CCAS Astrophotography
Here are photographs taken by our members. If you have original photographs that you would like posted on our site, please contact us!

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M20, the Trifid Nebula by Dave Hockenberry Trifid nebula in Sagittarius, about 7600 light years distant and about 50 light years across. Shot 6/8/11 and 8/6/11 with QSI 583 wsg camera through AstroTech AT8RC, autoguided with Starlight Xpress Lodestar camera off-axis. Luminance data taken on Losmandy G11 mount, color data on AstroPhysics AP 1200 mount. Image acquisition with MaxIm DL5, all images calibrated, stacked, deconvlved and RGB creation in CCDStack. Final LRGB merge and adjustments made in Photoshop CS3. FITS Liberator courtesey of ESA. 110 minutes Luminance, 25 minutes each RGB with AstroDon filters.

M11, The Wild Duck Cluster by Dave Hockenberry Shot 6/2/11 though Astrotech AT8RC telescope with QSI 583 wsg camera, one hour stack of 30 second Luminance images, 30 minutes 30 second frames each RGB. Autoguided with SX Lodestar camera and MaxIm DL 4, on Losmandy G11 mount. Calibrated, hot pixel removal, stacked, DDP adjusted, and RGB merge in CCDStack. Final LRGB merge and finish processing in Photoshop CS3. This cluster is right on the edge of the Scutum star cloud, the beginnings of which are seen at the bottom on the photo here.

M63, the Sunflower Galaxy by Dave Hockenberry M63 Sunflower Galaxy. Shot 3/13/2011 with QSI583 wsg camera through Astrotech AT8RC scope on Losmandy G11 mount. Autoguided with SX Lodestar camera off-axis, using Maxim DL4. Image acquisition with Maxim DL4, stacked/calibrated and deconvolved with CCDStack. Finish processing with Photoshop CS3. 90 minutes Luminance, 30 minutes Red/Green/Blue with AstroDon filters. FITS liberator coutesy of ESA.

The Flaming Star Nebula by Dave Hockenberry The Flaming Star nebula in Auriga. This is an interesting subject beause the bright star seen here is on a trajectory that leads back from the area in Orion's belt! The current theory is that this star was blasted away from Orion by a companion star that exploded. The pressure wave and energy from the star is lighting up and "pushing" the cloud of hydrogen seen here, reflecting in blue and ionizing in red. Called Flaming Star because of the appearance of the nebula like fire and rising smoke the nebula exhibits. The nebula lies at a distance of about 1500 light years from Earth, in our own galactic "back yard." Shot 1/23/11 and 2/4/11 with QSI 583 wsg camera through AT8RC telescope, Losmandy G11 mount autoguided with SX Lodestar/MaxIm DL4. Calibrated and stacked in CCDStack, all other adjustments and LRGB merge in Photoshop Cs3. 10 10- minute iterations of Luminance, 6 5-minute iterations each of RGB color frames through Astrodon Filters. FITS Liberator courtesy of ESA.

NGC 891 by Dave Hockenberry NGC 891, a large spiral galaxy seen edge on in the constellation Andromeda about 27 million light-years away. Shot 1/14/11 with QSI 583wsg camera through AT8RC 8" telescope, Losmandy G11 mount autoguided off-axis with SX Lodestar camera. Stack of 80 minutes Luminance, 30 minutes each Red/Blue/Green filters. Stacked and calibrated and DDP adjustment in CCDStack, LRGB merged and adjusted in Photoshop CS3.

M1, The Crab Nebula by Dave Hockenberry M1 Crab nebula, Shot 10/10/2010, stack of 4 350 second images. Shot with Starlight Xpress SXVF H9C OSC camera through AstroTech AT8RC telescope, autoguided with Stellarvue 70m ED/Lodestar camera with MaxIm DL5. Stacked with MaxIm, stretched, calibrated and color adjusted i MaxIm.