David's Astronomy Pages (Image Gallery)
Image Highlights - 2003

See also highlights from  | 20012002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 

Shown below are some of my favourite CCD images from 2003.  They are taken using a ST-7E camera through an 8" LX200

Bullet | Stars | Clusters | Nebulae | Galaxies | Planets | Asteroids
 

Stars

Struve 817 (Orion)
Star Pair, Mag 8.8 and 8.9, separation 18"
Image
CCD Image
20s exposure
2003-01-17, 22:38h UT (#39002)

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 Clusters

NGC 6802 Open Cluster (in Vulpecula)
Image
CCD image,  3 x 20 sec exposures (summed)
2003-08-03  22:42- 22:43 h UT (#48044-46)
11.4 x 7.6 arc mins 
 
M15 Globular Cluster (Pegasus) 
Image
CCD Image,  10s exposure
2003-07-13  00:49h UT (#45057)
11.4 x 7.6 arc mins

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Nebulae

NGC 2392 / PLN 197+17.1 (Gemini) 
Planetary Nebula (Eskimo or Clown Face Cluster)
Detailed view 
(diameter of planetary nebula is 45 arc secs)
Image
Portion of CCD image,  3 x 60 sec exposure
2003-01-24  00:21 to 00:25h UT (#41285-87)
5.2 x 4.3 arc mins
 
M57  (Lyra)
Image
CCD image,  10 x 30 sec exposures (summed)
2003-08-03  00:56 to 01:05 h UT (#47146-55)
4.5 x  3.8 arc mins 
 
M16  (Eagle Nebula in Serpens Caput)
Image
CCD image,  5 x 120 sec exposures (summed)
2003-08-02  22:37- 22:47 h UT (#47035-39)
Altitude 24 deg
11.4 x 7.6 arc mins 
 
NGC 2261  Hubble's Variable Nebula (Monoceros)
GCVS R Mon  - INa Variable
Image
CCD image,  5 x 60 sec exposure
2003-01-24  00:01  to 00:06h UT (#41267-71)
11.3  x 7.6 arc mins 
 
M17  (Swan Nebula,  Serpens Caput)
Image
CCD image,  24 x 20 sec exposures (median)
2003-08-02  22:57 to 23:09 h UT (#47043-67)
Object lying at altitude 21 deg
11.4 x 7.6 arc mins 

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Galaxies

Deer Lick Group  (in Pegasus)
comprising NGC 7331 (catalog mag +10.3 ), 
NGC 7335 (+14.3), NGC 7337 (+15.2)
Image
CCD image,  7 x 300 sec exposures (average combine)
2003-08-08  23:41 to 2003-08-09  00:25 h UT (#50026-35)
11.4 x 7.6 arc mins 
 
NGC 708 (Andromeda)
NGC 708 (catalog mag +13.7), NGC 703 (catalog mag +14.2), NGC 705 (catalog mag +14.6), 
NGC 704 (catalog mag +14.1), CGCG 522-33 (catalog mag +15.5) 
Image
CCD Image, 41 x 20 sec exposure (average)
2003-12-07  23:34 to 23:56h UT (#55078-118)
arc sec  
 
Negative 
Image
CCD Image details as above  
 
NGC 7320 Galaxy Cluster (Stephan's Quintet, Andromeda)
Image
CCD Image, 10 x 20 sec exposure (median)
2003-10-17  22:12 to 22:17h UT (#53131-40)
 
M108 Spiral Galaxy (Ursa Major)
Image
CCD Image, 5 x 30 sec exposure (summed)
2003-12-08  00:34 to 00:40h UT (#55260-69)
11.6 x 7.8 arc sec  

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Planets

Mars 
(processed to show surface features)
Image
CCD Image,  3 x 0.12s exposure, 
(average combined, unsharped masked, sharpened)
2003-07-13  02:46h UT (#45147-49)
Mars - close to Opposition
(phase 99.6%, 25.0 arc min diameter)
Image
2003-08-23  00:32:04 h UT 
0.25 sec exposure  (#52117)
8" SCT operating at F/29 through eyepiece projection
Unfiltered. Images unsharp masked.
Image Scale 0.31 arc sec/pixel 
(equivalent to surface scale of 85 km/pixel)
 
Jupiter
( Io and Ganymede are just visible)
Image
CCD image,  0.1s exposure, Unsharp-Masked
2003-01-24 00:45h UT (#41314)
3.5 x 2.0 arc mins
 
Saturn
Image
CCD image,  0.1s exposure, Unsharp-Masked
2003-01-24 01:04h UT (#41360)
 
Pluto   (marked by cross-hair)
Image
CCD Image,  7 x 10s exposure (median)
Altitude 20deg.
2003-07-13  00:00h UT (#45031-37)

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Asteroids/Minor Planets

216 Kleopatra
Image
CCD Image,  105 x 20s exposures (summed)
Exposures at approximately 1min 7sec intervals. 
The white steak records 58 arc sec motion of the 
minor planet over a period of 1 hr 56 min (= 30 arc sec/hour)
The image records stars down to Mag +16
(2003-08-12  22:56h to 2003-08-13 00:52h UT (#51041- 45147)
(See Animated Sequence of CCD Images - 10 minute intervals, 0.4 MB) 
 
Composite montage, showing rapid (15.4 arc min/hour) movement of Illapa 
through starfield in Aquarius over 2 hours
(click on image to see at full size 0.4 MB)
Image
CCD images,  60 sec exposures (unfiltered)
2003-08-13  01:02 to 03:04h UT (#51152, 173, 199, 224, 242, 260)
11.4 x 7.6 arc mins 

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