This August 2012 new moon period offered 7 clear nights out of 13 for imaging. Most nights the ambient temperature was between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and were very humid with dew as a problem. Another problem with the high humidity was increased skyglow to the East from Marcellus Gas Drilling Fracking Operations and Flarings. See Youtube video from the previous month about the problem.
I was imaging with a Peltier Cooled Whole DSLR Camera system, so the imaging DSLR was operating in the 30 degrees Fahrenheit, for very noise free images. Here is a photo of my 5" Triplet and 20" Starmaster imaging setup looking NW with an 8mm fisheye lens. The photo was taken on August 18 when the sky was full of thin wispy clouds:
IMAGES:
Images were taken with a Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon Rebel T2i (550D). Temperature of the peltier cooled camera ranged between 30 degrees and 40 degrees Fahrenheit allowing for low-noise imaging with the DSLR. Telescope used for imaging was an Astro Tech 127mm ED APO Triplet refractor at prime. The Astro Tech 127 and ED80 refractor guide scope were mounted on an Orion Atlas EQ-G mount. The EQMOD ASCOM driver was used to drive the mount directly via an EQDIR interface module. All images are Full Frame.
Equipment used:
Sharpless 2-155 Cave Nebula - 8/1712 :
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 25 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
NGC 253 Sculptor Galaxy -8/2112:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 32 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
NGC 896 Nebula - 8/17/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. I only had ten exposures to stack last month so I imaged this again for a total of 25 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 that were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
ET Star Cluster - 8/22/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 7 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
NGC 7635 Bubble Nebula & NGC 7538 Nebula 896 Nebula - 8/20/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 50 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
Moon & Mars & Saturn - 9:00pm - 8/21/12 :
Canon T2i with Canon EF 70-300mm lens at 95mm and ISO 400. A 2 second exposure was used to bring out earthshine on the Moon. Mars is on left and Saturn on right above the Moon. Reduced in size for display (1300X865):
Moon - 8:53pm - 8/21/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 1/30 second exposure at ISO 100 and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
M25 Open Cluster and Pluto - 8/21/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 4 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865). Pluto's position is marked by the arrows:
NGC 5907 Knife Edge Galaxy - 8/21/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 12 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
M45 Pleiades Open Cluster - 8/23/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 35 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
IC 1805 Heart Nebula Core & Melotte 15 Open Cluster - 8/15/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 28 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
NGC 7788, 7790 and Berk 58 Open Clusters in Cassiopeia - 8/21/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 8 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
VDB 152 Faint Reflection Nebula - 8/18/12:
Peltier Cooled Full Spectrum Modified Canon T2i (550D) with 127mm Triplet at Prime. 34 six-minute exposures at ISO 1600 were combined using DeepSkyStacker and reduced in size for display (1300X865):
IC 59 and IC 63 Nebula - 8/23/12:
All Night Milky Way Animation - 8/22-23/12:
This Six hour and 25 minute time-lapse animation was taken between 10:20 pm and 4:45 am using a Full Spectrum Canon T2i Camera with Bower 8mm Fisheye lens at f3.5 aimed straight up on a fixed tripod. Two minute exposures at ISO 1600 were used. A green cast from light pollution was removed using the free Photoshop plug-in by Rogelio Andreo. The astro images above were also included in the YouTube video. Best viewed in HD 1080P resolution.
Search for Sprites in Storm Passing to the West - 8/19-20/12:
A One hour and 25 minute time-lapse animation was taken between 11:40 pm and 1:05 am using a Full Spectrum Canon T2i Camera with Canon 50mm f1.8 lens using 4 second exposures at ISO 1600 on a fixed tripod. The purpose was to capture sprite from the lightening storm but none were captured. The time lapse does show some interesting clouds passing to the West. The animation was added to the above Milky Way animation and YouTube Video.
HD Youtube Video of Life Flight Helicopter Taking Off from Cherry Springs dark Sky Park - 8/22/12 at Noon: CLICK HERE
Bear on upper field - 8/16/12:
We noticed a bear crossing the southern section of the upper field around 6:45pm. The bear went through the fence shown here and left the field. Image was taken by me at Mark Casazza's pop-up trailer and his refractor is in the image.
Images taken at the Fall Star Party at Chiefland, Florida in November 2012 CLICK HERE.
Images taken at Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park in July 2012 CLICK HERE
Images taken at Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park in June 2012 CLICK HERE
Detailed instructions for modifying a Canon 450D, 1000D, 1100D, 500D, 550D, 600D & 650D CLICK HERE
Considering a DSLR for astro imaging? Link to my DSLR Modification Service.
Detailed instructions for building a whole camera peltier cooling system CLICK HERE
Other astro images with the modified 450D: CLICK HERE
My Astro YouTube videos: CLICK HERE