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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 (from Webcam).jpg
$The very red variable carbon star 19 (TX) Piscium in Pisces. This is a stack of six 4-minute exposures with the A&M 105mm apo refractor at f/6.2 and Hotech field flattener, with the Canon 6D MkII.$

19 (TX) Piscium.jpg
24 Comae Berenices (C9.25 6DII).jpg
24 Comae Berenices (from Webcam).jpg
47 Ursa Majoris Sun-Like Star (C9.25...jpg
61 Cygni (C9.25 6DII).jpg
61 Cygni (from Webcam).jpg
$The double star 61 Cygni (right of centre), a double star, in Cygnus. It is also known as “The Flying Star” for its large proper motion across the sky, noted in 1792 by Piazzi. It was also the first star to have its distance measured via trigonometric parallax, be Friedrich Bessel in 1838. Shot Nov 10, 2014 from New Mexico, with the 92mm TMB apo refractor at its native f-ratio of f/5.5 with the Hotech field flattener, and Canon 6D for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 800.$

61 Cygni, The Flying Star.jpg
Acrux, Alpha Cruxis (105mm 60Da).jpg
$Alpha Cruxis, or Acrux, the brightest star in the Southern Cross, Crux. It is a blue-white star 320 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. Small star clusters NGC 4349 (above) and NGC 4609 (at left) appear near Acrux. The area is also rich in dark nebulas near the Coal Sack. I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600.$

Acrux in Southern Cross (77mm 5DII).jpg
$Albireo, or Beta Cygni, the famous colourful double star in Cygnus. This is a blend of two sets of three exposures: 4 minutes and 1 minute, to bring out the background star field while not overexposing Albireo and losing its colour. All with the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. Star spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions. Taken July 8, 2018.$

Albireo (130mm 6DII).jpg
Albireo (200mm 6DII).jpg
Albireo, Beta Cygni (C9.25 6DII).jpg
$The famous showpiece double star Albireo in Cygnus, here just resolved into its blue and gold component stars, in a field of view that resembles that of binoculars, which can just resolve this double. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is similar to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400.$

Albireo in Moonlight (SS61 R6).jpg
$A closeup of Aldebaran in Taurus, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. It is surrounded by a few stars of the Hyades cluster.. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.$

Aldebaran in Taurus (130mm 6DII).jpg
$The star Aldebaran emerges from behind the dark limb of the Moon after an occultation on the morning of September 12, 2017. The egress ocurred 5 minutes after sunrise, so this scene is in a daytime sky. Shot with the 130mm Astro-Physics apo refractor at f/6 with the Canon 60Da.$

Aldebaran & Moon in Day Sky (Sep...jpg
$The waning gibbous Moon approaches the star Aldebaran at an occultation on the morning of September 12, 2017. This is a multiple exposure composite of the ingress phase that occurred before sunrise, with the Moon from the final exposure and the star from exposures taken at 4-minute intervals prior to that last exposure. For the actual ingress I switched to HD movie to shoot a video of the event. Exit at egress occurred after sunrise in a bright sky. Shot from home with the 130mm Astro-Physics apo refractor with the Canon 60Da.$

Aldebaran Occultation (Sept. 12, 201...jpg
$The bright star Aldebaran about to be occulted by the waning gibbous Moon on the morning of September 12, 2017. The Moon is amid some high cirrus cloud, adding the coloured glow around the Moon. This is an HDR stack of 7 exposures from 1/200th to 0.3 seconds to accomodate the large range in brightness of the scene. The star itself comes from the single longest exposure. The HDR exposures were merged and blended with Photomatix Pro 6 with Contrast Optimizer. Taken with the Astro-Physics 130mm apo refractor at f/6 and the Canon 60Da.$

Aldebaran & Waning Moon.jpg
Algeiba, Gamma Leonis (from Webcam).jpg
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
$Algol, the Demon Star, accompanied by other "demon" stars of the Gorgon as the triangle below Algol, from R to L: Gorgonea Secunda, Gorgonea Tertia, and Gorgonea Quarta. All in Perseus. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400. An exposure through an Alyn Wallace Starglow filter adds the glows.$

Algol and the Demon Stars in Moonlig...jpg
$A closeup of Algol in Persus, the Demon variable star, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.$

Algol in Perseus (130mm 6DII).jpg
Alpha and Beta Centauri (200mm 5DII).jpg
Alpha & Beta Cen (135mm f4 5D).jpg
Alpha & Beta Centauri (135mm 5D).jpg
Alpha & Beta Centauri (85mm 5DII...jpg
$The naked-eye and binocular double star Alpha 1 and 2 Capricorni, aka Algedi. Both are luminous yellow giant stars. They are not a true binary but are just an optical double. Alpha 1 (the brighter of the pair) is 109 light years away, while Alpha 2 is 690 light years away. This is a stack of 4 x 4 minute exposures with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 with the TMB 92mm refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg. 0.85x field flattener/reducer. Shot from New Mexico with the field low in the southwest, Nov 16, 2014.$

Alpha Capricorni (Algedi).jpg
$A closeup of Alpha Capricornus, aka Algeidi, a wide binocular double star in Capricornus, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.$

Alpha Capricorni or Algeidi (130mm 6...jpg
$A wide-field image of the area of sky around blue-white Altair, bright at centre, flanked by Alshain (Beta Aquilae) at bottom and orange Tarazed (Gamma Aquilae) at top. Above Tarazed is the dark nebula known as Barnard’s E, named for E.E. Barnard who first photographed and cataloged dark nebulas. The E consists of B143 (the darkest component) and the less prominent B142 below. B334 is at top right, while B340 is left of Tarazed. This is a stack of 6 x 6-minute exposures with the William Optics RedCat 51mm astrographic refractor at f/5 and the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800 with LENR on as it was the warmest night of the summer, August 18, 2020. Aligned, stacked and median combined in Photoshop to eliminate some satellite trails. Autoguided with the ZWO ASIAir and ASI120MM guide camera with the RedCat on the Astro-Physics Mach1 mount. No filters employed here.$

Altair and Barnards E (RedCat EOS Ra...jpg
$The stars Altair (bottom) and Tarazed in Aquila the Eagle, a prominent pairing of stars and important in Inuit culture as a signpost pairing of stars signalling a change of seasons. It is Aagjuuk, and their rising in the morning signaled the winter solstice and return of sunlight. I shot this from home, Nov 29, 2016 with the TMB92mm refractor and Borg 0.85x flattener and Canon 6D at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 3 minute exposures. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools Actions.$

Altair and Tarazed (TMB92 6D).jpg
$A framing of the field around the bright white star Altair (lower left), and the orange giant star Tarazed above, with the dark nebula complex B142 (lower dark lane) and B143 (the top pair of dark lanes), together known as Barnard's E. These are all in Aquila. This is a stack of 12 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 800 with the Canon Ra camera, on the Starfield Optics Géar90 EDT f/6 refractor with its 0.8x Reducer/Flattener for f/4.8 effective. Taken from home October 23, 2022. On the AP Mach1 mount and autoguided and dithered with the Lacerta MGEN3 autoguider.$

Altair & Barnards E (Géar90 Ra).jpg
$A closeup of Altair in Altair, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background. This is a stack of three 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.$

Altair in Aquila (130mm 6DII).jpg
Altair Spectrum (135mm 6DII).jpg
$The trio of stars in Aquila: yellow Alshain at lower left, blue-white Altair at centre and yellow-orange Tarazed at upper right. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400.$

Altair, Tarazed and Alshain in Moonl...jpg
Altair & Tarazed in Aquila (135m...jpg
$The dark nebula complex known as Barnard's E, aka B142 (bottom) and B143 (top), in Aquila near the stars Altair (at bottom) and Tarazed (above centre). This field is a fine one for binoculars. The 7.5 x 5° field is close to a binocular field of view. This is a stack of 10 x 6-minute exposures with the SharpStar 61mm apo refractor at f/4.5 and with the Canon R6 at ISO 1250. Taken from home Sept. 30, 2021.$

Altair with Barnard's E (SS61 R6).jpg
Alya, Theta Serpentis (C9.25 6DII).jpg
Antares Region (200mm 5DII).jpg
Antares & Rho Ophiuchi Area (77m...jpg
$Arcturus in summer twilight, in early July 2018, shot with the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 and Canon 6D MkII. A stack of 3 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 800. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions.$

Arcturus in Twilight (130mm 6DII).jpg
Arcturus over ForgetMeNot Pond.jpg
Arcturus Spectrum (135mm 6DII).jpg
$The nearby and fast-moving star, Barnard’s Star in Ophiuchus, captured in a wide field of view about 6° wide taking in nearby IC 4665, a large open cluster above Beta Ophiuchi, aka Cebalrai. Barnard’s Star, as discovered by EE Barnard in 1916, has a large “proper motion” across the sky of 10.4 arc seconds per year, among the largest known, in part because of its proximity of only 6 light years away, making it the closest single star to our solar system (Alpha Centauri is closer but is a multiple star system). Its rapid motion causes it to move 1/4 of a degree in a human lifetime. However, its rapid motion is also because it is plunging through the local solar neighbourhood from the galactic halo where it was born. It does not belong to our local spiral arm and is an intruder from afar. The red dwarf star also has a very low metallicity, meaning it lacks elements heavier than helium, again evidence for its place of origin and old age, as it was born before many of the heavier elements were synthesized in later generations of stars like our Sun. An innocuous looking star with a curious tale to tell! It was tough to identify the star at first because the digital (SkySafari) and print atlases (such as Millennium Star Atlas) showed the nearby stars and patterns fine, as in the photo, but not the star in question. Why? Because Barnard’s Star had moved north since the data for those atlases, even the digital ones, was compiled. They were plotting the star farther south but there was nothing at that spot on my photo. (Starry Night did seem to plot it for its current, not past position.) Even so, Barnard’s Star, while rated as magnitude 9.5, is faint (as you can see) and not an obvious sight at all in the eyepiece in a visual look earlier this night with the 105mm refractor. It did not look red visually and does not look red on the photo, unlike the mag. 6.7 star toward the centre of the frame (HD 162648) which does look quite red. I would have expected B$

Barnard's Star (77mm 6DII).jpg
$Beta Cruxis, or Becrux aka Mimosa, the second brightest star in the Southern Cross, Crux. It is a blue star 280 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. Small star clusters NGC 4852 (at left) and NGC 4755 (at below left) appear near Becrux. The latter is the famous Jewel Box Cluster. The north edge of the Coal Sack apepars at bottom. The large cluster Trumpler 20 is at right. I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures at ISO 1600.$

Becrux in Southern Cross (77mm 5DII).jpg
Becux or Beta Cruxis (105mm 60Da).jpg
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
$Triple star Beta Tucanae, consisting of close pair (sep 27") of nearly equal brightness stars plus a third more distant companion 10 arc minutes away and resolvable to the naked eye. Taken from Timor Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, December 12, 2010. This is a stack of 4 x 30 second exposures at ISO 2500 with Canon 5D MkII camera on 105mm Astro-Physics Traveler apo refractor at f/5.8 with 6x7 field flattener.$

Beta Tucanae double star (105mm 5DII...jpg
$Here is Betelgeuse in a telescopic close-up revealing the red supergiant star set in a rich field of fainter stars in Orion. At this time, on January 22, 2020, Betelgeuse had faded over the previous few weeks to magnitude 1.5 from its usual of 0.5. The field of view here is 5° by 3°. This is a stack of 8 x 4-minute exposures with the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 400 and the SharpStar HNT150 Newtonian Astrograph at f/2.8. Thus the diffraction spikes from the secondary mirror support struts.$

Betelgeuse Close-Up (HNT150 EOS Ra).jpg
$A closeup of Betelgeuse in Orion, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.$

Betelgeuse in Orion (130mm 6DII).jpg
Canis Major (50mm 60Da).jpg
Canis Major from Australia (50mm 5DI...jpg
Canis Major Rising (New Mexico 35mm).jpg
Canopus, Alpha Carinae (106mm 6D).jpg
Canopus in Carina (200mm 5DII).jpg
$A closeup of Capella in Auriga, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.$

Capella in Auriga(130mm 6DII).jpg
Capella in Summer Northern Twilight.jpg
Capella in Twilight (June 30, 2013).jpg
Capella over ForgetMeNot Pond.jpg
Carina Nebula & Chi Velorum (77m...jpg
$A closeup of Castor in Gemini, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor. While this is a double star the separation is too tight for the stars to be resolved here. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures and three 30-second exposures to reduce the core brilliance, with the short exposures blended in with a luminosity mask. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. The diffraction spikes were added with Astronomy Tools Photoshop actions.$

Castor in Gemini (130mm 6DII).jpg
Castor System Closeup (C9.25 6DII).jpg
Cetus (35mm 6DII).jpg
Cor Caroli Alpha CVn (C9.25 6DII).jpg
Cor Caroli and M94 in Canes Venatici...jpg
Cor Coroli, Alpha Canum Venaticrum (...jpg
Crux, Southern Cross, Mosaic (77mm 5...jpg
Delta Cephei (130mm 6D).jpg
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 (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
Deneb Spectrum (135mm 6DII).jpg
$A closeup of El Nath (or Elnath) in Taurus, at the end of one of its horns, taken in moonlight, with the 130mm f/6 apo refractor with the Hotech field flattener. Moonlight added the blue sky background. This is a stack of six 2-minute exposures blended with 3 x 30-second exposures to avoid the core of the star becoming too overexposed. All with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions.$

El Nath in Taurus (130mm 6DII).jpg
$The binocular double stars in Lyra: Delta Lyrae at lower left, Epsilon Lyrae at top centre, and Zeta Lyrae between Delta and bright blue Vega. Surrounding Delta Lyrae is the sparse star cluster Stephenson 1. Epsilon Lyrae is the Double Double as each of its two stars splits again into two stars at high power in a telescope. The small cluster at upper left is Sal 8, with an unnamed asterism above it. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 8 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400.$

Epsilon, Delta and Zeta Lyrae in Moo...jpg
Epsilon Lyrae (130mm 6D).jpg
Epsilon Lyrae (C9.25 6DII).jpg
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 - Achird (130mm 6D).jpg
Eta Cassiopeiae, Achird (from Webcam...jpg
Four Star Spectra Compared.jpg
Gacrux in Southern Cross (106mm 6D).jpg
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
Gamma Andromedae (from Webcam).jpg
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 - Mersarthim (130mm 6D...jpg
Gamma Delphini (from Webcam).jpg
$The double star Gamma Delphini, at upper left, and the other stars of the main body of Delphinus the Dolphin. Gamma looks a little green compared to the other stars, as per the visual description of this star. This is a stack of 4 x 6 minute exposures with the Canon 6D at ISO 800 and TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/5.5 with the Hotech field flattener.$

Gamma Delphini.jpg
Gamma Velorum (105mm 60Da).jpg
Gamma Velorum and NGC 2547 (200mm 5D...jpg
Graffias, Beta Scorpii (C9.25 6DII).jpg
Hadar, Beta Centauri (106mm 6D).jpg
$The main stars of Aries — L to R: Hamal, Sheratan, and Mersarthim, aka Gamma Arietis, a showpiece double star, though not resolved at this focal length. Taken in a clear sky lit by a waxing gibbous Moon, thus the blue sky background. The 7.5° x 5° field of view is close to that of binoculars. This is a stack of 2 x 2-minute exposures at f/4.4 with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH refractor and Canon R6 at ISO 400. A separate exposure through an Alyn Wallace Starglow filter adds the glows.$

Hamal, Sheratan and Mesarthim in Moo...jpg
$The four stars of the “Lozenge” asterism that makes up the head of Draco the Dragon. At top is the binocular double star Nu Draconis, aka Kuma. Beta Draconis, aka Rastaban, is at upper right. The type K orange giant star Gamma Draconis, Eltanin, is at lower right. At lower left is Xi Draconis, Grumium. This is a stack of 4 x 4-minute exposures with the William Optics RedCat 51mm f/5 astrographic refractor, and Canon EOS Ra camera. The field is 8° x 5°, so similar to binoculars. North is to the left in this image.$

Head of Draco with Kuma (WO51mm EOS ...jpg
$The large Hyades star cluster, at right, plus orange Aldebaran, and the smaller star cluster NGC 1647 at left, in Taurus, and in the moonlight of a first quarter Moon, January 2, 2020. Thus the blue sky. This is a stack of eleven 2-minute exposures with the 200mm Canon lens at f/2.8 and Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 400, with one of the exposures taken with haze in the sky to add the natural star glows. No filter was used here. The camera was on the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer tracker. Diffraction spikes added for aesthetic effect with Astronomy Tools Actions.$

Hyades and NGC 1647 Clusters (200mm ...jpg