Amazing Sky by Alan Dyer

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Stars { 180 images } Created 26 Feb 2011

This gallery contain a small selection of images that feature well-known bright stars and double stars as the main subject of interest. Most are narrow-field close-ups; some are wider-angle views.
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  • The double star 16 Cygni (right of centre) which is also host to extra-solar planets, in Cygnus. Shot Nov 10, 2014 from New Mexico, with the 92mm TMB apo refractor at its native f-ratio of f/5.5 with the Hotech field flattener, and Canon 6D for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 800. Also in the field, left of 16 Cygni is the tiny blue Blinking Planetary Nebula, NGC 6826. The odd curving arcs at upper right must be internal reflections from a nearby star, though there is no bright star just outside the frame here.
    16 Cygni Extra-Solar Planet Star.jpg
  • 16 Cygni, a pair of Sun-like stars, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) movie at 640x480, stacked with Registax. Shot August 2005 with the C8.
    16 Cygni (from Webcam).jpg
  • The very red variable carbon star 19 (TX) Piscium in Pisces.<br />
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This is a stack of six 4-minute exposures with the A&M 105mm apo refractor at f/6.2 and Hotech field flattener, with the Canon 6D MkII.
    19 (TX) Piscium.jpg
  • The colourful double star 24 Coma Berenices, sometimes called the “Springtime Albireo” due to its similar colours.<br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 8-second exposures at f/10 with the Celestron C9.25-inch SCT and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 1600. Taken March 27, 2019.
    24 Comae Berenices (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • The colourful double star 24 Comae Berenices, aka the Springtime Albireo, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from May 2003 with the C8.
    24 Comae Berenices (from Webcam).jpg
  • The single star 47 Ursa Majoris, a Type G yellow dwarf star similar to but older than the Sun and known to host planets. <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 30-second exposures at f/10 with the Celestron C9.25-inch SCT and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 6400. Taken March 27, 2019.
    47 Ursa Majoris Sun-Like Star (C9.25...jpg
  • The orange and equally matched double star 61 Cygni in Cygnus.<br />
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This is a stack of 5 x 30-second unguided exposures with the Celestron C9.25 SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 1600. Taken May 29, 2019.
    61 Cygni (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • The headlight double star 61 Cygni, in Cygnus, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from May 2003 with the C8.
    61 Cygni (from Webcam).jpg
  • The double star 61 Cygni (right of centre), a double star, in Cygnus. It is also known as “The Flying Star” for its large proper motion across the sky, noted in 1792 by Piazzi. It was also the first star to have its distance measured via trigonometric parallax, be Friedrich Bessel in 1838. <br />
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Shot Nov 10, 2014 from New Mexico, with the 92mm TMB apo refractor at its native f-ratio of f/5.5 with the Hotech field flattener, and Canon 6D for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 800.
    61 Cygni, The Flying Star.jpg
  • Acrux or Alpha Cruxis in the Southern Cross, from Australia, December 2012. <br />
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A single 2-minute exposure at ISO 1600 with the Canon 60Da and Astro-Physics Traveler at f/6.
    Acrux, Alpha Cruxis (105mm 60Da).jpg
  • Alpha Cruxis, or Acrux, the brightest star in the Southern Cross, Crux. It is a blue-white star 320 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. Small star clusters NGC 4349 (above) and NGC 4609 (at left) appear near Acrux. The area is also rich in dark nebulas near the Coal Sack.<br />
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I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600.
    Acrux in Southern Cross (77mm 5DII).jpg
  • Albireo, or Beta Cygni, the famous colourful double star in Cygnus.<br />
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This is a blend of two sets of three exposures: 4 minutes and 1 minute, to bring out the background star field while not overexposing Albireo and losing its colour. All with the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. <br />
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Star spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions. Taken July 8, 2018.
    Albireo (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • Albireo, or Beta Cygni, a famous double star, but not resolved here in this wide field of view simulating the field of binoculars.<br />
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This is a stack of 3 x 2-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.
    Albireo (200mm 6DII).jpg
  • The famous and popular orange and blue double star Beta Cygni, or Albireo, in Cygnus.<br />
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This is a stack of 11 x 30-second unguided exposures with the Celestron C9.25 SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 1600. Taken May 29, 2019.
    Albireo, Beta Cygni (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • The famous showpiece double star Albireo in Cygnus, here just resolved into its blue and gold component stars, in a field of view that resembles that of binoculars, which can just resolve this double. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is similar to that of binoculars. <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400.
    Albireo in Moonlight (SS61 R6).jpg
  • A closeup of Aldebaran in Taurus, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. It is surrounded by a few stars of the Hyades cluster.. <br />
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This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.
    Aldebaran in Taurus (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • The star Aldebaran emerges from behind the dark limb of the Moon after an occultation on the morning of September 12, 2017. <br />
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The egress ocurred 5 minutes after sunrise, so this scene is in a daytime sky. <br />
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Shot with the 130mm Astro-Physics apo refractor at f/6 with the Canon 60Da.
    Aldebaran & Moon in Day Sky (Sep...jpg
  • The waning gibbous Moon approaches the star Aldebaran at an occultation on the morning of September 12, 2017. This is a multiple exposure composite of the ingress phase that occurred before sunrise, with the Moon from the final exposure and the star from exposures taken at 4-minute intervals prior to that last exposure. For the actual ingress I switched to HD movie to shoot a video of the event. <br />
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Exit at egress occurred after sunrise in a bright sky. <br />
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Shot from home with the 130mm Astro-Physics apo refractor  with the Canon 60Da.
    Aldebaran Occultation (Sept. 12, 201...jpg
  • The bright star Aldebaran about to be occulted by the waning gibbous Moon on the morning of September 12, 2017. The Moon is amid some high cirrus cloud, adding the coloured glow around the Moon. <br />
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This is an HDR stack of 7 exposures from 1/200th to 0.3 seconds to accomodate the large range in brightness of the scene. The star itself comes from the single longest exposure. The HDR exposures were merged and blended with Photomatix Pro 6 with Contrast Optimizer. <br />
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Taken with the Astro-Physics 130mm apo refractor at f/6 and the Canon 60Da.
    Aldebaran & Waning Moon.jpg
  • The close double star Algieba, or Gamma Leonis, in Leo, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from May 2003 with the C8.
    Algeiba, Gamma Leonis (from Webcam).jpg
  • The close and yellow double star Algieba, aka Gamma Leonis, in Leo. The separation is only ~5 arc seconds so is not clearly shown here — the star looks elongated. <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 6-second exposures at ISO 800 with the Celestron C9.25-inch SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  Taken March 27, 2019.
    Algieba Gamma Leonis (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • Algiedi, a wide binocular double star, in Capricornus, aka Alpha Capricorni. This is a stack of 4 x 3-minute exposures, taken Nov 29, 2016 from home with Capricornus low in the southwest. Using the TMB 92mm and Borg 0.85x flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools Actions.
    Algiedi - Alpha Cap (TMB92 6D).jpg
  • Algol, the Demon Star, accompanied by other "demon" stars of the Gorgon as the triangle below Algol, from R to L: Gorgonea Secunda, Gorgonea Tertia, and Gorgonea Quarta. All in Perseus. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400. An exposure through an Alyn Wallace Starglow filter adds the glows.
    Algol and the Demon Stars in Moonlig...jpg
  • A closeup of Algol in Persus, the Demon variable star, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background.<br />
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This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.
    Algol in Perseus (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to the Sun (at left and aka Rigel Kentaurus) and Beta Centauri (at right, aka Hadar) in Centaurus, and together known as the Pointer Stars. The open cluster NGC 5617 is to the right of Alpha. The field simulates a binocular field of view. <br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 2-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2500. Tracked on the AP 400 mount.
    Alpha and Beta Centauri (200mm 5DII).jpg
  • Alpha and Beta Centauri, with Hutech-modified Canon 5D camera with 135mm f/2 Canon L lens at f/4 for 4 minutes each at ISO400. Stack of 4 exposures, averaged stacked. Taken from Queensland, Australia, June 2006. Glow added around stars in Photoshop.
    Alpha & Beta Cen (135mm f4 5D).jpg
  • Alpha and Beta Centauri. Taken with Canon 135mm L-series lens at f/4 and Hutech-modified Canon 5D camera at ISO 400 for stack of 6 x 4 minute exposures, two in haze to fuzz stars. Taken from South Pacific Star Party, Ilford, NSW, Australia, April 15, 2007.
    Alpha & Beta Centauri (135mm 5D).jpg
  • The bright stars Alpha Centauri (left) and Beta Centauri (right) at the end of the dark lanes of Centaurus in the southern Milky Way. The star cluster NGC 5617 is between Alpha and Beta; the cluster NGC 5822 in Lupus is at upper left; the trio of clusters NGC 6087, NGC 6067 and NGC 6025 are at far left in Triangulum Australe and Norma. <br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 2.5-minute exposures with the 85mm Rokinon lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2000. Tracked on the AP400 mount. Some high cloud added the natural star glows. Taken just at moonrise from Australia.
    Alpha & Beta Centauri (85mm 5DII...jpg
  • The naked-eye and binocular double star Alpha 1 and 2 Capricorni, aka Algedi. Both are luminous yellow giant stars. They are not a true binary but are just an optical double. Alpha 1 (the brighter of the pair) is 109 light years away, while Alpha 2 is 690 light years away.<br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 4 minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 with the TMB 92mm refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg. 0.85x field flattener/reducer. Shot from New Mexico with the field low in the southwest, Nov 16, 2014.
    Alpha Capricorni (Algedi).jpg
  • A closeup of Alpha Capricornus, aka Algeidi, a wide binocular double star in Capricornus, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background.<br />
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This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.
    Alpha Capricorni or Algeidi (130mm 6...jpg
  • A wide-field image of the area of sky around blue-white Altair, bright at centre, flanked by Alshain (Beta Aquilae) at bottom and orange Tarazed (Gamma Aquilae) at top. Above Tarazed is the dark nebula known as Barnard’s E, named for E.E. Barnard who first photographed and cataloged dark nebulas. The E consists of B143 (the darkest component) and the less prominent B142 below. B334 is at top right, while B340 is left of Tarazed. <br />
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This is a stack of 6 x 6-minute exposures with the William Optics RedCat 51mm astrographic refractor at f/5 and the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800 with LENR on as it was the warmest night of the summer, August 18, 2020. Aligned, stacked and median combined in Photoshop to eliminate some satellite trails. Autoguided with the ZWO ASIAir and ASI120MM guide camera with the RedCat on the Astro-Physics Mach1 mount. No filters employed here.
    Altair and Barnards E (RedCat EOS Ra...jpg
  • The stars Altair (bottom) and Tarazed in Aquila the Eagle, a prominent pairing of stars and important in Inuit culture as a signpost pairing of stars signalling a change of seasons. It is Aagjuuk, and their rising in the morning signaled the winter solstice and return of sunlight.<br />
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I shot this from home, Nov 29, 2016 with the TMB92mm refractor and Borg 0.85x flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools Actions.
    Altair and Tarazed (TMB92 6D).jpg
  • A framing of the field around the bright white star Altair (lower left), and the orange giant star Tarazed above, with the dark nebula complex B142 (lower dark lane) and B143 (the top pair of dark lanes), together known as Barnard's E. These are all in Aquila.<br />
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This is a stack of 12 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 800 with the Canon Ra camera, on the Starfield Optics Géar90 EDT f/6 refractor with its 0.8x Reducer/Flattener for f/4.8 effective. Taken from home October 23, 2022. On the AP Mach1 mount and autoguided and dithered with the Lacerta MGEN3 autoguider.
    Altair & Barnards E (Géar90 Ra).jpg
  • A closeup of Altair in Altair, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background.<br />
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This is a stack of three 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.
    Altair in Aquila (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • The spectrum of Altair in Aquila.<br />
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Taken with a 135mm lens and the RSpec Star Analyzer 100 grating spectragraph placed in front of the lens. 20s at f/4 and ISO 400, on the Star Adventurer tracker.
    Altair Spectrum (135mm 6DII).jpg
  • The trio of stars in Aquila: yellow Alshain at lower left, blue-white Altair at centre and yellow-orange Tarazed at upper right. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400.
    Altair, Tarazed and Alshain in Moonl...jpg
  • The bright stars Altair and Tarazed in Aquila along with the Double Dark Nebula, aka Barnard’s E, B142-B143 in the northern summer sky. <br />
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The field is about equal to a binocular view, as it was shot with a 135mm telephoto on the Canon 60Da. This is a stack of 4 x 80 second exposures at f/2.2 and ISO 1600, unguided on the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer tracking mount. Two additional exposures with the Kenko Softon filter blended in to provide the fuzzy star glows. Taken from home, August 18, 2014.
    Altair & Tarazed in Aquila (135m...jpg
  • The dark nebula complex known as Barnard's E, aka B142 (bottom) and B143 (top), in Aquila near the stars Altair (at bottom) and Tarazed (above centre). This field is a fine one for binoculars. The 7.5 x 5° field is close to a binocular field of  view. <br />
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This is a stack of 10 x 6-minute exposures with the SharpStar 61mm apo refractor at f/4.5 and with the Canon R6 at ISO 1250. Taken from home Sept. 30, 2021.
    Altair with Barnard's E (SS61 R6).jpg
  • The equally matched white headlight double star Theta Sepentis, or Alya, in Serpens.<br />
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This is a stack of 11 x 30-second unguided exposures with the Celestron C9.25 SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 1600. Taken May 29, 2019.
    Alya, Theta Serpentis (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • The colourful region around Antares in Scorpius, the yellow star at centre. To the right is the globular cluster Messier 4. Above right of Antares is the smaller globular NGC 6144. Above are the nebulas associated with Rho Ophiuchi. The area is filled with reflection (yellow and blue) and emission nebulas (red and pink). The field simulates a binocular field.<br />
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This is a stack of 5 x 2-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600.
    Antares Region (200mm 5DII).jpg
  • The colourful region around yellow Antares (bottom) in Scorpius and blue Rho Ophiuchi (top) in Ophiuchus. The nebulas are largely reflection nebulas, taking on the colour of the stars embedded in the nebulas. However, the field also contains a lot of emission nebulosity, hydrogen gas glowing red and magenta. Plus there are fingers of brown dark dusty nebulosity. It is one of the most colourful regions of the sky.<br />
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At right of Antares are two globular clusters, NGC 6144 (small, at 2 o'clock from Antares) and the larger Messier 4 right of Antares. <br />
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This is a stack of 5 x 8 minute exposures with the Borg 77mm astrographic apo (330mm focal length) at f/4.3 and the filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800. I took this March 31/April 1 from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia.
    Antares & Rho Ophiuchi Area (77m...jpg
  • Arcturus in summer twilight, in early July 2018, shot with the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 and Canon 6D MkII. A stack of 3 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 800. <br />
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Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions.
    Arcturus in Twilight (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • Arcturus, setting into the northwest, on a moonlit autumn night and reflected in Forget-Me-Not Pond in Kananaskis Country in southern Alberta. Illumination is from a waxing gibbous Moon. <br />
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This is a stack of 5 exposures: 1 for the sky and 4 for the ground, mean combined stacked to smooth noise. All were 30-second exposures at f/4 with the 24mm lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 800.
    Arcturus over ForgetMeNot Pond.jpg
  • The spectrum of Arcturus in Bootes.<br />
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Taken with a 135mm lens and the RSpec Star Analyzer 100 grating spectragraph placed in front of the lens. 20s at f/4 and ISO 400, on the Star Adventurer tracker.
    Arcturus Spectrum (135mm 6DII).jpg
  • The nearby and fast-moving star, Barnard’s Star in Ophiuchus, captured in a wide field of view about 6° wide taking in nearby IC 4665, a large open cluster above Beta Ophiuchi, aka Cebalrai. <br />
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Barnard’s Star, as discovered by EE Barnard in 1916, has a large “proper motion” across the sky of 10.4 arc seconds per year, among the largest known, in part because of its proximity of only 6 light years away, making it the closest single star to our solar system (Alpha Centauri is closer but is a multiple star system). Its rapid motion causes it to move 1/4 of a degree in a human lifetime. <br />
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However, its rapid motion is also because it is plunging through the local solar neighbourhood from the galactic halo where it was born. It does not belong to our local spiral arm and is an intruder from afar. The red dwarf star also has a very low metallicity, meaning it lacks elements heavier than helium, again evidence for its place of origin and old age, as it was born before many of the heavier elements were synthesized in later generations of stars like our Sun. An innocuous looking star with a curious tale to tell! <br />
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It was tough to identify the star at first because the digital (SkySafari) and print atlases (such as Millennium Star Atlas) showed the nearby stars and patterns fine, as in the photo, but not the star in question. Why? Because Barnard’s Star had moved north since the data for those atlases, even the digital ones, was compiled. They were plotting the star farther south but there was nothing at that spot on my photo. (Starry Night did seem to plot it for its current, not past position.) <br />
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Even so, Barnard’s Star, while rated as magnitude 9.5, is faint (as you can see) and not an obvious sight at all in the eyepiece in a visual look earlier this night with the 105mm refractor. It did not look red visually and does not look red on the photo, unlike the mag. 6.7 star toward the centre of the frame (HD 162648) which does look quite red. I would have expected B
    Barnard's Star (77mm 6DII).jpg
  • Beta Cruxis, or Becrux aka Mimosa, the second brightest star in the Southern Cross, Crux. It is a blue star 280 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. Small star clusters NGC 4852 (at left) and NGC 4755 (at below left) appear near Becrux. The latter is the famous Jewel Box Cluster. The north edge of the Coal Sack apepars at bottom. The large cluster Trumpler 20 is at right. <br />
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I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600.
    Becrux in Southern Cross (77mm 5DII).jpg
  • The bright star Becrux or Beta Cruxis in the constellation Crux, accompanied by its faint red companion star Ruby Cruxis at left here.<br />
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This is a single 2-minute exposure at ISO 1600 with the Canon 60Da and Astro-Physics Traveler at f/6, from Australia in December 2012.
    Becux or Beta Cruxis (105mm 60Da).jpg
  • The triple star Beta Monoceratis, aka Herschel’s Wonder Star, in the constellation Monoceros. <br />
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Captured with the Sony a7III in a stack of 8 x 8-second exposures at ISO 1600 with the Celestron C9.25 inch SXCT at f/10 on a moonlit night.
    Beta Monoceratis (C9.25 Sony).jpg
  • Beta Monocerotis, a fine triple star in Monoceros, here with the two bightest components just elongated but with the dimmer companion to the north (above). Taken with the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 for a stack of 4 x 4 - minute exposures plus one 60 second exposure, with the Canon 6D at ISO 1600.
    Beta Monocerotis (130mm 6D).jpg
  • Triple star Beta Tucanae, consisting of close pair (sep 27") of nearly equal brightness stars plus a third more distant companion 10 arc minutes away and resolvable to the naked eye. <br />
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Taken from Timor Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, December 12, 2010. This is a stack of 4 x 30 second exposures at ISO 2500 with Canon 5D MkII camera on 105mm Astro-Physics Traveler apo refractor at f/5.8 with 6x7 field flattener.
    Beta Tucanae double star (105mm 5DII...jpg
  • Here is Betelgeuse in a telescopic close-up revealing the red supergiant star set in a rich field of fainter stars in Orion. At this time, on January 22, 2020, Betelgeuse had faded over the previous few weeks to magnitude 1.5 from its usual of 0.5. The field of view here is 5° by 3°.  <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 4-minute exposures with the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 400 and the SharpStar HNT150 Newtonian Astrograph at f/2.8. Thus the diffraction spikes from the secondary mirror support struts.
    Betelgeuse Close-Up (HNT150 EOS Ra).jpg
  • A closeup of Betelgeuse in Orion, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. <br />
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This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.
    Betelgeuse in Orion (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • The constellation of Canis Major, including the bright star Sirius, and below it, the open cluster M41. At bottom is the loose cluster/asterism CR 140. This is a stack of 6 x 4 minute exposures at f/2.8 with the Sigma 50mm lens and Canon 60Da at ISO 800. I shot this from Coonabarabran, Australia with the constellation straight overhead. I used the iOptron Sky Tracker. High cloud added the natural glows around stars - no filter was employed here.
    Canis Major (50mm 60Da).jpg
  • The constellation of Canis Major and nearby open clusters and nebulas, taken from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, December 13/14, 2012, with Sigma 50mm lens at f/3.2 and the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 for stack of 6 x 4 minute exposures. M41 is below Sirius, M46 and M47 are to the left edge of frame. M50 is above the Seagull Nebula, IC 2177 at upper left. Some exposures had light cirrus cloud passing through which added the star glows naturally. I have turned Canis Major right side up but from Australia it would appear upside down -- the part of the frame closest to the horizon when I took this was the top of the frame. Sirius is at upper centre, vastly overexposed.
    Canis Major from Australia (50mm 5DI...jpg
  • Sirius and Canis Major coming up in the southeast, December 7, 2013, as shot from Painted Pony Resort, New Mexico. This is a stack of 2 x 1.5 minute exposures + one shot with the Kenko Softon filter to add star glows, all at f/2.8 and ISO 1600. Clouds coming in prevented more exposures.
    Canis Major Rising (New Mexico 35mm).jpg
  • Canopus, Alpha Carinae, the second brightest star in the night sky, in Carina the Keel.<br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 4-minute exposures with the Canon 6D at ISO 1600 plus a short 1-minute exposure, both through the 106mm Astro-Physics Traveler telescope, from Tibuc Cottage April 12, 2016. Taken with the waxing crescent Moon up.
    Canopus, Alpha Carinae (106mm 6D).jpg
  • Canopus, the second brightest star in the night sky. The star at left is Tau Puppis. The Carina Dwarf Galaxy is between the two stars but invisible here. <br />
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Shot with the 200mm lens to simulate a binocular field of view. A stack of 2 x 2-minute exposures at f/2.8 and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2000,
    Canopus in Carina (200mm 5DII).jpg
  • A closeup of Capella in Auriga, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. <br />
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This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.
    Capella in Auriga(130mm 6DII).jpg
  • The bright star Capella due north just before local midnight, daylight time, on July 5/6 as it skims across the northern horizon. From my latitude of 51° N, Capella is circumpolar and never sets. It is lowest in the sky in summer, as here. Some very wispy and faint noctilucent clouds are at right. <br />
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This is shot looking over Crawling Lake in southern Alberta, Canada. This is a single shot with the RF24-105mm lens and Canon R5.
    Capella in Summer Northern Twilight.jpg
  • Capella, as a circumpolar star, in summer in the perpetual twilight of solstice at latitude +51°. Taken at 11 pm June 30, 2013. Taken from Crawling Lake reservoir, Alberta. A single shot with the Canon 60Da and 16-35mm lens at 35mm. 8s at f/4 and ISO 200.
    Capella in Twilight (June 30, 2013).jpg
  • Capella, rising in the northeast on a moonlit autumn night, reflects in the calm waters of Forget-Me-Not Pond in Kananaskis Country in southern Alberta on a September evening. Lights from Calgary tint the clouds to the east, but the effect of urban skyglow is muted by the bright light from the waxing gibbous Moon. <br />
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This is a stack of 5 exposures: 1 for the sky and 4 for the ground (except the reflections), with the latter mean combined stacked to smooth noise. All are 30-second exposures at f/4 with the 24mm lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 800.
    Capella over ForgetMeNot Pond.jpg
  • The Carina Nebula framed to include the double star Chi Velorum, at top, also known as the Southern Albireo, or Albireo Australis. The Gem Cluster, NGC 3293, is above and to the right of the main nebula. <br />
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This is a stack of 5 x 6-minute exposures with the Borg 77mm f/4 astrograph and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600. Taken from Tibuc Cottage, Australia, April 11, 2016.
    Carina Nebula & Chi Velorum (77m...jpg
  • A closeup of Castor in Gemini, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. While this is a double star the separation is too tight for the stars to be resolved here. <br />
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This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.
    Castor in Gemini (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • Castor, a multiple star in Gemini, in a closeup just barely showing the main pair as an elongated image here, due to the tight separation of ~ 5 arc seconds being a little too small to easily resolve at this focal lenght. However, the third component, Castor C, a red dwarf star, is visible to the south. North is at top here. <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 3.2-second exposures at ISO 800 with the Celestron C9.25-inch SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  Taken March 27, 2019.
    Castor System Closeup (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • Cetus, low in my autumn sky on a fine night in November 2019, but with some cloud just beginning to move in at bottom, and with the constellation just above my treetops. <br />
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Mira, at left of centre, was a month past maximum brightness and was magnitude 3 or so, easily naked eye. Menkar (aka Alpha Ceti) is the bright star at upper left; Diphda (aka Deneb Kaitos or Beta Ceti) is the bright star at lower right. <br />
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This is a stack of 5 x 2-minute exposures with the 35mm lens at f/2.5 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800, on the LighTrack II tracker. An additional exposure through the Kenko Softon A filter adds the star glows.
    Cetus (35mm 6DII).jpg
  • The classic double star Cor Caroli, aka Alpha Canum Venaticorum, in Canes Venatici. The seapation is 19 arc seconds so shows up easily here.<br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 8-second exposures at ISO 800 with the Celestron C9.25-inch SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.  Taken March 27, 2019.
    Cor Caroli Alpha CVn (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • The stars Cor Caroli (bottom left) and Chara (top right) in Canes Venatici, with the bright galaxy Messier 94 at top left.  Cor Caroli is a bright double star but is not resolved here.<br />
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This is a stack of 6 x 6-minute exposures at ISO 800 with the William Optics RedCat 51mm astrograph at f/4.9 and Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800, from home May 23. The field is 8° x 5° so similar to binoculars.  North is up.
    Cor Caroli and M94 in Canes Venatici...jpg
  • The bright  double star Cor Caroli, or Alpha Canum Venaticorum, in Canes Venatici, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from May 2003 with the C8.
    Cor Coroli, Alpha Canum Venaticrum (...jpg
  • A 3-panel mosaic of the Southern Cross, Crux, shot April 5, 2016 from Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. Acrux, Alpha Cruxis, is the star at bottom and Becrux, Beta Cruxis, is the star at left, with the Jewel Box Cluster, NGC 4755, just to the left of Becrux. Gacrux is at top and Delta Cruxis is at right. The star cluster NGC 4349 is above Alpha Cruxis. The bright red nebula in the dark Coal Sack is Gum 46. The rich cluster to the right of Becrux is Harvard 7. The dark nebulosity at lower left is the Coal Sack. The small cluster embedded in the Coal Sack to the left of Acrux is NGC 4609, what I call the Coal Dust Cluster. Slight haze or high cloud added the natural star glows here. <br />
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This is a moasic of 3 panels, each a stack of 4 x 4-minute exposures with the Borg 77mm f/4 astrograph and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600. Stacked and stitched in Photoshop.
    Crux, Southern Cross, Mosaic (77mm 5...jpg
  • Delta Cephei, the double star and archetype variable syar in Cepheus, here just resolved in a general field shot. Taken from home Nov. 25, 2016 with the 130mm AP f/6 apo refactor with the 6x7 field flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures.
    Delta Cephei (130mm 6D).jpg
  • The famous orange and blue double star Delta Cephei, in Cepheus, with the orange component the archetypal Cepheid variable star.<br />
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This is a stack of 10 x 15-second unguided exposures with the Celestron C9.25 SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 3200. Taken May 29, 2019.
    Delta Cephei (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • The variable star Delta Cephei (at right), also a double star just barely resolved here, and the prototypical Cepheid variable star, and with it in the field at left, the star cluster and emission nebula, NGC 7380, aka the Wizard Nebula. All in Cepheus. This is a stack of 8 x 6 minute exposures with the stock Canon 6D at ISO 800, and TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/5.5 with the Hotech field flattener, with no focal reduction. Taken from New Mexico, Nov 11, 2014.
    Delta Cephei & NGC 7380.jpg
  • Delta Lyrae,a wide double star and loose star cluster known as Stephenson 1, in Lyra. Taken from home Nov. 25, 2016 with the 130mm AP f/6 apo refactor with the 6x7 field flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures.
    Delta Lyrae (130mm 6D).jpg
  • Delta 1 and 2 Lyrae (at left), a double star in Lyra with the loose open cluster Stephenson 1, plus the double star Zeta Lyrae (at right). This is a stack of 4 x 4 minute exposures with the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg 0.85x field flattener/reducer and Canon 6D at ISO 800.
    Delta & Zeta Lyrae.jpg
  • The spectrum of Deneb in Cygnus.<br />
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Taken with a 135mm lens and the RSpec Star Analyzer 100 grating spectragraph placed in front of the lens. 20s at f/4 and ISO 400, on the Star Adventurer tracker.
    Deneb Spectrum (135mm 6DII).jpg
  • A closeup of El Nath (or Elnath)  in Taurus, at the end of one of its horns, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background. <br />
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This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures blended with 3 x 30-second exposures to avoid the core of the star becoming too overexposed. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions.
    El Nath in Taurus (130mm 6DII).jpg
  • The binocular double stars in Lyra: Delta Lyrae at lower left, Epsilon Lyrae at top centre, and Zeta Lyrae between Delta and bright blue Vega. Surrounding Delta Lyrae is the sparse star cluster Stephenson 1. Epsilon Lyrae is the Double Double as each of its two stars splits again into two stars at high power in a telescope. The small cluster at upper left is Sal 8, with an unnamed asterism above it. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. <br />
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This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400.
    Epsilon, Delta and Zeta Lyrae in Moo...jpg
  • Epsilon Lyrae, the Double-Double Star in Lyra, here resolved into just the main wide pair, but each of those stars is also a tight double. Taken from home Nov. 25, 2016 with the 130mm AP f/6 apo refactor with the 6x7 field flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures.
    Epsilon Lyrae (130mm 6D).jpg
  • The Double Double star, Epsilon Lyae, here with the tight components not resolved. <br />
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This is a stack of 10 x 30-second unguided exposures with the Celestron C9.25 SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 1600. Taken May 29, 2019.
    Epsilon Lyrae (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • The close double stars Epsilon Lyrae, in Lyra, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from May 2003 with the C8.
    Epsilon Lyrae (from Webcam).jpg
  • Epsilon Lyrae, at upper left, the Double Double Star, in Lyrae, and near Vega, at right. Taken through some high haze thus the glows around the stars. This is a stack of 8 x 4 minute exposures with the TMB apo refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg 0.85x field flattener/reducer and Canon 6D at ISO 800.
    Epsilon Lyrae & Vega.jpg
  • Eta Cassiopeiae, a double star, in Cassiopeia, here unresolved in a general field shot. The small planetary nebula, Abell 2, is just visible at right as a tiny blue disk. Taken from home Nov. 25, 2016 with the 130mm AP f/6 apo refactor with the 6x7 field flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures.
    Eta Cassiopeiae - Achird (130mm 6D).jpg
  • The double star Eta Cassiopeiae, aka Achird, in Cassiopeia, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from August 2005 with the C8.
    Eta Cassiopeiae, Achird (from Webcam...jpg
  • The spectra of four stars compared. <br />
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Taken with a 135mm lens and the RSpec Star Analyzer 100 grating spectragraph placed in front of the lens. 20s at f/4 and ISO 400, on the Star Adventurer tracker.
    Four Star Spectra Compared.jpg
  • Gacrux or Gamma Cruxis, the top star in the Southern Cross, Crux, a reddish star and a fine double, but not resolved here at this scale. <br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 5-minute exposures with the Canon 6D at ISO 1600 and through the 106mm Astro-Physics Traveler telescope, from Tibuc Cottage April 10, 2016 on a partly hazy night.
    Gacrux in Southern Cross (106mm 6D).jpg
  • Gamma Andromedae, a double star, in Andromeda, here unresolved in a general field shot. Taken from home Nov. 25, 2016 with the 130mm AP f/6 apo refactor with the 6x7 field flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures.
    Gamma Andromedae (130mm 6D).jpg
  • Gamma Andromedae, aka Almach, a double star (not resolved here in this wide-field view) in Andromeda. This is a stack of 4 x 4 minute exposures with the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg 0.85x field flattener/reducer and Canon 6D at ISO 800.
    Gamma Andromedae (Almach).jpg
  • The double star Gamma Andromedae, aka Almach, in Andromeda, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from August 2005 with the C8.
    Gamma Andromedae (from Webcam).jpg
  • The headlight double star Gamma Arietis, aka Mersarthim, in Aries, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from August 2005 with the C8.
    Gamma Arietis (from Webcam).jpg
  • Gamma Arietis, aka Mesarthim, a double star in Aries (below) with the star Sheratan (Beta Arietis) at top. The galaxy NGC 772 is at lower left. This is a stack of 4 x 4 minute exposures with the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with the 0.85x Borg field flattener/reducer and Canon 6D at ISO 800.
    Gamma Arietis.jpg
  • Gamma Arietis, aka Mersarthim in Aries, aka “The Cat’s Eyes” — here unresolved in a general field shot. Taken from home Nov. 25, 2016 with the 130mm AP f/6 apo refactor with the 6x7 field flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures.
    Gamma Arietis - Mersarthim (130mm 6D...jpg
  • The double star Gamma Delphini, at the nose of the Dolphin, in a stack of frames from a webcam (Philips TouCam) from August 2005 with the C8.
    Gamma Delphini (from Webcam).jpg
  • The double star Gamma Delphini, at upper left, and the other stars of the main body of Delphinus the Dolphin. Gamma looks a little green compared to the other stars, as per the visual description of this star. <br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures with the Canon 6D at ISO 800 and TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/5.5 with the Hotech field flattener.
    Gamma Delphini.jpg
  • The bright multiple star Gamma Velorum or Regor<br />
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Taken December 2012 from Australia in a stack of 2 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 800 with the Canon 60Da and Astro-Physics Traveler at f/6.
    Gamma Velorum (105mm 60Da).jpg
  • Gamma Velorum (aka Suhail al Muhlif) in Vela and the open cluster NGC 2547, a bright binocular cluster. The field is also rich in faint nebulosity from the Gum Nebula. The field simulates a binocular field. <br />
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A stack of 4 x 2-minute exposures with the 20mm telephoto at f/2.8 and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2500. Tracked on the AP 400 mount. Shot from Coonabarabran, Australia.
    Gamma Velorum and NGC 2547 (200mm 5D...jpg
  • The bright double star Beta Scorpii, or Graffias, in Scorpius. The stars are resolved but the poor seeing due to their low altitude at my site blurs their images. Taken for a book illustration. <br />
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This is a stack of 12 x 15-second unguided exposures with the Celestron C9.25 SCT at f/10 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 3200. Taken May 29, 2019.
    Graffias, Beta Scorpii (C9.25 6DII).jpg
  • Hadar, Beta Centauri, the second brightest star Centaurus, and one of the southern Pointer stars. The sparse cluster at top is NGC 5381.<br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 4-minute exposures with the Canon 6D at ISO 1600 plus a short 1-minute exposure, both through the 106mm Astro-Physics Traveler telescope, from Tibuc Cottage April 12, 2016. Taken with the waxing crescent Moon up.
    Hadar, Beta Centauri (106mm 6D).jpg
  • The main stars of Aries — L to R: Hamal, Sheratan, and Mersarthim, aka Gamma Arietis, a showpiece double star, though not resolved at this focal length. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. <br />
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This is a stack of 2 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400. A separate exposure through an Alyn Wallace Starglow filter adds the glows.
    Hamal, Sheratan and Mesarthim in Moo...jpg
  • The four stars of the “Lozenge” asterism that makes up the head of Draco the Dragon. At top is the binocular double star Nu Draconis, aka Kuma. Beta Draconis, aka Rastaban, is at upper right. The type K orange giant star Gamma Draconis, Eltanin, is at lower right. At lower left is Xi Draconis, Grumium. <br />
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This is a stack of 4 x 4-minute exposures with the William Optics RedCat 51mm f/5 astrographic refractor, and Canon EOS Ra camera. The field is 8° x 5°, so similar to binoculars. North is to the left in this image.
    Head of Draco with Kuma (WO51mm EOS ...jpg
  • The large Hyades star cluster, at right, plus orange Aldebaran, and the smaller star cluster NGC 1647 at left, in Taurus, and in the moonlight of a first quarter Moon, January 2, 2020. Thus the blue sky. <br />
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This is a stack of eleven 2-minute exposures with the 200mm Canon lens at f/2.8 and Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 400, with one of the exposures taken with haze in the sky to add the natural star glows. No filter was used here. The camera was on the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer tracker. Diffraction spikes added for aesthetic effect with Astronomy Tools Actions.
    Hyades and NGC 1647 Clusters (200mm ...jpg
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