Collecting  Photons

The Witch Head Nebula

H-LRGB composite. APOD on January 17, 2012.

The Cone Nebula and friends

A three part mosaic including the Cone Nebula and a fantastic region of dust and reflection nebulae on the west side.

VdB 16 in Aries

Here we are at the edges with the large molecular cloud of Perseus> just nnorth of this field one could fing the NGC 1333 complex. This is a marvellous field of dust and reflection nebulae.

VdB 141 in Cepheus

The tiny ghosts of Cepheus. Over one year in the making, this image mixes data obtained at my suburban location and at the remote observatory. This allowed me to make a quantitative evaluation of the advantages of operating under a dark sky. Follow the link for the entire story.

VdB 27 and CED 30 in Taurus

Oh WOW !

VdB 9 and 7 in Cassiopeia

A beautiful interplay of reflection nebulae and dust in Cassiopeia.

The Cave Nebula Sh2-155 and VdB 155

Emission and reflection nebulae at the busy border betwen Cepheus and Cassiopeia.

The region surrounding IC348 in Perseus

Chasing dust at the foot of Perseus.

M27

The first light from the remote observatory is a complex mess of Hα and OIII emission.

The new remote observatory

After over a year in the planning and making I moved the ASA astrograph and the STL11000 CCD to the remote observatory in the south of Tuscany. 

VdB 111 (Ophiucus)

A tiny and not very interesting reflection nebula in Ophiucus. ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LRGB composite.

LBN 406 (Draco)

One of the few nebulae of the spring sky. Large and extremely dim and rather spooky.  ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LRGB composite.

IC 443, VdB 75 (Gemini)

The treasure in Gemini: a supernova remnant, am emission area, some dark clouds and a bit of reflection nebulae.  ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LHαRGB composite.

VdB 67, 68 69 and 72 (Monoceros)

An incredible field due east of the Orion Nebula. It collects an incredible variety of reflection and emission nebulae over a dusty background. ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LHαRGB composite.

M81, M82 and the integrated flux nebula (Ursa Major)

Yet another visit to this field. Three years in the making, I aimed at representing both the IFN and the galaxies. Check the link for the deeper image. ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LHαRGB composite, about 48 hrs of integration in 15 nights in three successive seasons.

NGC 4395 (Canes Venatici)

One of the closest Seyfert galaxy. It is relatively large (13.2' x 11.0') but it has a very low surface luminosity, which required an insanely long integration time (30 hrs). ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LRGB composite.

September, October 2010; February 2011.

M33 (Triangulum)

The spiral close home. LHαRGB composition for a total of 25hrs of integration.

October, November 2010

Nebulae surrounding e Orionis

The fantastically complex region at the center of the Orion sword. 18 hours in 9 night with the ASA astrograph.

October, November 2010

The supernova remnant Ctb-1 (Cassiopeia)

A large but extremely faint soap bubble. This might be the faintest HII region I ever imaged, much fainter than Simeis 147, for example.

September, October 2010

VdB 158 and DG 191 (Cassiopeia-Andromeda)

A fantastic dusty nebula with a brigth reflection at its bottom. ASA 10", LRGB composition in three nights.

September, October 2010

M52 and the Bubble Nebula (Cassiopeia)

A deepish look at a very familiar object. ASA 10", HαRGB composition.

November 2009, January 2010, September 2010 M3 (Andromeda)

The closest galaxy of all in technicolor and now with added Hα!

August, September 2010

IC 1396 and VdB 142 (Cepheus)

A tiny gem in a large nebula. ASA 10", STL 11000, 14 hrs of integration

June, July 2010 - August 2010 (processing)

VdB 134 (Cygnus)

This might be the faintest and most elusive reflection nebula that I have ever imaged. It is nested in a lovely HII region making for a nice color contrast. ASA 10", STL 11000, 17 hrs of integration

April 2010 - August 2010 (processing)

VdB 143 (Cepheus)

This is a very rarely imaged faint reflection nebula embedded in the Cepheus molecular cloud. After massive stretching a complex dust structure emerged in the background. ASA 10", STL 11000, 18 hrs of integration

April 2010 - August 2010 (processing)

NGC 4725 (Coma Berenice)

An interesting galaxy with a distorted geometry. ASA 10", STL 11000, 8.6 hrs of integration

May 2010 - August 2010 (processing)

NGC 6205 - M13 (Hercules)

Four nights for this interpretation of the great globular cluster. Lots of background galaxies. ASA 10", STL 11000, 8.6 hrs of integration

May 2010 - August 2010 (processing)

M58, NGC 4564, NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 (Virgo)

A family portrait in Virgo. A collaboration with John Carver and his marvellous ASA 16". About 8 hrs of integration.

July 2010 - August 2010 (processing)

VdB 126 and the associated dust cloud (Vulpecula)

This is a rarely imaged reflection nebula hidden in a very dense star field in the summer Milky Way. About 14 hrs of integration with the ASA 10" and the STL11000.

June - July 2010 (processing)

Crescent Nebula (Cygnus)

A much photographed nebula lost in a cloud of less frequently seen Hydrogen filaments. ASA 10", STL11000. 8 hours in total in four nights.

April - May 2010 - July 2010 (processing)

NGC 5024 - M53 and NGC 5053(Coma Berenices)

A lovely couple (see the link) of globular cluster at the edge of the Virgo sea of galaxies (13.0', m 7.7). ASA 10", STL11000. 10 hours in total in four nights.

April - May 2010 - June 2010 (processing)

Dust and reflection nebulae in Scorpio. This is an almost impossible object from my site and it took 9 nights to put together only 8 hrs of integration.

April - May 2010

A sea of galaxies around M99.

April 2010

M97 and M108: the Owl and the Galaxy.

March 2010

Distorted spirals! M101 and companions

November 2009, February 2010

The colorful decoration of the Orion belt.

December 2009, January 2010

18 hrs for the supernova remnant in Taurus: one of the great wonders of the sky.

December 2009, January 2010

18 hrs of integration for the ghost of Rigel

December 2009

The Orion-Eridanus area in Hα.

November 2009

A new mounting for the old astrograph: the color-coordinated Gemini 42.

October - November 2009

Vdb 18 and NGC 1342 (Perseus)

ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, About 13.5 hrs in four nights.

November 2009

VdB 14 and 15 (Camelopardalis)

ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, About 22 hrs in six nights.

October 2009

IC 1848 (Cassiopeia)

ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, About 8.6 hrs in three nights.

October 2009

NGC 1333 (VdB 17), VdB 12, VdB 13 (Perseus)

Perseus after Cepheus! ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, Over 17 hrs in four nights.

September 2009

VdB 149, VdB 150, LBN 535  (Cepheus)

Final installment of my summer 2009 Cepheus frenzy. ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, Over 20 hrs in five nights.

August 2009

VdB 152  (Cepheus)

One of the most striking reflection nebulae of all. ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, 19 hrs in four nights. See link for more informations.

August 2009

NGC 7129  (Cepheus)

A very intricate area, including dark clouds, reflection and emission nebulae, an open cluster and even several tiny galaxies! ASA 10" STL 11000. HαLRGB, over 12 hrs in four nights. See link for details and a closer view of the Herbig-Haro objects in the central reflection nebula.

July 2009

Barnard 169 - 174 and Sh2 134  (Cepheus)

A magnificent but rarely imaged area nearby the far more famous ic 1396. ASA 10" STL 11000. HαLRGB, 12 hrs in four nights.

July 2009

The head of the Scorpio

Finder Map

Second light of my portable astrograph from the dark sky of Corse. Canon 135mm f2.0 L series lens closed to f 2.8. STL 11000. R 8x8', G 5x8'; B 7x8' in two nights.

June 2009

Cepheus Wide Field

Half full resolution.

Finder Map

First light of my portable astrograph. Canon 135mm f2.0 L series lens closed to f 2.8. STL 11000. Hα: 12x16'; RGB 7x8' each. 6 hrs of total integration from my observatory.

June 2009

VDB 133 and SH2-106 (Cygnus)

Half full resolution.

This is a relatively little known area east of the far more popular Crescent nebula. It shows off a wonderful contrast between the faint reflection nebula VdB 133 and the gentle red glow of the background. The small and bright bipolar nebula near the NW corner is SH2-106.: this is a very interesting star-formation area, and much literature on this fascinating object can be found. The image has been a five nights effort for a total of 12.5 hours. ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. Hα: 24x16'; Luminance 19x8' RGB 9x8' each.

June 2009

NGC 7000 (Cygnus)

Half full resolution.

ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. This is a four panel mosaic. 13x16' for each panel. Acquired in 5 nights during the June full moon.

April-June 2009

NGC 5371 and Hickson 68 (Canes Venatici)

7.6 degrees west of g Bootis there is this lovely group of galaxies. On the left the nice barred spiral NGC 5371 (4.2'x3.4') is physically unrelated to the group of galaxies on the right, catalogued as the entry 68 of the Hickson catalogue of compact galaxy group. NGC 5350 (3.2'x2.3') is the most appariscent member of this group, exhibiting a marvelously complex barred spiral. NGC 5354 (S0, 1.4'x1.3') and  NGC 5353 (S0, 2.2'x1.1') are immediately to the south and they are surrounded by a common envelope, better seen in a BW and stretched image. Further south there is the unrelated and very blue barred spiral UGC 8841. One feature of this field that attracted my attention, is the lovely colour contrast between the brightest stars in the field, with spectral types ranging from the very red K5 to the blue A2. Click here for a full scale wide field image of the area.

ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LRGB composite, bin 1 for all channels. Luminance: 26x8'; RGB: 24x8' per channel. Three nights of acqisition, in total.

May 2009

LBN 105 - LBN 106  (Hercules)

This is one of the very few photographs existing of a very faint reflection nebula in Hercules, about 4° west of β Her. Although this area has been listed in the Sharpless catalogue of emission nebulae as SH2-73, there is no Hα emission at all in the area, but the brightest sections of the nebula shows in the Palomar-Schmidt red plates, and this probably generated the mistake. The nebula covers virtually the entire field and it is illuminated by the integral radiation field originating from the galaxy plane. These very faint reflection nebulae lies at relatively high galactic latitude (about 45°) and are categorized as integral flux nebulae to indicate the particular source of illumination. Careful inspection of the high resolution image shows scores of background galaxies that appears conspicuously reddened by the foreground dust.

ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. L 53x8' bin 1; RGB 21x8' bin 2 (over 15 hours in total) in four nights. Most of the data have been collected from my very polluted site, and processing has been quite arduous.

April 2009, November 2008

VdB 15, LBN  (Camelopardalis)

This is a wide area of faint reflection nebulae representing the north extremity of the Taurus-Cepheus molecular cloud. ASA 10", f3.6 Canon 350D, 55x8' in 3 nights around November 25. It was very cold with excellent sky conditions.

March 2009

NGC 4631 - NGC 4627 - NGC 4656 (Canes Venatici)

ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. Pure RGB composite, 11x8' per channel in two nights.

March, 2009

Field of the Markarian's chain (Virgo)

RGB composition. Six hourr of integration in two nights. RGB, bin 1, 14x8' per channel. ASA 10" f3.6, SBIG STL 11000, Baader filters. Published on the June 2009 issue of Nuovo Orione. and on the May 2010 issue of Sky and Telescope.

February-March, 2009

Cone nebula (Monoceros).

H LRGB composition.

In total about 10 hr of integration. ASA 10" f3.6, SBIG STL 11000, Baader filters.

March 3, 2009

ο Persei, IC 348 and the edges of the B3,4 dark nebulae.

This image was shot during a late summer trip to Forca Canapine, a mountain site in central Italy with a wonderfully dark sky. I have been trying to shoot this area for two years, but from my heavily polluted site I was only getting tantalising indications that lots was to be seen here, but nothing more. From a dark site less than three hours of integration showed an amazing landscape of coloured dust and nebulae. Megrez 80, modified Canon 350D, 19x8'. The area around IC 348 and o Persei has been blended in with a shot taken through the ASA astrograph. That explains the spike, of course.

February 28, 2009

Comet Lulin C/2007 N3

A composite image made by two stacks one aligned on the comet one on the stars. 

Comet stack: 11x2' bin 2x2 RGB. LEO I stack: 12x4' bin 1x1. ASA 10" f3.6, SBIG STL 11000, Baader filters. Published as cover of the May issue of Nuovo Orione.

January, February 2009

M78 (Orion)

The first light image for the SBIG STL11000 CCD. A composite image made in three nights. L (bin 1) 32x8': RGB (bin 2) 13x8'; Ha (bin 2) 16x16'.

A total of almost 14 hrs. ASA 10" f3.6, SBIG STL 11000, Baader filters.

February 20, 2009 at about 0:00 UT

Comet Lulin C/2007 N3

RGB 10x2' each channel at binning 2. Motion has been eliminated by preparing two different stacks, one aligned on the stars, the other on the comet nucleus. The stacks have been blended together through specific luminance masks. Several galaxies are visible in the field, the most prominent being the spiral NGC 4546.

January 2009

The Leo triplet formed by the galaxies (clockwise from the top) NGC 3628 (13.1' x 3.1'), M65 (9.8' x 2.9')and M66 (9.1' x 4.1'). Scores of lesser galaxies can be discerned in the high resolution image.  An highly stretched image shows the 80 kparsec tidal tail of NGC 3628 caused by the interaction with the two companions. See for example "STAR FORMATION IN THE TIDAL TAIL OF THE LEO TRIPLET GALAXY NGC 3628" by Chromey et al. 1998. 

January 2009

A mosaic of the Seven Sisters. A variation of an old trick has been used to control the diameter of the brightest stars.  

January 2009

Reflection nebulae around IC 447 in Monoceror