Astrophotography Blog: February 2015

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Puerto Rico Radio-Telescope Arecibo Observatory

This post documents a daytime visit to the legendary Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, when the 305-meter radio telescope was still fully operational and open to the public. While these are not night-sky images, Arecibo was one of the most important scientific instruments ever built for radio astronomy, planetary radar, and the study of the ionosphere.

For many amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, visiting Arecibo felt like a pilgrimage — standing beneath a structure that helped characterize asteroids, study pulsars, and expand our understanding of the universe using radio waves rather than visible light.

View of the Arecibo Radio Telescope reflector dish and suspended receiver platform photographed from the observation deck during daytime

View of the Arecibo Radio Telescope reflector and suspended receiver platform, photographed from the observation deck

Receiver platform of the Arecibo Radio Telescope photographed from the observation deck, showing the suspended feed structure above the reflector

Receiver platform of the Arecibo Radio Telescope, viewed from the observation deck

Flowers in the foreground with the Arecibo Observatory structures and the suspended receiver platform visible in the background, photographed from the observation deck

Flowers in the foreground with the Arecibo Observatory and its suspended receiver platform visible in the background

Anatomy of the Arecibo Radio Telescope

Arecibo Observatory Logo


Galaxy Shop

Arecibo Observatory visitor center

Interior exhibits inside the Ángel Ramos Foundation visitor center at Arecibo Observatory

Angel Ramos Foundation Visitor Center inside

Additional exhibits inside the Arecibo Observatory visitor center in Puerto Rico

Observatory Visitor Center inside

Star planetarium

Milky Way Model

Poster

Flags displayed at the Arecibo Observatory site in Puerto Rico

Observatory Flags

Arecibo Observatory and Ángel Ramos Foundation visitor center

Arecibo observatory and Angel Ramos Foundation Visitor Center

Telephoto zoom view of the Arecibo Radio Telescope receiver platform photographed from the observation deck using a long focal length lens

Telephoto zoom of the Arecibo Radio Telescope receiver platform, captured from the observation deck

Anatomy diagram of the Arecibo Radio Telescope in the foreground with the suspended receiver platform visible in the background

Anatomy of the Arecibo Radio Telescope in the foreground, with the suspended receiver platform visible behind

Other Observatory Visits

In addition to Arecibo, I have visited and documented several major astronomical observatories across different regions. Each site reflects a distinct approach to exploring the universe, from optical telescopes to large-scale radio arrays.

Mauna Kea Observatories — Big Island, Hawaii
A collection of world-class optical and infrared observatories located above the clouds on Mauna Kea.
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) — New Mexico
A radio astronomy interferometer consisting of 27 movable antennas, studying the universe at radio wavelengths.
Custer Institute & Observatory — Long Island, New York
One of the oldest public observatories in the United States, focused on education and amateur astronomy.
Lowell Observatory — Flagstaff, Arizona
Historic observatory associated with the discovery of Pluto and continued planetary research.
Sky’s The Limit Observatory — Joshua Tree National Park
A public observatory operating under exceptionally dark desert skies, supporting outreach and astrophotography.

Historical note:
All images in this post were captured while the Arecibo Observatory was fully active and intact. These photographs predate major damage from Hurricane Maria (2017) and the later structural failures in 2020, including the auxiliary cable break in August and the second cable break in November, which led to the telescope’s collapse on December 1, 2020.

Arecibo remains one of the most iconic sites in the history of astronomy. This post is preserved as a visual record of the observatory during its operational years.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

M42 Orion Nebula using iOptron SkyTracker in NYC

This is my first test of iOptron SkyTracker. Orion Nebula M42 is in the list of top 10 deep sky objects for amateur astronomers. So I choose it for first test. I tried exposer 15 seconds. For fixed tripod with Canon Telephoto Lens EF 200mm f2.8 L II USM it gives star trails. With iOptron SkyTracker even without precise alignment stars looks like points. Weather was good but NYC light pollution, plus it was 3 / 4 Moon near Orion nebula. So I use small ISO (Urban astrophotography). There are results:

Orion Nebula M42 single 15s exposure from NYC using Canon 60Da and EF 200mm f/2.8 lens on iOptron SkyTracker.

M42 Orion Nebula one single file from NY City

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens, Exposure 15 sec; f/2.8; ISO 320, New York City

Using DeepSkyStacker stacked multiple images. Every Canon Row CR2 image first updated in Canon Row 7 saved as Tiff file and later stacked in DeepSkyStacker. Post processing after that was done in Photoshop.

Orion Nebula M42 stacked from 8 exposures using Canon 60Da and 200mm lens on iOptron SkyTracker, NYC backyard.

Orion Nebula M42 from New York City Backyard - 8 photos iOptron SkyTracker Canon 60Da

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens; f/2.8; ISO 320; Exposure 15sec x 8 - Total time 2 min, New York City

Orion Nebula M42 stacked from 36 photos, Canon 60Da and 200mm f/2.8 lens, iOptron SkyTracker, NYC urban sky.

M42 Orion Nebula NYC 36 photos iOptron SkyTracker Canon 60da Canon 200mm

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens; f/2.8; ISO 320; Exposure 15sec x 36 - Total time 9 min, New York City, Messier 42 or NGC 1976

Deep stack of Orion Nebula M42 from NYC using 204 exposures with Canon 60Da and EF 200mm lens on iOptron SkyTracker.

iOptron SkyTracker Canon 60Da Orion Nebula M42 Astrophotography 204 photos

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens; f/2.8; ISO 320; Exposure 15sec x 204 - Total 51 min

Final Thoughts

Capturing deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula (M42) from Brooklyn, New York City—a location with some of the worst light pollution in the world—is normally very challenging. In NYC, even bright stars are often barely visible to the naked eye.

Yet with a tracking mount and 204 stacked exposures, it’s possible to overcome heavy urban skyglow and reveal nebula details that most people only see from dark-sky locations.

This project proves that urban astrophotography is absolutely possible, even under strong New York City light pollution, when you combine good technique, accurate tracking, careful stacking, and thoughtful post-processing. Anyone with patience and the right workflow can capture real deep-sky images—even in a city that never sleeps.