Some of our members are very active and experienced astrophotographers. Others are just starting out. Here is a sample of their work done through amateur (but sophisticated!) backyard telescopes. Often, we will display recent astrophotographs taken by our members at our monthly meeting. If you have an astrophoto you would like to share, please send it along to me. It needs to be no wider than 600 pixels and no taller than 600 pixels and saved as a jpeg. Please include any text describing the shot and a link to your web page if you have one. |
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Member |
Image | Additional Information |
Kirk Rogers M42 |
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Generally considered the finest example of a diffuse nebula in the northern hemisphere and one of the most beautiful objects in the heavens. At magnitude 4 and 1,600 light years distant, it is also the largest and closest nebula to Earth. It can be seen with the unaided eye as a fuzzy patch in the middle of Orion's sword belt. The constellation Orion is probably the most easily recognized of all the constellations. Scanned, stacked and enhanced by Russ Dickman . Photographed from North Berwick, Maine. |
Kirk Rogers The lagoon and Trifid Nebulae |
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This is a single exposure taken from Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania; North is up in this view. The extremely large, bright nebula at the bottom of this photograph is M8 - The Lagoon Nebula (sometimes referred to as the Hour Glass). Per NGC it is considered a most remarkable object (!!! - I hope you'll agree after viewing this shot), and is described as a large, floating nebulous patch crossed by a great, curving dark lane. Open cluster NGC 6530, approximately 60 stars detached, can be viewed inside the nebulosity. 1.5 degrees northwest above the Lagoon is M20 - The Trifid Nebula, another most remarkable object (!!!) trisected by prominent dark lanes northeast, south and east, clearly visible in this shot. The trifid contains a bright open cluster of approximately 60 stars. To the upper left in this photograph the open cluster M21, around 70 detached stars, can be viewed. Scanned with a Nikon 8000ED film scanner; enhanced in Photoshop 7.0 |
Kirk Rogers The Double Cluster |
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These open clusters are a binocular and telescope favorite for many observers at all levels of expertise. The pair consists of NGC 869 & 884 in close proximity and are bright clusters each with over 100 stars. The Sky Atlas 2000.0 Companion (a volume I use often) indicates they are faintly visible as an unresolved glow; they were described as a misty star nearly 2,000 years ago in Ptolemy's Almagest. This was the last shot of the evening when this was taken according to my notes and was started at 03:07. Scanned with my Nikon 8000ED film scanner; enhanced in Photoshop 7.0. Imaged from Savoy, Massachusetts at the Summer Star Party. |
Kirk Rogers The Double Cluster |
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We don't often have the chance to shoot this area effectively in the Northeast, so our recent New Mexico imaging trip provided an excellent opportunity with Rho as a prime target. This region is home to many beautiful nebulae, clusters and stars providing a diverse color group. Just off center, top right is the star Rho Ophiuchus with its companions surrounded by blue nebulosity from IC 4604. At top right of the shot, the globular M80 can be viewed at magnitude 7.2. Above center left three more stars in Scorpius can be seen surrounded by Nebula IC 4605, just above the star Antares (Alpha Scorpii at magnitude 1.06) surrounded by the yellow nebulosity of IC 4606. At right of Antares is the globular M4, below and left of the star Sigma Scorpii, surrounded by red. At lower left is the star Tau Scorpii also surrounded by a sea of red nebulosity. This final was scanned and enhanced by Tony Hallas . I scanned and worked with this positive but realized there was far more information than I could pull out and sent it to Tony for review. I'm pleased with the end result but you can judge for yourself... Photographed from New Mexico Skies, Mayhill, New Mexico. |
Paul Howell The Ring Nebula (M57) and IC 1296 (a barred galaxy). |
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(From the SEDS database) Discovered by Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix in 1779. The famous ring nebula M57 is often regarded as the prototype of a planetary nebula, and a showpiece in the northern hemisphere summer sky. Recent research has confirmed that it is, most probably, actually a ring (torus) of bright light-emitting material surrounding its central star, and not a spherical (or ellipsoidal) shell, thus coinciding with an early assumption by John Herschel . Viewed from this equatorial plane, it would thus more resemble the Dumbbell Nebula M27 or the Little Dumbbell Nebula M76 than its appearance we know from here: We happen to view it from near one pole. |
Paul Howell The veil nebula shot in narrowband OIII and H-alpha. |
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This large loop of gas was ejected about 30 to 40 thousand years ago from a supernova. It is also known as the Cygnus Loop. |
George Whitney Comet Machholz – C/2004 Q2, January 2005 |
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George Whitney Horsehead and Flame Nebulae – B33 in IC 434 and NGC 2024, Ha, in Orion |
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George Whitney Heart Nebula – IC 1805, Ha, in Cassiopeia |
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George Whitney Leo Trio – M 65, M 66, and NGC 3628, in Leo |
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George Whitney Lunar Eclipse – October 27-28 2004 |
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George Whitney Markarian's Chain – in Virgo |
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George Whitney Seagull Nebula – IC 2177, Ha, in Monoceros |
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George Whitney, Kirk Rogers, and Paul Howell Venus Transiting the Sun – Ha, June 8, 2004 |
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George Whitney Rosette Nebula – NGC 2244, in Monoceros |
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Kirk Rogers Circumpolar Star Trails |
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