[Aircrftr]

It's so freaking hot here in Oklahoma that riding has basically been zero. The other hobby I've been doing for a long time is Astrophotohraphy. I thought since there isn't much action on the bike front, I'd share some of my astro stuff with you all...
I have a 10'X20' observatory with a warm control room and the other half the telescope room. My current scope is a 17" AG Optics iDK corrected Dall Kirkham scope mounted on an Astrophysics AP 1600 mount. The camera is an SBIG STXL 11002 with an Optec Gemini rotator/focuser. Some pics:

 

[Aircrftr]

The inside of the control room where I control the telescope/camera/other devices...

 

[Aircrftr]

One of my images.. this is the galaxy M-106 which has an active feeding supermassive black hole in the center...https://www.astrobin.com/full/333389/D/

 

[Aircrftr]

This one is called the Crescent nebula.. it's the remnants of a supernova explosion long ago...


https://www.astrobin.com/full/294909/0/




Here is a link to most of my astrophotos on a website called Astrobin. https://www.astrobin.com/users/Aircrftr/

 

[Aircrftr]

This one is an interesting galaxy.. This is M33 or the Triangulum galaxy. It's pretty close to us so you can actually see some stars in it as well as a plethora of nebulae inside it. This is more detail than you can get on about any other galaxy in the sky.. The size of this object in the sky is just about the same size as the moon.. it's just so dim that you can't see it with the naked eye..




https://www.astrobin.com/full/265893/E/?real=&mod=

 

[john kinzell]

This one is an interesting galaxy.. This is M33 or the Triangulum galaxy. It's pretty close to us so you can actually see some stars in it as well as a plethora of nebulae inside it. This is more detail than you can get on about any other galaxy in the sky.. The size of this object in the sky is just about the same size as the moon.. it's just so dim that you can't see it with the naked eye..
https://www.astrobin.com/full/265893/E/?real=&mod=

this interesting stuff, keep the pics coming..:cheers

 

[le skid]

The size of this object in the sky is just about the same size as the moon.. it's just so dim that you can't see it with the naked eye..




https://www.astrobin.com/full/265893/E/?real=&mod=

Interesting, now that you've provided a frame of reference (moon) but with such low luminosity that you can't see it.

If it's as big as the moon from our perspective, it must be absolutely enormous. If Andromeda is 2.5 million light years away, how far away is this one, to be so large in the sky?

 

[le skid]

Years ago, over the course of a summer, I rented a full manual newtonian 8" (iirc) and positively WOWED my friends by giving them a fleeting glimpse of saturn as it flew across the scope lol.

Then I upgraded and rented a decent Schmidt - Cassegrain on an equatorial... I started to get hooked but feared the $lippery $lope (plus I live in the city).

Looking at your own little personal Mount Wilson, I'm glad I gave-up when I did!

 

[2017Dave]

Wow, thats some serious equipment right there!!!! Very cool.

 

[Garandman]

Cool!

 

[GCBC]

meh. my iPhone takes better pix





(thumbs up smiley)

 

[Aircrftr]

Interesting, now that you've provided a frame of reference (moon) but with such low luminosity that you can't see it.

If it's as big as the moon from our perspective, it must be absolutely enormous. If Andromeda is 2.5 million light years away, how far away is this one, to be so large in the sky?

Triangulum is somewhere between 2.5 to 3 million light years away.. about the same distance as Andromeda. There is another galaxy called M-81 that I imaged and then photoshopped the image of the moon over it at the same scale...

 

[Aircrftr]

Yeah, no kidding, it's an expensive hobby... I have around 100K in it now...

 

[Aircrftr]

This one is a really impressive image.. This is the Arp 1656 galaxy cluster. There are hundreds of galaxies in this one image which is about the same size in the sky as the full moon... This cluster actually has over 1000 galaxies in it and is about 336 million light years away.. Keep in mind each light year is 6 Trillion miles away.. Here is a link to a higher resolution of my image at Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/full/247361/0/?real=&mod=

 

[Tekime]

Absolutely amazing! What a setup. I spent Friday night on top of a mountain squinting at the sky and chatting with a friend for the 100th time how great it'd be to have the equipment (and knowledge) for this! 38 years old and it still boggles my mind just staring up with the naked eye.

Bookmarking your gallery so I can share with my buddy.

The important question: catch any ET activity up there?

 

[Aircrftr]

Absolutely amazing! What a setup. I spent Friday night on top of a mountain squinting at the sky and chatting with a friend for the 100th time how great it'd be to have the equipment (and knowledge) for this! 38 years old and it still boggles my mind just staring up with the naked eye.

Bookmarking your gallery so I can share with my buddy.

The important question: catch any ET activity up there?

Thanks and glad you like it... As for ET activity.. nope, never seen any of it. Although, if you look at any of the galaxies I posted, I truly believe that in each galaxy, there are countless planets with basic and advanced life on them. The odds are just to much in their favor.

 

[le skid]

The odds are just to much in their favor.

Insert quote from Jodie Foster's dad here:

 

[DemonRider]

Cool pics and some impressive equipment there Aircrftr!

 

[XBD]

That's amazing! Great pics/setup. Would love to gaze with some professional grade equipment sometime.

 

[coopgt1]

Thanks for sharing. Absolutely amazing . :thumbup:thumbup:thumbup