The Cheshire Astronomer

The skies on Thursday evening were for the second time. Very clear. This allowed me to use my Canon 1000D and 200mm telephoto lens, on the Heart Nebula. I shot 24 x 5-minute exposures for this nebula, through an Optilong UHC filter. The Heart Nebula (IC 1805) is an emission nebula located at an approximate distance of about 7,500 light years from Earth, in the constellation Cassiopeia. It is also known as Sharpless 2-190 (Sh2-190) or the Running Dog Nebula because, when seen through a telescope, it looks a bit like a running dog.  I have not seen or heard this name before. The nebula has an apparent magnitude of 18.3 and an absolute magnitude of 6.5. It is 150 arcminutes in size and known for its intensely red glowing gas and dark dust lanes forming a shape that resembles a heart symbol. The Heart Nebula forms a famous complex known as the Heart and Soul with its smaller neighbour Westerhout 5, also known as the Soul Nebula, which lies just 2.5 degrees to the southeast. ...

We had a cold frosty, and very clear. Early Winter sky on 2017- 12 -11 It was very welcome too. I was itching to finally capture some more ancient light, from the Whirlpool control room here in   Cheshire. Because of the poor weather. I have not been outside since my last post. When I imaged the Cocoon nebula. How long ago was that! It seems the British Weather is not getting better. I well remember times when, as a kid. We had cold frosty day's that lasted all day and into the night. That was the 1970s and 1980s. How I long for a cold front to pass, with a lovely "High" that can bring frosty nights. For CCD imaging. Onto NGC 383 Here is a picture of a very unfamiliar (to me) chain of Galaxies. This is a chain of 12.5 magnitude galaxies in the constellation of the Northern Fish or "Pisces" I made a mental note to image this small group. After seeing other pictures, and finding reference to t...

This is the first blog entry since August. The weather hasn't been brilliant for astronomy, and imaging has suffered. But I did manage to save some photons last week. When I together with hundreds of other keen astronomers. Attended the Norfolk Equinox Sky Camp at Kelling Heath. The skies there are very dark when compared to my milky suburban sky. One night we had m+5.6 skies.  If you have never been to the EQSP. I would strongly recommend it. This evening. I am sitting in the Whirlpool Comand Centre imaging the Cocoon Nebula. IC5146 is an object that, I have wanted to image since last week. When I took a CCD image of it from Kelling Heath. I am imaging this large reflection nebula using the Atik 428 and my new Atik EWF2. I have a Baader 7nm Ha filter selected to show the Ha emission. The telescope is of cause - my lovely Altair Wave 115 EDT. Which is now my only imaging telescope. IC 5146 is a large nebula that is visible between the Summer constellat...

During yesterday evening, and into Sunday night. I together with friends from my local AS. Held an observing session, at our local dark sky observing site. Teggs Nose CP near Macclesfield. Skies were very clear with very good seeing. The jet stream must have taken the evening off. I was using my Altair Astro Wave series, 115 EDT on an IOptron Mini Tower 2. Eyepieces used varied, between Baader Hyperion 13mm (x60) Celestron 35mm Ultima (x 23) and TV 24mm Panoptic (x33) Filters. Optolong 2" UHC. Baader Neodymium. DSO data. Interstellarum. M 27 UHC 2" with 13mm Very large and very bright nebula. Elongated. I never tire of looking at the Northern skies biggest and best, planetary nebula. And tonight was no exception. This object was very easy in the deepening twilight sky. Once the skies were fully dark. M27 was a delightful object to study. NGC 6826 UHC 2" 13mm Really difficult to see, through the eyepiece and 2" UHC filter. I think I will invest in a...

It's been a while since I posted anything on here. Were still enjoying the best British Summer since the early 2000s and I am loving it. Last weekend, was the North West Astronomy festival, in Runcorn, Cheshire. This event is becoming more popular every year. That's good, because I personally think. The North West needs an event like this, to compete with Astro Fest in London, and the IAS in the west midlands. So long may it continue. I was helping out on our, Macclesfield Astronomical Society's stand. It was very well received, and we were all talked off our feet. I am sure everyone involved, went home tired, but satisfied. These events give me a chance to look at the latest toys and books. The Webb DSS were there, with Steve and Owen manning their stand. Both gentleman were wearing Webb DSS clothing. These were a Polo shirt and Hoodie. In Cheery red. and very nice they looked. (the apparel I mean) These come with a lovely embroidered society logo. I was so impr...

You have to be, very thick skinned, to be an amateur astronomer in this country. I haven't done any visual astronomy or astro imaging, since the beginning of the month. We had a few clear spells at the end of  January, and into early February. But since that time. I have not seen a totally cloud free sky. This evening was supposed to have been, our society observing, session on Teggs Nose. That has been called off, or I should say rained off. Because of the wind and rain. It's driving me mad. Strom Doris, whizzed by last week. Sadly she took one young victim's life, who was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Very sad indeed. Thankfully. Where I work and live. We had no damage. Although there were, at times. When I wondered. Should be working under all that glass at Stocks Lane. The environmental computer, recorded  a gust of 56 mph at one point. I hope the Lovell telescope wasn't damaged during the storms! On Wednesday we move into Meteorological Spring. ...

It has hasn't it! I have not published anything since 2013. It isn't because I have lost interest. Far from it. I just got a little lazy, and to tell you the truth. I'd forgotten I had a blog running. So- What have I been doing. Since 2013. I now have a pier in my garden. with the Losmandy G11, permanently attached. This is of cause covered over, with a Cygnus telescope cover. I then kitted out my shed with electricity and computer hardware and two monitors. This is my observatory-command center. That is "The Whirlpool Observatory" where the mount and cameras are controlled from. I also have new kit. I bought a S/H Williams Optics  Megrez  EDT 80, and fitted that with a nice FT focuser from Starlight. And I also bought an Atik 428EX CCD camera. Then came a PST and two CMOS cameras from the QHY stable. QHY5L and a QHY5L-II. These cameras work as guiders but the QHY5L I also use for imaging the Moon-Planets and our Star with the PST. I also have a IOptr...