Astronomy Shared

03-30-2020 First Quarter Moon

03-30-2020 First Quarter Moon

06-12-16 New ASI1600MM Camera

06-12-16 New ASI1600MM Camera

Jan. 31st, 2018 Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse over the Mojave National Preserve - Castle Peaks.

Jan. 31st, 2018 Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse over the Mojave National Preserve - Castle Peaks.

Jan. 31st, 2018 Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse over the Mojave National Preserve - Castle Peaks.

09-27-15 Lunar Eclipse from San Fransisco

©2015 Photography by Greg McKay​

April 4th, 2015 Lunar Eclipse

© 2015 Photography by Greg McKay All Rights Reserved

11-28-17 Solar Ha

©2017 Photography by Greg McKay

11-26-17 Solar Ha

11-26-17 Solar Ha

11-26-17 Solar Ha

11/24/16 Solar Ha Sunspot Region AR2612

©2016 Photography by Greg McKay

07-11-16 Solar Prominence

© 2016 Photography by Greg McKay

08/21/17 Total Solar Eclipse, Rigby, ID.

©2017 Photography by Greg McKay

08/21/17 Total Solar Eclipse, Rigby, ID.

©2017 Photography by Greg McKay

08/21/17 Total Solar Eclipse, Rigby, ID.

©2017 Photography by Greg McKay

08/21/17 Total Solar Eclipse, Rigby, ID.

©2017 Photography by Greg McKay

08/21/17 Total Solar Eclipse, Rigby, ID.

©2017 Photography by Greg McKay

11-28-2020 Jet Solar Transit

A lucky capture of a jet passing in front of the sun today.

Mercury Transit 11/11/2019 8am PST

I started capturing the transit around 7am but the Sun was just too low and the quality of the images did not stabilize until around 8am local time.

07-03-16 ISS Solar transit

©2016 Photography by Greg McKay

Families lining up to view the transit.

Families lining up to view the transit.

Families lining up to view the transit.

IC1396 The Elephant Trunk Nebula

06/11_12/2021 IC1396 is a concentration of ionized gas in the constellation Cepheus. The Elephant Trunk itself is IC1396A and is the vertical tenuous stream of gas coming from the bottom of the frame up towards the center. The bright red star in the upper right of the frame is Mu Cephei, also known as Hershel's Garnet Star. It is a red giant and thought to be one of the largest known stars with a radius of 1,000 times our sun. If it replaced our sun it would reach between the orbit of Jupiter and Saturn. StellarVue SV70T APO, ZWO 1600mm camera, Baader Filters, CGX Mount, Captured using NINA, Processed with Astro Pixel Processor. 15x 60second - Lum 15x 120seconds ea. - RGB 30x 300 sec. Ha 24x 300 sec. OIII 20x 300 sec. SII Total Integration Time = 7hr 55 min. Taken from Hwy 156 Lee Canyon Rd @ 6230' - SQL Reading 20.92 - 14°c (57°f) 21h 39m 00s +57° 29′ 24.0″

Bodes Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy - 57 and 65 million light years away.

©2015 Photography by Greg McKay

M81 & M82

M81, also known as Bode's Galaxy is the larger of the two galaxies on the right. M82, also known as the Cigar Galaxy is the smaller of the two galaxies in the upper left. Explore Scientific ED152CF APO ZWO 2600mmPro Camera iOptron CEM70EC Mount Captured using NINA Processed with PixInsight 26x 4 min exposures - Red 20x 4 min exposures - Green 25x 4 min exposures - Blue Total Integration time = 4hrs 44mins Taken from "Horsehead" our secret dark sky site approx. 50 miles north of Las Vegas Mag. 6.94 RA 09h 55m 33.2s Dec +69° 3′ 55″

M81 & M82

M81, also known as Bode's Galaxy is the larger of the two galaxies on the right. M82, also known as the Cigar Galaxy is the smaller of the two galaxies in the upper left. Explore Scientific ED152CF APO ZWO 2600mmPro Camera iOptron CEM70EC Mount Captured using NINA Processed with PixInsight 26x 4 min exposures - Red 20x 4 min exposures - Green 25x 4 min exposures - Blue Total Integration time = 4hrs 44mins Taken from "Horsehead" our secret dark sky site approx. 50 miles north of Las Vegas Mag. 6.94 RA 09h 55m 33.2s Dec +69° 3′ 55″

Leo Triplet - M65, M66, and NGC 3628.

02/10_11/2021 1 Hour ea. LRGB 4 hours integration

NGC253 The Sculptor Galaxy (Silver Coin)

09-07_08-2021 NGC253, the Sculptor Galaxy or the Silver Coin Galaxy in Sculptor Explore Scientific ED152mm ASI2600mm Camera Chroma Filters CGX Mount Captured with NINA, Processed with PixInsight 15x 120sec Lum = 30 minutes 15x 180sec RGB ea = 2hrs15min Total Integration Time = 2 hrs 45 min. Taken from Wee Thump south of Las Vegas SQM reading - 21.04 Mag. 8.0 00h 47m 33s −25° 17′ 18″

M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy

© 2018 Photography by Greg McKay

Markarian's Chain Astrometry Data

M-084, 086, 087, 088 - 04-22-2020 Markarian's Chain

M-084, M-086, M087, M-088

NGC 6946 & Supernova SN 2017eaw

A blink between two exposures from 05/19/17 & 11/11/17

The Wizard Nebula

Taken over three nights from Nov. 29-Dec.1, 2021 Sharpless catalog (Sh2-142) Also known as the Wizard Nebula. I don't see it but maybe you do. Explore Scientific ED152 CF APO ZWO ASI 2600mmPro Camera Chroma Filters iOptron CEM70EC mount Captured with NINA Processed with PixInsight 25 x 2min ea RGB = 2hrs 30min 15 x 10min Ha = 2hrs 30min 21 x 10min OIII = 3hrs 30min Total Integration Time = 8hrs 30min Shot from "Horsehead", the nickname for our secret dark sky location approximately 50 miles north of Las Vegas. RA 22h 47m 21.0s Dec +58° 07′ 54″ SQL reading: 21.06

Helix Nebula NGC7293

09/03_04 & 04_05/2021 First light with all new gear. Explore Scientific ED152CF f8 - 1216mm F.L. ZWO ASI2600mm Pro Chroma LRGB & 3nm Ha & OIII filters. 30x 120sec ea. RGB = 3 hours 18x 600sec Ha = 3 hours 18x 600sec OIII = 3 hours Total Integration Time = 9 hours Edited in PixInsight, 1st RGBHaOIII combine in PixInsight, tweaked in PhotoShopCC. Taken from Nelson's Landing, NV @ 795' - SQL Reading 20.09 - 89°f

Eastern & Western Veil Nebula

07/05_06/2021 NGC 6992 & NGC 6960, The Eastern & Western Veil Nebulae. This is one of my first attempts at processing with PixInsight. At this point I've only managed to register and integrate the individual channels and all other processing was done in Astro Pixel Processor. StellarVue SV70T APO, ZWO 1600mm camera, Baader Filters, CGX Mount, Captured using NINA, Processed with PixInsight & Astro Pixel Processor. 15x 60second - Lum 15x 120seconds ea. - RGB 30x 300seconds Ha 6x 300seconds OIII Total Integration Time = 4hr 45min. Taken from north of Indian Springs, NV @ 3175' - SQL Reading 21.42 - 86°f 20h 45m 38s +30° 42′ 30"

M8 & M20

06/13_14/2021 Processed by www.theskysearchers.com member David (jockinirland) using PixInsight. M8 & M20 M20, The Trifid Nebula, the smaller nebula at the top with the blue gas, and M8, The Lagoon Nebula is the much larger, redder nebula at the bottom. StellarVue SV70T APO, ZWO 1600mm camera, Baader Filters, CGX Mount, Captured using NINA, Processed with Astro Pixel Processor. 10x 60second - Lum 30x 120seconds ea. - RGB 10x 300seconds Ha Total Integration Time = 4hours Taken from Nelson's Landing @ 794' - SQL Reading 20.90 - 85°f 18h 02m 23s −23° 01′ 48