David's Astronomy Pages (Image Gallery)
Image Highlights - 2005

See also highlights from  | 200120022003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |

Shown below are some of my favourite CCD images from 2005.  They are taken using a ST-7E camera through an 8" LX200

Bullet | StarsSupernovae | Clusters | Nebulae | Galaxies | Moon | Planets | Comets/asteroids
 

Stars

Barnard's Star, HIP 87937  (Ophiuchus) 
a nearby star with large proper motion, 
only 5.94 light years from Solar System
Image 
CCD Image (Mag Limit +15)
3 x 60s (median combine), clear filter
2005-05-13  22:49 h UT (#86127-30)
 
WDS GRB 34 (Andromeda)
Red dwarf binary system, located 11.7 light years from the Sun.  
Brightest star is mag +8.1 with companion star of mag +10.9
Separation measured as 35 arc secs at PA 65 deg
GRB 34 has a proper motion of 2.89 arc secs/year 
Image
CCD Colour Image 
Approximate Colour
Red 1 min (R filter), Green 1 min (V filter), Blue 1 min (B filter)
2005-09-18 20:49h UT (#94008-12)

RR Lyrae - Variable Star.  An alternating sequence of  V Filter (10s exposure) and B Filter (20s exposure) images were recorded over a 5.7  hour interval on 2005-10-13 / 2005-10-14.  Image capture was via automated scripts, however occasional manual intervention was required to keep both RR Lryae and the reference star within field of view and on 4 occasions to remove dew which had formed on the front lens of the LX200 scope.  The dataset records the rapid brightening of RR Lyrae over a 1.5 - 2 hour interval, followed by a gradual dimming as the star proceeded through its regular period. The timing of the rise recorded in this session and during the previous session (S98) seem to be consistent with the standard period of 0.56686776 days.

RR Lyrae (Lyra)
[RR Lyrae (bottom left), reference star SAO 48408 (top right),  control star SAO 48415 ]
Image Image
CCD  Image (at ~ Minimum)
10s exposure, V filter
2005-10-13  22:48h UT (#99409)
CCD  Image (at ~ Maximum)
10s exposure, V filter
2005-10-14  01:02h UT (#99693)
 
Image
Goto RR Lyrae Photometric Analysis Notes
 
Image

 

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Supernovae Remnants

NGC 6992 (Cygnus)
 Image Image
CCD Image Mosaic (3x6 frames)
60s exposure, C Filter
2005-09-03  01:18 h UT (#93170-87) 
(Full Size)
CCD Image Mosaic (3x6 frames)
Negative
(details as left)
 
Part of NGC 6992 (Cygnus)
Image 
CCD Image
3 x 60s exposure (average combine) C Filter
2005-09-03  01:31 h UT (#93188-90)

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 Clusters

M103 Open Cluster (Cassiopeia) 
Image
CCD Image Mosaic (3x3 frames)
20 sec exposure, C filter
2005-09-02  22:32 h UT (#93039-49)
M2 Globular Cluster (Aquarius) 
Image
CCD Image - Logarithmic Scaling
5 x 20 sec exposure (average), clear filter
2005-08-14  21:59 h UT (#92080-84)

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Nebulae

IC 434 - Horsehead Nebula (Orion)
Image
False Colour CCD Image
19 x 1 min exposure (average combine), C Filter
2005-01-05 23:06h UT (#82085-105)
 
M42 (Orion) 
Image
False Colour CCD Image 
Logarithmic Scaling (190-60000 ADU)
9 x 15 sec exposure (medium combine), C Filter
2005-01-05 23:36 h UT (#82110-18)
M27 (Vulpecula)
Image 
CCD Colour Image (LRGB)
Luminance 3x1min (average), Red : 3x1min (average), 
Green 3x1min (average), Blue 3x2min (average)
Processing and combined using CCDSoft. 
Brightened using PaintShop Pro
8" LX200 with operating at f/10.3
2005-05-18  01:34 h UT (#87135-50)
(See M27 images by individual filter)
Dark Nebula  - B16 (Perseus) -  B16, B15, B17
  (identification of specific dark nebula is uncertain, as they somewhat merge together)
Image
CCD  Image Mosaic (4 x 4 frames)
20s exposure, C Filter
2005-09-02  23:19 h UT (#93073-94)
(Full Size Image)

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Galaxies

M61 (Virgo)
Image
CCD Image
10 x 2min (average combine), clear filter
2005-05-13  23:31 h UT (#86152-61)
3C 273 (Virgo) 
Quasar 1.9 billion light years distance from Solar System
Image 
CCD Image, 
3 x 60s (median combine), clear filter
2005-05-13  22:49 h UT (#86127-30)
  
M74  (Pisces) 
Image 
CCD Image False Colour
3x60s exposure (average combine), C Filter
Logarithmic Scaling, False Colour
2005-09-03  00:40 h UT (#93152-54)
 
M33Spiral Galaxy -  (Triangulum)
Image
CCD Image , 
7 x 60 sec exposure (average combine), clear filter
2005-08-06  01:01 h UT (#90094-99)
 

NGC 891 (Andromeda)
On edge spiral galaxy with prominent dust lane

Image
 CCD Image (75% size)
11 x 2 min (average combine), 1x1 binning, clear filter
2005-12-22  00:01h UT (#107236-46)

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Moon

Moon (14.5% phase)
Image
CCD Image Mosaic (4x2)
0.11s, B Filter, 1x1 binning
2005-03-13 20:33 h UT (#83056-63)
  
Mare Nectaris (The Sea of Nectar)
Image
Annotated CCD Image
0.11s, red filter
unsharp masked & sharpened
2005-05-13  22:09 h UT (#86072)
 
Copernicus
Copernicus (diameter 97km), with Erathosthenes (diameter 61km) to northeast
Image
 CCD  Image
3 x  0.11s (stacked), lunar filter
unsharp masked & sharpened
2005-05-17  23:15 h UT (#87057-59)
  
Southern Highlands
Large crater, with 3 smaller craters inside is Clavius (diameter 232km)
Prominent crate to north with central peak is Tycho (diameter 84km)
Image
 CCD Image
3 x  0.11s (stacked), lunar filter
unsharp masked & sharpened
2005-05-17  23:15 h UT (#87048-50)

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Planets

Jupiter
Image 
CCD Colour Image 
Exposures : Red 0.11s, Green 0.11s, Blue 0.2s 
Processing: Unsharp Masked, Aligned, and Colour Combined
8" LX200 operating at f/10.3
2005-04-06  22:00 h UT (#84131-33)
  
  Image
Annotated CCD Image Composite
Main Image : 7 x 0.11s (average combine)
Jupiter Insert :  5 x 0.2s (stacked)
8" LX200 with operating at f/10.3
2005-05-13  21:51h UT (#86028-34)
 
Saturn 
Image
CCD Image 
 5 x 0.4sec (summed), Red Filter
LX200 with barlow, operating at f/23
2005-04-06 23:31h UT (#84339-51)
Mars ((near Opposition, diameter 20 arc secs)
taken with Barlow lens
f/31, 0.29 arc sec/pixel
Image Image
 CCD Image -  Approximate Colour
Red : 5 x 1s, Green : 5 x 1s  Blue : 15 x 2s
aligned, stacked & colour combined, 
unsharp masked
2005-11-04  22:50 h UT (#103001-25)
CCD Image - Clear Filter
24 x 0.11s
aligned & stacked ,
unsharp masked
2005-11-04  23:12 h UT (#103068-92)

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Comets and Asteroids

Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) 
Image
CCD Colour Composite Image
Blue (av 2 x 90s B Filter, 100%), Green (30s V Filter,115%), Red (30s R Filter, 100%) 
2005-01-05 23:43 h UT (#82121-24)
Asteroid 1992 UY4  (passing through starfield in Aquarius) 
showing 22 arc minutes motion of asteroid over a 70 minute period
Image
CCD Image Montage
Top Left : 120 sec exposure.  Centre : 45 x 20 sec exposures 
(1 min intervals).   Bottom Right  :  9 x 20s exposures
2005-08-05  23:28h UT to 2005-08-06  00:38h UT(#90023-86)
  

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