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.

NGC 6888 (H-alpha) from Las Cruces

Hi all,
From the "scope setup in the backyard" pic, earlier :)

Here is one of three targets I captured that night. This is only the H-alpha (Ha) channel, which is a subset of the full Luminance channel. Using an Ha filter reduces out of spectrum light (e.g., light pollution) while allowing emmisions from hydrogen through - such as those from nebulae such as NGC 6888, aka the Crescent Nebula.
I also collected Lum and RGB, but this is just a preview as the narrowband mono view I also enjoy.
TPO 12" Truss RC, f/6.2 (using Tak reducer), 1895mm focal length
QSI 690wsg camera
AP1100GTO mount
Ha filter 3nm bandwitdth.
9x10min subs
Las Cruces, NM

This is uncalibrated (for now).

Finally... big RC scope out AGAIN!

After more than one year (very tough year for me, last year), I was FINALLY able to get the "big RC scope" out into my backyard again, last night (21 May 2025).
I took a picture of the setup while it was imaging...and can see the background sky. My first time to do something like this with my setup. Here is that scene.

Now, I feel so refreshed...and comfortable to have data :) I will now be processing the data and you will see those results arrive here (note: I TAKE MY TIME to process my data --- it's just how I am) :)