC6888_21May25.htm

Earlier here I had a narrowband-only (H-alpha) image. Now, here is the final of NGC 6888, aka the Crescent Nebula.

TPO 12" Truss RC, f/6.2 (using Tak reducer), 1895mm focal length
QSI 690wsg camera
AP1100GTO mount
Channels: LHaRGB

Location: My backyard in Las Cruces, NM

Thanks for looking!
#astronomy #nebula #NewMexico #LasCruces

Cygnus area - widefield!

Not published here before - captured this last Summer.

Cygnus area (wide view) --- Deneb, Vega, and Altair are in the view, as is the North American Nebula (and others).

Look at all those stars...

Canon T3i DSLR, Samyang 14mm lens, iso800, 18x5min exposures --- 5min exposures (yes!) thanks to the SkyWatcher SA 2i w/EQ base.