IC 5068 in Cygnus (HaRGB)

http://jeffjastro.com
Hi all, here is a strange looking area that I imaged as another with the smaller of my two scopes, here using the Takahashi FS-60C and imaged using Ha_HaRGB.  This area is near the North America Nebula, NGC 7000, which I will feature later in this blog.  For this particular object in Cygnus, I was able to capture color (where for NGC 7000 I was not, as you will see later).

So, here is a look at this area, IC 5068 (and the link to it at my main site http://jeffjastro.com/dso/IC5068_15Dec13.htm):

M33 featured on Space.com and YahooNews!

http://jeffjastro.com
I was traveling for the past week, but just before I left I found that M33 (the Ha version I have in my blog here and at my main site) was also featured at Space.com as well as YahooNews.  It was featured just before the M31Ha article.  Here is the link to the YahooNews article for any that may be interested:

http://news.yahoo.com/triangulum-galaxy-dazzles-stargazer-39-photo-112254911.html

Here is a small version of the featured image:

And here is a link to what I wrote in my blog about it:  http://jeffjastro.blogspot.com/2013/09/m33-triangulum-galaxy-look-at-h-alpha.html

Meanwhile, stand by for more work as I have been completing processing data of multiple targets that I grabbed in December and January.  As always, thanks for looking! :)

M45 - Pleiades

http://jeffjastro.com
Hi all :)  Here I will finally go back a little ways and post my shot of M45 here on my blog.  I have some comments at my main site for this which describe well some frustrations I ran into for this one :)  As I mention in later images, I corrected imaging train backfocal distance for the FS-60C scope and then proceeded to collect data in December and into early January 2014.  I am still (as of this writing) working on processing data from those outings, so I am pretty happy.  The little scope performed better than I expected, certainly.  What a great little Takahashi scope.

Ok, as I always do, I will include a link to the main image followed by a small sample.  Here you go (and see you next time!):  http://jeffjastro.com/dso/M45_6Dec13.htm

M31 featured on Space.com and YahooNews!

http://jeffjastro.com
Well, found out just a little while ago that my M31 result (not yet published in my blog here since I am still way behind :) has been featured on Space.com and YahooNews!  At my main site I added the ability to switch between Ha and non-Ha versions of the M31 result.  Here is the link to the Yahoo story:

http://news.yahoo.com/stargazer-snaps-stunning-view-andromeda-galaxy-photo-134110669.html

Here is a smaller version of the image featured:

B343 - Dark Nebula in Cygnus

http://jeffjastro.com
Once again, playing catch-up :)  Here is Barnard 343 - Dark nebula in Cygnus.  This is another shot with the TOA using HaRGB filters imaged on 8 Nov 2013.  This is actually one of my favorite objects of late and probably one of the best data sets I have collected.  I had much, much fun processing and experimenting with/learning techniques to complete this image.  Image details/larger at:  http://jeffjastro.com/dso/B343_8Nov13.htm

M78 - Reflection nebula in Orion

http://jeffjastro.com
First, it turns out that one of my images (Pacman Nebula) was selected and printed in a Monterrey, Mexico newspaper!  My first hardcopy publishing and in a relatively popular newspaper.  Details at my main link, here:  http://jeffjastro.com/dso/NGC281_28Sep13.htm (notes area).

I am pretty far behind on the blog, so will just include mostly short updates, now :) I have added (on my main site) an area for notes that I now populate more if there is something of interest to the data/processing for each object, such as above.  I invite you to check it out, if you like :)

Ok, for this post here is M78, and it is what is called a reflection nebula.  For this, I opted for nearly all Lum and not Ha.  Details:  http://jeffjastro.com/dso/M78_8Nov13.htm

Comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy)

http://jeffjastro.com
Well, I am falling a bit behind :)  But, quickly, here is Comet Lovejoy that I imaged from my backyard in Las Cruces the morning of 7 Dec 2013 (at about 5:30AM).  I only used the RGB data, here, as the Lum did not really add much.  This was (similar to ISON) shooting very low and to the east.  So, this was imaged into orange level light pollution from where I am at in my city.  It was a challenge (as always) to remove the light pollution gradient.

Note: This night was pretty neat as it was my first time to bring out the smaller scope (Tak FS-60C) since the night I simply did a "test shot" with it back in May 2012.  I think the scope was pretty happy to be out, again :)  Many of my following posts that are AFTER 8 Nov 2013 will be results from this smaller APO scope.  I had to test this particular night and backfocal distance was not perfect.  I talk about it in some of my posts at my main site.

As normal, here is the link to the larger/details:  http://jeffjastro.com/solarsystem/C2013R1Lovejoy_6Dec13.htm

Thanks for visiting/reading :)

Comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) - morning of 7 Dec 13.