CCD (SBIG ST-8e with CFW-8 and AO7) and Film Images
Latest:
Oct 2005 = Blue Snowball, M33, Cocoon, Andromeda w/ST10xme, Sep 05 = Pleiades, NGC 6946 galaxy / May 05 = Copernicus / Apr 05 = NGC4631 / Mar 05 = Asteroid
Pallas, Eskimo nebula /
Feb 05 = M95 galaxy, NGC1977 Nebula, M46 Cluster / Jan 05 = FoxFur nebula
To Nebulae
To Clusters
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Courses
Observatory
How to reduce coma with LX200 and AO7
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NGC6946 Open Spiral in Cepheus
(90m L on 9/6/05, 30m RGB on 9/7/05, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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NGC4631 Spiral in Canes Venatici (60min L on 4/15/05, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M77 Spiral in Cetus with Light Curve (210m L on 11/14/04, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M95 Spiral in Leo (80min L on 2/4/05, 10RGB, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M63 Sunflower (120min L on 4/15/04, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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NGC7331 (Oct 2004, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M74 (4 hour single 11/6/04, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M33 - Pinwheel in Triangulum (Nov 13, 2004, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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NGC891 (LRGB, L on 9/24/03, RGB on 1/12/04, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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NGC2403 (L on 1/20/04, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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NGC3184 (LRGB on 1/28/04, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M66 (LRGB on 3/20/04, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M65 spiral in Leo (LRGB, Dec 28, 2003, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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Perseus Galaxy Cluster (LUM, Nov 20, 2003 ST8e + 10" LX200)
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Stephan's Quintet (LRGB, Sep 29-30, Oct 1-3, Oct 17-19, 2003, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy (LRGB, 2002, ST8e + 10" LX200)
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"The Fath" Galaxy Cluster (Dec 6, 2002, 10" LX200)
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NGC 7479 (LRGB, Nov 20-21, 2003, 10" LX200)
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QUASAR 3C273 (May 14, 2003, 10" LX200)
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M81 - Bodes "Nebula" (LUM, Mar 25, 2003, ST8e, 10" LX200)
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NGC 7479 - Galaxy in Pegasus (Oct 2002, 10"LXD55)
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M31 - core; ST237, ST8e, ST10XME (LRGB, 10"LX200)
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M104 Sombrero (May 7 2004, 10"LX200)
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Courses
Observatory
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Nebulae (Emission, Reflection, Absorption)
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Blue Snowball Planetary
(Oct 14, 2005, 10" LX200, ST10-XME)
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Pleiades
(Sep 16, 2005, 10" LX200, ST10-XME)
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Cocoon Nebula (Sep 27, 2005, 10" LX200, ST10-XME)
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NGC 1977 - The Running Man reflection and emission nebula (8"LX50)
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FoxFur nebula in Monoceros. 2hr40min Lum, 20min RGB(10" LX200, ST8e)
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Eskimo Nebula in Gemini. 30min Lum, 30min RGB(10" LX200, ST8e)
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M1 - Crab Nebula (Jan 15, 2004, 10"LX200, ST8e)
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Horsehead Nebula (Feb 2004, 10"LX200, ST8e)
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M16 Pillars of Creation (Oct 4, 2004, 10" LX200, ST8e)
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Network Nebula (part of Veil) (Sep 18, 2004, 10" LX200, ST8e)
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M27 - Dumbbell Nebula (LRGB, 10"LX200 with ST8e & ST237)
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NGC 281 - nebulosity in Cassiopeia (LUM, 12/18/03, ST8e & 10" LX200)
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M42 - Great Nebula in Orion (LRGB, Nov2003, ST8e & 10" LX200)
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Rosette Nebula (RRGB, Dec 30, 2003, ST8e 10" LX200)
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M57 - Ring Nebula in Lyra (10" LX200, ST8e)
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M20 - core of Trifid nebula (10" LX200, ST8e)
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Merope (Pleiades) nebulosity (10" LX200, ST237)
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M8 - open cluster with Lagoon nebula (Film image, 8"LX50)
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To Solar System
Courses
Observatory
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Stars & Clusters (Open, Closed, Globular)
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M46 (30min Lum, 20min RGB, ST8e 10" LX200)
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M13 - Hercules (Two images: 10" LX200 St8e and 8" LX50 ST237)
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Albireo - Blue/Yellow double star in Cygnus (film)
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M15 (Film image)
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To Nebulae
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Courses
Observatory
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Solar System (Planets, Asteroids, Comets, Moon, Sun)
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Mars(9/28/2005, 10"LX200, NexImage VGA)
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Crater Copernicus seen at sunrise.(5/17/2005, 10"LX200, NexImage VGA)
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Asteroid Pallas and Light Curve(3/29/2005, 10"LX200, ST8e)
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Hi Res Pre First Quarter Moon(9/20/2004, 10"LX200, ST8e)
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First Quarter Moon(11/1/2003, 10"LX200, ST8e)
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Copernicus and Plato(11/3/2003, 10"LX200, ST8e, red filter)
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Jupiter(3/19/2004, 10"LX200 f/10, RGB w/ST8e)
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Comet C2001Q4 (Neat)(5/7/2004, 10"LX200 f/10, RGB w/ST8e)
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Asteroid 752 Sulamitis near Mu Geminorum
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Comet Ikeya-Zhang
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First Quarter Moon (2 images)
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Comet Bennett (drawing)
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Sun (film) 7/31/99
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Moon - Mons Hadley (12/4/2000)
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Lunar Eclipse (Film 1/20/2000)
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Lunar Eclipse with M11 (Film 1/20/2000)
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Comet Hale Bopp (Film)
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Total Solar Eclipse (Film 3/7/1970)
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Leonids Meteor STORM (Chart - 11/18/2001)
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Occultation of Saturn (CCD - 11/30/2001)
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Observatory
Images taken near Roanoke Virginia (in the Blue Ridge Mtns at 1600'). An observatory with a
permanent pier mounted Meade 10" LX200 is the primary scope (see Observatory pix). Prior scopes
include a Meade 8" LX-50 f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a Meade 10" LXD-55 f/4 UHTC Schmidt-Newtonian.
Other equipment includes an SBIG ST-8e with CFW8 color wheel, an SBIG AO7 adaptive optics
unit, an f6.3 focal reducer in a Ted Agos 2" adapter, mated to a Peterson Eye Opener to reduce
vignetting from the AO7, allowing the reducer to be closer to the CCD focal plane. A Robo-focus
controls the native LX200 focus knob, which has been enhanced by the Peterson focus upgrade kit.
Since building the observatory (summer 2003), longer exposures over multiple nights are now
possible. CCDSOFT is used for image acquisition and initial folder reduction. AIP4WIN is used
for image reduction (primarily Lucy-Richardson deconvolution and Gamma-log scaling).
Roanoke, Virginia
Click on thumbnail pictures to enlarge. Most recent images are
to the top of each category.
Please adjust your monitor to see each level of this grey scale.
LINKS
Go to Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society webpage
VWCC Astronomy
Radford University Physics Faculty
In Memoriam: Robert M. Sandy, age 55, Earth Science teacher, fellow astrophotographer:
Robert M. Sandy - Astrophotography - Roanoke Valley
Last update October 14, 2005 (Counter reset 1/9/2004)
Copyright 2005
These images may be freely used for educational purposes, provided that proper
credit is given. These images may not be sold or otherwise used for profit.
