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Heart Nebula 11/10/24

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Heart Nebula Recently, I took a photo of the Heart Nebula. The Heart Nebula or IC 1805 is an emission nebula located in Cassiopeia. Hydrogen alpha is the most abundant gas in the Heart Nebula. A common target for beginners like myself.  As I was setting up my scope, I noticed an owl perched on the top of my house.  This owl pays a visit every few days.  I set the time on the mount and began my polar alignment, as it was getting pretty dark and the owl had gone. Now that I could actually see the stars, I slowly noticed Cassiopeia close to some trees and Cygnus above me. It was stunning. I aligned with the star Ruchbah and slewed to the Heart Nebula and started testing with 2 minute exposures. The Heart Nebula was perfectly in frame and 2 minute exposures seemed like a pretty good length for this target. I started around 100 2 minute exposures.  The next day I took my flats but I didn’t have enough time to process my images until a few days later but when I g...
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Why should you get the Sky-Watcher HEQ-5 mount?

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What is the point of a mount?      A telescope is a very important part of astrophotography, but the mount can hold an even more important role. If you have a telescope, you need to know where and how to point it. That is where a mount comes in, this mount will hold your telescope steady while you point it somewhere, whether it is on earth or in space.  The two main types of mounts.      The Earth rotates, this makes the stars look like they are moving across the sky, when they are actually stationary. There are two types of mounts, one that counters the earth rotation and one that does not. The one that counters the Earth's rotation is called an Equatorial mount, or EQ for short. The other one is called Altitude-Azimuth, or Alt-Az for short.   Goto mounts      If you put motors, and a small computer chip on a mount, it can become a GOTO mount. In these mounts it is programed to have a database of space objects and where the ob...
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Introduction into astrophotography

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Photographed  June 2024, Eagle Nebula My Astrophotography Journey Hello and welcome to my new blog about the wonders of astrophotography. I am a 13 year old beginner astrophotographer who will enjoy sharing experiences, tips, and the beauty found in the nighttime sky. To kick things off, let me share with you one of my first astrophotography sessions, which took place right outside of my home. A Starry Night It was one of those clear evenings that invites you to raise your eyes upwards. For months, I had been studying astrophotography inside and out-knowledge of camera settings, composition, what gear to buy, and the most ideal objects in space to shoot. But tonight, I decided to take the plunge and try it out for myself-no fancy locations, just my backyard and a willingness to explore. Setup Equipped with my trusty Nikon D750 DSLR, an HEQ-5 mount, and a 5 inch newt that I modified for astrophotography, I stepped out, with the excitement inside me. The cool evening air was refreshi...
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