Comet ISON - C/2012 S1

C/2012 S1, also known as Comet ISON or Comet Nevski–Novichonok, is a sungrazing comet discovered on 21 September 2012 by Vitali Nevski (Виталий Невский, Vitebsk, Belarus) and Artyom Novichonok (Артём Новичонок, Kondopoga, Russia).^[5] The discovery was made using the 0.4-meter (16 in) reflector of the International Scientific Optical Network near Kislovodsk, Russia and the automated asteroid-discovery program CoLiTec.

The image above was taken at the Eldorado Star Party the morning of November 2, 2013. The image is a combination of 15 two minute images taken with an Orion StarShoot DSII through a Celestron 6" f5 Newtonian scope.  Autoguiding was accomplished with a Meade DSI Pro camera through a 80mm f7 Refractor.  The mount used was a Celestron CI-700.  Capture, Preprocessing and calibration of the sub-frames was done using Nebulosity 3.  Final Processing was done using Photoshop CS5.  The star trails in the final image represent 44 minutes of elapsed time.  Seven sub-frames were thrown out of the 22 total images taken due to defects.

M27 - Dumbell Nebula- 20131001

The Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Apple Core Nebula, Messier 27, M 27, or NGC 6853) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula, at a distance of about 1,360 light years.
This object was the first planetary nebula to be discovered; by Charles Messier in 1764. At its brightness of visual magnitude 7.5 and its diameter of about 8 arcminutes, it is easily visible in binoculars, and a popular observing target in amateur telescopes.

The images was taken at Okie-Tex Star Party on September 30, 2013.  The images is made up of 17 ten minute sub-frames combined .  Images were taken with an Orion Star Shoot DSI II color mounted on a Celestron 6" f5 Newtonian. Auto-guiding was accomplished with and 80mm f7 refractor piggybacked on the 6" Newtonian. The optical instruments were mounted on a Celestron CI-700. Calibration and pre-processing was done in Nebulosity 3.  Final processing was done using Photoshop CS5.

NGC7635 - Bubble Nebula - 20130930

NGC 7635, also called the Bubble Nebula, Sharpless 162, or Caldwell 11, is a H II region^[2] emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. It lies close to the direction of the open cluster Messier 52. The "bubble" is created by the stellar wind from a massive hot, 8.7^[2] magnitude young central star, the 15 ± 5 M_☉^[4] SAO 20575 (BD+60 2522).^[7] The nebula is near a giant molecular cloud which contains the expansion of the bubble nebula while itself being excited by the hot central star, causing it to glow.^[7] It was discovered in 1787 by William Herschel.^[6] The star SAO 20575 or BD+602522 is thought to have a mass of 10-40 Solar masses.

The images was taken at Okie-Tex Star Party on September 30, 2013.  The images is made up of 2 ten minute sub-frames and4 five minute sub-frames combined .  Images were taken with an Orion Star Shoot DSI II color mounted on a Celestron 6" f5 Newtonian. Auto-guiding was accomplished with and 80mm f7 refractor piggybacked on the 6" Newtonian. The optical instruments were mounted on a Celestron CI-700. Calibration and pre-processing was done in Nebulosity 3.  Final processing was done using Photoshop CS5.

M20 - Trifid Nebula - 20130806

The Trifid Nebula (catalogued as Messier 20 or M20 and as NGC 6514) is an H II region located in Sagittarius. Its name means 'divided into three lobes'. The object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars; an emission nebula (the lower, red portion), a reflection nebula (the upper, blue portion) and a dark nebula (the apparent 'gaps' within the emission nebula that cause the trifid appearance; these are also designated Barnard 85). Viewed through a small telescope, the Trifid Nebula is a bright and peculiar object, and is thus a perennial favorite of amateur astronomers


The images was taken at Ft. Griffin state historical site on August 5, 2013.  The images is made up of 20 five minute sub-frames.  Images were taken with an Orion Star Shoot DSI II color mounted on a Celestron 6" f5 Newtonian. Auto-guiding was accomplished with and 80mm f7 refractor piggybacked on the 6" Newtonian. The optical instruments were mounted on a Celestron CI-700. Calibration and pre-processing was done in Nebulosity 3.  Final processing was done using Photoshop CS5.

M16 - Eagle Nebula - 20130805

The Eagle Nebula (catalogued as Messier 16 or M16, and as NGC 6611, and also known as the Star Queen Nebula) is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745-46. Its name derives from its shape that is thought to resemble an eagle.


The images was taken at Ft. Griffin state historical site on August 5, 2013.  The images is made up of 12 five minute sub-frames.  Images were taken with an Orion Star Shoot DSI II color mounted on a Celestron 6" f5 Newtonian. Auto-guiding was accomplished with and 80mm f7 refractor piggybacked on the 6" Newtonian. The optical instruments were mounted on a Celestron CI-700. Calibration and pre-processing was done in Nebulosity 3.  Final processing was done using Photoshop CS5.

M8 - Lagoon Nebula - 20130805 - Reprocessed 20131021

The Lagoon Nebula (catalogued as Messier 8 or M8, and as NGC 6523) is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. It is classified as an emission nebula and as an H II region.
The Lagoon Nebula was discovered by Guillaume Le Gentil in 1747 and is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the naked eye from mid-northern latitudes.

The images was taken at Ft. Griffin state historical site on August 5, 2013.  The images is made up of 12 five minute sub-frames.  Images were taken with an Orion Star Shoot DSI II color mounted on a Celestron 6" f5 Newtonian. Auto-guiding was accomplished with and 80mm f7 refractor piggybacked on the 6" Newtonian. The optical instruments were mounted on a Celestron CI-700. Calibration and pre-processing was done in Nebulosity 3.  Final processing was done using Photoshop CS5.

Milky Way Near Cassiopeia & Andromeda Constellations 20131004

 The area of the Milky Way around the constellations of Cassiopeia and Andromeda was imaged at the 2013 Okie-Tex Star Party on October 4.  The camera was a Canon T3i DSLR and an 18 t0 55 mm zoom lens set to 18mm f5.6 .  The image is made up of 9 ten minute sub frames.  Calibration and Pre-Processing was done in Nebulosity and the final processing was done in Photoshop CS5.   This is my first astrophoto using the Canon camera.   Visible in the image are M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, M33 and the Double Cluster in Hercules. 

Tornado 20131012 East of Sanger, Texas

Sandra and I were leaving Wal-Mart on University when we spotted the tornado Saturday October 12, 2013. This image was taken in Denton, Texas at the intersection of Bonnie Bra and Hwy 77.  The overpass in the photo is Loop 288.  The tornado was dissipating at the time of the photo.  Earlier the funnel was much darker but I could not find a safe place to pull off the street to take the photo.  I have been storm watching since the early 1970's.  I have seen many photos and films/videos of tornados but this is the first time to see one first hand.  The photo was taken with a Canon T3i using a 55-250mm zoom lens.  According to TV news and the Denton Record Chronicle the tornado was just east of Sanger.

NGC891 Sprial Galaxy 20131002

NGC 891 (also known as Caldwell 23) is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy (actually barred) about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784.  This image of NGC891 was taken at the 2013 Okie-Tex star party the evening of October 2, 2013.  The image was taken with an Orion Deep Sky Imager II Color.  The image is made up 14 ten minute sub-frames and 18 5 minute sub-frames for a total of 230 minutes.  Pre-processing and calibration was done in Nebulosity 3.  Photoshop CS5 was used for the final processing.

M8-Lagoon Nebula - 20130805

This image of M8, the Lagoon Nebula in the constellation of Sagittarius was taken at Fort Griffin, Texas the night of August 5 & 6, 2013.  The image was captured using an Orion Star Shoot Deep Space Color Imager (DSSI I) II on a Ceslestron C6N.  The image is made up of 12 five minute frames combined.  Preprocessing was done in Nebulosity 3 and post processing in Photoshop CS5.  The mount used was a Celestron CI-700.  Guiding was done with PHD software using a Meade DSI Pro on a 80mm f7 refractor piggybacked on the C6N.

M27 20120908

M27 image was taken at Okie-Tex 2012.  Image consists of L- 7x10M, R- 8x10M, G- 6x10M, B- 7x10M sub frames.  Preprocessing with AIP4Win and Post Processing with Photoshop CS5.  Images taken with a 6" f5 Celestron Newtonian and a Meade DSI 2 Pro modified for cooling to -5C using True Technology LRGB filters.  Autoguided using an 80mm f7 refractor and Meade DST Pro camera.  All mounted on a Celestron CI-700 mount.