Comet C/2001 Q4 Neat May 24,2004 Canon Ftb Canon 100mm @ f/2.8 Elite-Chrome E200 Push 1 (Photo Oregon) 6 min exposure Piggyback on Losmandy G11 Mount Guiding through Takahashi FS78 Taken from Dark Skies at Panther Creek, SW of Veneta, Oregon 5.8-6.0 Magnitude skies 2557′ elevation
Comet C/2001 Q4 Neat was discovered on August 4, 2001 by the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking Team (NEAT). This comet spent most of its time in the southern hemisphere until May 2004 when it went North and brightened.
Comet C/2001 Q4 NEAT, came within 0.34 astronomical units ( 1 AU = 92,955,807 Miles ) 31.6 million miles of earth. It reached perihelion (closest approach in it’s orbit) on May 15, 2004 . This hyperbolic comet will be flung out of our solar system, never to be seen again.
AU or Astronomical Unit (roughly earth’s distance from the sun) 93,000,000 miles.
I was lucky to have a clear May night in Oregon to image Comet C/2001 Q4 Neat May 24, 2004.
Silver Sliver Galaxy, NGC 891 Edge on Spiral Galaxy Crop View
NGC 891:
9/7-8/2007 11:14 AM Latitude: 43° 48.407′ North Longitude: 122° 43.528′ West 3252’. June Mountain 22 miles South of Dexter. OR. Seeing: E Transparency: 7 Bortle: 2 SQM: 21.91 . Telescopes / Optics: TEC 140 f/7 prime focus 980mm . Mount : AstroPhysics 1200 GTO. Camera: SBIG ST8XME CFW8) 4½ hours-25°c. FOV: 48’ x 32’ Filter: LRGB Astrodon e series. Information: One of my longest images with lots of data and great signal to noise; ( L-5 min. x 16; L-10 min. x13; RGB- 5 min. x 4ea.) Lots of detail and background galaxies. See next page for a cropped FOV of NGC 891
NGC 891 Edge on Spiral (HV19) Caldwell 23
NGC 891 is a great Edge on Galaxy in the constellation of Andromeda. This Galaxy is 30 million light years from earth. It shines at apparent magnitude 10.8 and 120 thousand light years across. At 13.5′ x 2.5 arc-minutes, it shows up nicely in medium to large amateur telescopes.
This Edge on Spiral galaxy’s dust lanes are prominent and show nice detail in long exposures. The dust lanes are similar to out own Milky Way if observed from the same distance edge on. On a clear summer night, the dark rift from Cygnus down to Sagittarius is now given a different perspective.
William Herschel discovered NGC 891 on October 6, 1784, this galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 group of galaxies
The TV Show” Outer Limits” featured NGC 891 Galaxy during the end credits. This famous show also featured the Andromeda Galaxy, M67 Galaxy, M67, the Sombrero Galaxy (M104) and Pinwheel Galaxy M101).
NGC 7331 Deer Lick Group of Galaxies and Stephan’s Quintet
NGC 7331 Deer Lick Group of Galaxies and Stephan’s Quintet 140mm f/7 Refractor, SBIG ST10XME LRGB filters Total exposure 4.5 Hours
10/25/2008 7:45 PM Latitude: 43° 31′ 21″ North Longitude: 122˚ 52’ 35” West 4658 ft. Snow Peak 25 miles S/E of Cottage Grove. OR. Seeing: E Transparency: 7 Bortle: 2 SQM: 2190 Telescopes / Optics: TEC 140 f/7 980mm Mount : AP1200 Camera: SBIG ST10XME; 185minutes (3 hours 5 min); LRGB (L=125,RGB=60) .; FOV 106’ x 72’ Filters: Astrodon LRGB series E. Information: Used CCDSoft, CCDStack, AIP, Photoshop. Also visible (upper left) is Stephens Quintet and interacting galaxies.
NGC 7331 (Deer Lick Group of Galaxies ) & NGC 7320 Stephens Quintet
The upper left is Stephens Quintet and the lower right is the Deer Lick group in the constellation of Pegasus. NGC 7331 the largest Galaxy in the Deer Lock group is 9° Northwest of ß Pegasi. The lower right edge of NGC7331 is pointed North and the companion galaxies are to the East. Galaxy NGC 7331 resembles what our own Milky Way galaxy would look like some 50 million light years away. This galaxy has an overall brightness of magnitude 10.3 . This group is a nice visual treat in medium to large amateur scope (10″ and up) NGC 7331 is 10.6′ x 3.8′ (the moon is 28′)
Stephens Quintet (upper left) is a small group of interacting galaxies 300 million light years away. You can see the lower two galaxies are interacting and a long arm extents from the one to the right. This detail is readily evident in the full resolution image. NGC7318A & NGC 7318B (magnitude 14) are colliding and nearby NGC 7319 (magnitude 14.4) may also be involved since it has an arm that stretches out. NGC 7320 (Mag. 13.3) is the top oblong one and NGC 7317 (14.8) is out to the left. Out further to the upper right of the main group is NGC 7320C at magnitude 16.6.
NGC 7331 Deer Lick Group of Galaxies cropped View
Galaxy NGC 7331 “Caldwell 30” 40 million light years. 12.1′ x 1.0′ magnitude 10.4. The other lenticular unbarred spirals NGC 7335, 7336 and barred spiral galaxy NGC 7340, elliptical galaxy NGC 7340. They are 332, 365, 348 and 294 million light years distant, respectively.
Discovered by William Hershel in 1784,
Stephan’s Quintet NGC 7318B Cropped View
Stephan’s Quintet is a grouping of 5 galaxies, forming a compact group of galaxies. In the constellation of Pegasus, discovered in 1877 by Edouard Stephan, also known as Hickson Compact Group 92. NGC 7318B collides with the group and a shock wave larger than our own Milky Way galaxy spread between the galaxies. NGC 7320 is only a foreground galaxy at 39 million light years. The other five form a group 220-330 million light years away.
Abell 2151 Hercules Galaxy Cluster; TEC 140 f/7, ST10XME, 07/24/2009 This cluster of 200 galaxies are 500 million light years from earth Constellation of Hercules
7/25/2009 8:45 PM Latitude: 43° 31′ 21″ North Longitude: 122˚ 52’ 35” West. 4658 ft. Snow Peak 25 miles S/E of Cottage Grove. OR. Seeing: E Transparency: 7 Telescopes / Optics: TEC 140 f/7 980mm. Mount : AP1200 Camera: SBIG ST10XME CFW9; 4 hours 20 minutes, LRGB 20min,10 min. & 5 min. subs; RGB 4 x 5 min ; FOV 106’ x 72’ Filters: Astrodon LRGB E series. Information: My attempt at a “ Deep Field” with 5.5” refractor and using 20 minutes Luminous exposures for the 1st time. I was amazed at what showed up! I have counted over 150 galaxies in this field. Used CCDSoft, CCDStack, AIP, Photoshop.
Abell 2151 Hercules Galaxy Cluster
The Hercules Galaxy Cluster Abell 2051 is a cluster of approximately 100 galaxies. An astounding 500 to 650 million light years away. This amazing Galactic Cluster resides within the constellation of Hercules. The brightest galaxy NGC 6050 , an interacting spiral galaxy 24″ x 18″. NGC 6050 is dim at magnitude 15.4. It is also known as NGC 6050A and NGC5060B. Data on this Abell Cluster continues to change, as more is learned. Most current information lists a general distance of 509 million light years and 300 member galaxies.
I am amazed what a 5.5″ APO Refractor (TEC140 ED)can do and coupled with an SBIG ST10XME CCD (KAF3200 CCD Chip) can really go deep. The camera is one of the most sensitive front illuminated CCD chips available. The ST10ME has a quantum efficiency is around 85-86% at peak.
This attempt of my own Deep Field began after setting up remotely in Oregon for one night. Going as deep as I could and took over 4 hours of CCD images, capturing as many galaxies as possible. My Luminous frames were 5, 10 and 20 minutes long. So far I have counted over 200 plus galaxies in this image and continue to find more. There are so many tiny specs, when compared to a Hubble Telescope image, they are in fact galaxies. Some of these background galaxies could be over a billion light years away. In perspective, that would mean a 5.5″ amateur telescope and CCD went back one twelfth the age of the Universe…
One can see several interacting galaxies that are within the Hercules Cluster. While larger instruments can resolve greater detail , I am pleased with what a small telescope can accomplish in one night.
Leo Triplet or M66 Group of Galaxies M 65 (NGC 3623) Top Right M 66 (NGC 3627) Bottom Right NGC 3628 Left.
4/20/2009 12:02:57 AM . Latitude: 43° 48′ 17″ North Longitude: 122° 42′ 45″ W. 3411 ft. Eagles Ridge; 25 Miles South of Dexter, Oregon. Seeing: E Transparency: 7. Bortle: 2 SQM: 21.88. Telescopes / Optics: TEC 140 f/7 APO fl 980mm. Mount : AstroPhysics 1200 GOTO. Camera: SBIG ST10XME; 2 Hours 45 minutes; LRGB ( L=120 min; RGB= 45 min.). 300 sec sub-images. FOV: 0º 52’ 12” x 0º 35’ 24”. Information: Used CCDSoft, CCDStack, AIP, Photoshop.
The Leo Trio of Galaxies is located in the rear leg area of the Constellation LEO, the lion. They are situated halfway between the stars Chertan (3.3 magnitude) on top and 78-Iota Leonis magnitude 4.46, on the bottom. They form a small group of galaxies 35 million light years away. Shinning at magnitude 10.3, 9.7 and 9.4 respectfully, they are visible through a good pair of binoculars or small 4-6″ telescope. Wide field eyepieces produce a stunning view of the Leo Trio of Galaxies in larger aperture instruments of 12-16″.
NGC 3628 is an edge on galaxy discovered by William Herschel in 1784. Estimated at 300,000 light years across and 35 million light years away. Apparent magnitude of 10.2 and 15′ x 3.6′ (arc minutes) in size. This Galaxy is also known as the Hamburger Galaxy or Sarah’s Galaxy and is a great example of an unbarred spiral galaxy discovered by William Herschel in 1784.
M 65 Galaxy NGC 3623 (Upper Right) and apparent magnitude 10.25 and 8.7′ x 2.45′
M 66 Galaxy NGC 3627 (Lower Right) 95,000 light years across, 8.9 mag. 9.1′ x 4.2′
