NGC7023 The Iris Nebula

Here's my first attempt at the Iris Nebula. Guiding and polar alignment are getting easier. 2 minute images (15 each) total 30 mins of data.

from Wikipedia:

The Iris Nebula, also NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4, is a bright reflection nebula and Caldwell object in the constellation Cepheus. NGC 7023 is actually the cluster within the nebula, LBN 487, and the nebula is lit by a magnitude +7 star, SAO 19158.^[1] It shines at magnitude +6.8. It is located near the Mira-type variable star T Cephei, and near the bright magnitude +3.23 variable star Beta Cephei (Alphirk). It lies 1,300 light-years away and is six light-years across.

M57 Ring Nebula

Here's this years attempt at the Ring Nebula. I finally found the program to help get the polar alignment nailed down. "Alignmaster" does the trick and is easy to use. After about 5 minutes, the mount was ready to go. The autoguider only has to make minimal adjustments and I was able to get nice round stars. Took 40 minutes of data (40-1 minute images) captured with Nebulosity and minimum final processing in PS elements.

New Project

Well,
I started my new 'project'. Planning on creating a permanent pier out of concrete. Then placing a decking around that. Once that portion is finishing, I'm going to make a "dog house" to enclose everything. So far the hole is dug. (only going to do this in little bits and pieces.)

I added the concrete to the hole and base. Also placed a 5 foot long piece of galvanized pipe in the middle and 4 pieces of re-bar. Will get an 8 inch diameter "Sonotube" for the upper portion of the pier, along with a top plate and pour that when funds become available.

Friday I built the forms for the "sonotube" to pour the upper portion of the pier. Got everything level and created a template to place the "j-bolts" to attach the top plate for the mount. Filled the tube with concrete and leveled the template with the "j-bolts" in place.

The concrete has set. I completed the drilling of the holes in the 1/2 thick aluminum plate I'm using for the top plate. I installed the mount and checked clearances for the weights. So far everything is moving right along. Next I have to do a polar alignment with the polar scope and then drill the hole in the top plate for a centering post for the az adjustment screws. I'm planning on doing that tonight (Sunday June 6th.)

I completed the flooring around the pier yesterday (6-20-10) (using "free" materials donated by friends of the observatory) Next step is to add the 4x4s that the "dog house" will roll on. (see casters in photo below) The casters are 330 pound weight rated so I know I won't max them out. Keep in mind this mount and scope are only used for imaging so the "floor" doesn't need to be very large. In fact it only has to accommodate the dog house.

6-30-10
Here's a shot of the "dog house" framed and the front door hung. This is with the house opened as though it was in use. Still have work to do but it is coming along.

Here's a different angle with the "dog house" in the closed position.

Blackeye Galaxy with Meteor

During my imaging last night I discovered that I had captured a meteor in one of the images. I posted it on Astronomyforum.net and one of my friends there (Thanks Eric) did a final process and re-posted it. Here's the final shot.

M64 The Blackeye Galaxy

I was attempting to capture a different area of the sky tonight but it was a little to low so I started looking for a different target. I spotted M64 and thought I would give it a shot. There weren't many bright stars in the area so didn't take the time to set up the autoguider. These are 15 second images (50 of them stacked).

From Wikipedia:
The Black Eye Galaxy (also called Sleeping Beauty Galaxy; designated Messier 64, M64, or NGC 4826) was discovered by Edward Pigott in March 1779, and independently by Johann Elert Bode in April of the same year, as well as by Charles Messier in 1780. It has a spectacular dark band of absorbing dust in front of the galaxy's bright nucleus, giving rise to its nicknames of the "Black Eye" or "Evil Eye" galaxy. M64 is well known among amateur astronomers because of its appearance in small telescopes. It is a spiral galaxy in the Coma Berenices constellation.

Antennae Galaxy

Here's tonight's results. 25 images total exposure 50 mins.

From Wikipedia:

The Antennae Galaxies (also known as NGC 4038/NGC 4039) are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus. They were both discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in 1785.

The Ghost of Jupiter

Here's one from tonight. 18 - 1 min images. SW254N EQ5P mount, DSI IIc imager, SSAG, captured with Nebulosity, final process in PS elements.

From Wikipedia:
NGC 3242 is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Hydra.
William Herschel discovered this planetary nebula on February 7, 1785, and cataloged it as H IV.27. John Herschel observed it from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, in the 1830s, and numbered it as h 3248, and included it in the 1864 General Catalogue as GC 2102; this became NGC 3242 in J. L. E. Dreyer's New General Catalogue of 1888.
This planetary nebula is most frequently called the Ghost of Jupiter, or Jupiter's Ghost, but it is also sometimes referred to as the Eye Nebula. It can be easily observed with amateur telescopes, and appears bluish green to most observers. Larger telescopes can distinguish the outer halo as well.^[2]

M83 The Southern Pinwheel

I'm still trying to get my autoguiding under control. However here's an attempt from last night. I was only able to get 7 good images from 15 takes (2 mins each). But still happy with the results.

from Wikipedia:
Pierre Mechain discovered M83 in 1752 at the Cape of Good Hope.^[6] Charles Messier added it to his catalogue of nebulous objects (now known as the Messier Catalogue) in March 1781.^[6]
On 16 June 2008 NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer project reported finding large numbers of new stars in the outer reaches of the galaxy. It had hitherto been thought that these areas lacked the materials necessary for star formation.^[7]