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This is an image of UGC 5829, a little-studied and even less-frequently photographed galaxy. It’s about 30M light-years away in the direction of Leo Minor. It’s classified as an irregular galaxy, akin to the Magellanic Clouds, and has enough gas to support active star formation. The galaxy has a low surface brightness, so it benefits from dark skies and longer integration times. The sobriquet of “spider galaxy” was actually introduced by professional astronomers on the basis of images obtained from a few sky surveys. The surrounding field of view is filled with distant galaxies, they’re all over the place. I’ve rotated the target by 90 degrees to make it look a little more “spidery”. The image was captured during 5 nights in March-April 2024 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8 for a final LRGB integration of 18.7 hours. https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/UGC5829_LRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

M95 in Leo is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 33M light-years away. It has a bright ring of active star formation around the nucleus containing clumps of new star clusters. This ring structure has an unusual relationship with the dust lanes near it, something that is not understood. The violent star formation in the ring is also ejecting massive bubbles of hot gas that then affect star formation elsewhere in the galaxy, a phenomenon known as stellar feedback. The image was captured during 4 nights in March 2024 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8 for a final LRGB integration of 15.5 hours. Despite its brightness, it is a low-contrast target and I found it surprisingly tricky to process. https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/M95_LRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

NGC 2903 is a barred spiral galaxy in Leo, well-known as "the one that Messier missed". It has an unusual mass distribution, with over 75% of the total mass contained in the spiral arms rather than in the nucleus. Professional studies have shown the nucleus to be an active area of new-star formation with numerous "hot spots" in the infra-red spectrum. This unusual level of star formation is thought to be fueled by the central bar structure seen in this image. The image was captured during 5 nights in February-March 2024 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8 for a final LRGB integration of 17.5 hours https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/NGC2903_LHaRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

This is an image of the Medusa nebula (Abell 21), a large, dim planetary nebula in Gemini. It wasn't discovered until 1955 and was thought to be a supernova remnant because of its visual structure. But measurement of its expansion rate in the mid-70s caused it to be reclassified as an old planetary nebula. The progenitor star is the bright blue dot slightly right of center, glowing brightly in blue and ultra-violet as it passes through a helium burning phase on its way to becoming a white dwarf star. I originally imaged this target in 2017 but didn't get enough data to avoid an overly noisy result. So this version is a mash-up of that original data combined with new data from both 2023 and 2024 in New Mexico, all using the same setup - a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8. The total time spent on the target was 32.6 hours using LRGB, Ha, and Oiii filters. https://www.coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/Abell21_LRGB-Ha0.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

Hello all, We are happy to announce the new 700 series QSI CMOS camera range, starting with the 60 mp IMX455 sensor and the 26 mp IMX571 senor. The cameras have a unique look and the quality feel of the original QSI cameras. They all have built in filter wheels and the off axis guider will be offered as a bolt on extra. Please see the brand new QSI website for updates and more details on the exciting new 700 series. https://qsimaging.com/

Sh2-280 is a reflection/emission nebula in Monoceros. It is located about 5500 light-years away and is part of the huge molecular cloud that also houses the Rosette Nebula. Despite its relative brightness and interesting structure, it isn't frequently imaged. The ionizing bright star below center has produced a rather striking bow shock front that is quite prominent. The image was captured during 5 nights in January 2024 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8. Ha-LRGB integration covered 17.8 hours. https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/Sh2-280_LHaRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

IC 417 is an emission nebula located about 10K light-years away in the direction of Auriga. It is a typical emission nebula energized by intense radiation from the newly formed, very hot stars upper-left of center in the image. It has been nicknamed the “Spider” nebula because of the web-like tendril going out of the frame to the lower right and pointing in the direction of the “Fly” nebula. The image was captured during 6 nights in December 2023 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8. Ha-LRGB integration covered 16.5 hours https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/IC417_LHaRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

Hello All, does anybody of you had issues with the filter wheel non perfectly positioning the filter over the ccd window? The test I did was: 1) Opening the cover and positioning the filter number 1 over the window manually 2) by using a common software, moving all the filter carousel (LRGBH) one by one over the window 3) After coming back to the first filter again (L) the correct position is lost, i.e. is shifted of, let's say 1mm A similar test was: 0) power off camera 1) move manually the filter 1 correctly over the ccd window 2) power on camera 3) the camera goes into starting mode moving the carousel of a complete rotation. 4) The filter 1 does not come in the same place, but it is slightly "behind" the correct position How can I adjust this? Many thanks for your help Nicola-- Nicola Sky Monsters - http://www.skymonsters.net Skype: betelgeuse368

Hello astrophotographers, The new CCD-Guide 2024 is available! Information about CCD-Guide including ordering possibility can be found here: www.ccdguide.com There are 472 new astrophotos and significant software improvements. You are invited to visit our free online presentation of CCD-Guide 2024: on Saturday, 13 January 2024 18:00 UT in English Please send an informal e-mail to "bernhard.hubl [@] astronomie.at" to register for the online presentation. It is important to mention that the CCD-Guide team members work voluntary and all income is used exclusively to cover production costs or to support projects of our astronomy club Astronomischer Arbeitskreis Salzkammergut. Have fun with the new CCD-Guide 2024 wishes Bernhard Hubl & the CCD-Guide Team www.ccdguide.com

This is an image of Arp 273, a pair of interacting galaxies 300M light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. The target became "famous" after being imaged by the Hubble Team, who referred to it as a "rose" made of galaxies. It was first described in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, compiled by Halton Arp in 1966. The larger of the spiral galaxies, known as UGC 1810, is about five times more massive than the smaller galaxy. It has a disc that is tidally distorted into a rose-like shape by the gravitational pull of the companion galaxy below it, known as UGC 1813. The smaller galaxy shows distinct signs of active star formation at its nucleus, and it is thought that the smaller galaxy has actually passed through the larger one [Ref: Wikipedia]. The image was captured during 5 nights in November-December 2023 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8. LRGB integration covered 16.5 hours https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/Arp273_LRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking and Happy New Year, Bruce W

In setting up a 632 camera using ASCOM drivers there is a choice between QSI camera 1 and 2. I thought these were different drivers, but it now dawns on me that the number refers to the main and guide camera. If different drivers, which one do I use for the 632?

Two nights in a row now my QSI620 has inexplicatively disconnected from its NINA profile - after about 4 hours of operation. While the camera is then still recognized by the ASCOM driver, I cannot get it to reattach - even after powering down the camera and restarting it. Initially, the only way to get it to reload was to turn off my Eagle and then restart everything in sequence. Last night I believe that I was able to get NINA to recognize it (without shutting down the computer) by unplugging the USB wire first, turning off and then restarting the camera, and then plugging back in the USB cable. Two problems - 1) getting the camera to reattach - and perhaps of greater concern would be 2) why the camera disconnects in the first place. I have been dealing with a problematic Eagle5S - which posts that it is running on anything from 10.5 to 12.4 volts - this fluctuates constantly. I am using the supplied PrimaLuce power source. I am wondering if the low voltage might negatively impact the USB connections between the camera and the computer. The Eagle seems to successfully continue to run NINA, PHD2, SKYX - etc. Before I start troubleshooting down the wrong rabbit hole, is there any history behind these cameras shutting down for some identifiable reason - or a specific issue? Thanks in advance - bob

This is an image of NGC 891, a popular and often photographed edge-on spiral galaxy in Andromeda. It is thought to be quite similar to the Milky Way galaxy in terms of overall luminosity, structure, and size. The galaxy lies about 27M l-y away toward the constellation Andromeda. Its most unusual characteristic is the filamentary patterns of material that extend into the halo, perpendicular to the plane of the disk. These are not understood but early theories have proposed that supernova explosions may have played a role in displacing material out of the disk. I chose this target to replace an earlier version that had been taken under mediocre atmospheric conditions and also to compare the use of the BlurX and NoiseX tools which, of course, produced better results. The image was captured during 3 nights in December 2023 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8. LRGB integration covered 15.7 hours. https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/NGC891_LRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking and happy holidays, Bruce W.

This is an image of Abell 79, an unusually shaped planetary nebula in Lacerta. The peculiar shape is thought to have been produced by the interaction of two central star members when the progenitor star was starting to shed its outer layers. The star seen in the center is one member of the binary system but it is too cool to provide the ionization that illuminates the nebula - that radiation is thought to be coming from the unseen companion. The image was captured during 4 nights in November-December 2023 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8. LRGB integration covered 8.5 hours and was combined with Ha and O-3 integration of 7 hours for a total of 15.5 hours. https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/Abell79_LHaO3RGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

Hi astrophotographers! The Central European Deepsky Imaging Conference (CEDIC) is the leading conference for deep sky astrophotography in Europe. The conference will take place from March 22 to 24, 2024, in Linz, Austria. www.cedic.at We are looking forward to many top lectures and interesting workshops from some of the world's most experienced astrophotographers. www.cedic.at/en/agenda.php The registration is now open. Please note that the registration will be closed when the maximum number of participants has been reached. So please register in time. www.cedic.at/en/register.php We hope to see many of you at CEDIC! CEDIC Spotlight Team www.cedic.at

Arp 157 in Pisces is actually two spiral galaxies in the process of colliding and eventually merging. The two galactic nuclei haven't merged yet and you can see one of the two as the brightest area lower left of center. The spiral arms of the two galaxies are essentially passing through each other and are being stretched out into these strange shapes because of gravitational forces. Eventually, the whole process is likely to reach stability in the form of an elliptical galaxy. These are two of the brightest interacting galaxies in the sky and were discovered by William Herschel in 1784. The image was captured during 4 nights in November 2023 from SkyPi Remote Observatory under fair conditions using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8 for a final LRGB integration of 17.5 hours. https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/Arp157_LRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking, Bruce W.

This is an image of NGC 604, a bright emission nebula in a spiral arm of M33. M33 is located about 2.7 M-ly away and is one of the three large spiral galaxies in the local group, somewhat further away than the Andromeda galaxy. The nebula is so bright that it was discovered by William Herschel in 1784, long before the nature and distance of spiral galaxies was understood. The nebula is about 40 times larger than the visible part of the Orion nebula and is 6300 times more luminous. If the two were located at the same distance as the Orion nebula, NGC 604 would be brighter than Venus in the nighttime sky. The nebula is only 3.5M years old and is powered by a cluster of 200 hot young stars having a mass of 100K solar masses. (Ref. Wikipedia). The image was captured during 4 nights in October 2023 under fair conditions using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8 for a final HaLRGB integration of 16.5 hours. https://coldphotons.com/zen_astro/astro_images/NGC604_LHaRGB_Web.jpg Thanks for looking. Bruce W.