Astrophotography Blog: 2016

Monday, October 24, 2016

iOptron Skytracker and Deep Sky Astrophotography

“By looking far out into space

we are also looking far back into time,

back toward the horizon of the universe,

back toward the epoch of the Big Bang.”

― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

The deep sky astrophotography can be done without telescope. You just need iOptron Skytracker. There are some photos which were done using iOptron Skytracker. Some of these photos done even in New York city with very high level of light pollution.

iOptron SkyTracker Canon 60Da Deep Sky Astrophotography Orion Nebula M42 New York City

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, Brooklyn NY

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography without Telescope - Horsehead and Flame Nebulae - New York City

Canon 60Da with Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens and iOptron SkyTracker tripod.Exposure 10sec x 148 - about 25 min total. ISO-800, f/3.2

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography Pleiades M45 Seven Sisters Melotte 22 with Canon EF 200mm Telephoto Lens

Canon 60Da, iOptron skytracker, EF200mm f/2.8L II USM, f/4.0; ISO 6400, Deep Sky Stacker 30 images x 20 sec, Upstate New York

Deep Sky Astrophotography iOptron Skytracker Andromeda Galaxy Messier 31 Canon EF 200mm Telescopic Lens

Andromeda Galaxy Messier 31 Deep Sky Astrophotography iOptron Skytracker

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM lens, iOptron SkyTracker trypod, ISO-6400, f/4, stacked in DeepSkyStacker 215 images x 19 sec, Upstate NY

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography Northern America and Pelican Nebula

Canon 60Da, EF200mm f/2.8L II USM, f/4.0; ISO 6400, Deep Sky Stacker 29 images x 20 sec, New York upstate

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography Milky Way and Orion at Culebra Island

Canon 60Da, Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, F/4.0, ISO 3200, 2 min, Culebra Island, Puerto Rico

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Arches National Park Astrophotography

I continue my Astrophotography tourism to compare Night Sky from different places of the word. The constellations are the same but it looks different in other locations. These photos from my trip to Arches National Park. There are about 2,000 arches in the park! And a lot of other amazing landscapes! Even during a day, it looks absolutely unreal. But at night is fantastic and amazing! Looks like you on the other planet! The sky in the Arches is truly dark and during new moon you can easy to see Airglow! And on the photo sky is astonishing colorful with greenish reddish and other spectrum colors. All this creates amazing night landscape photos. Really Arches National Park is one of the top 10 best places for astrophotography and night landscaping photos!

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 20.0 sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400 - panorama of 40 images.

Arching Milky Way - Arches Astrophotography

Sailing Milky Way. We are traveling together on a little spaceship. We call this ship the Earth. It sailing Milky Way through the space-time. This photo is just illustration of this Spaceship Earth idea. Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400 - panorama 5 images

Sail Milky Way over Park Avenue at Arches National Park Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Stairway to Heaven Arches - National Park Astrophotography Night landscape

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Balanced Rock and Milky Way - Arches Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Airglow and Balanced Rock - Arches NP Astrophotography

And finally there are photos of arches.

"Smoking gun" - Turret Arch and Milky Way :) I think on this picture we see evidence of ... Big Bang :) Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400 - Panorama 5 images

Turret Arch and Milky Way - Arches National Park Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400 - Panorama 5 images

North and South Windows Arches and Starry Sky - Arches National Park Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Double Arch and Milky Way - Arches National Park Night Landscape Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400 - panorama of two photos

Rainbow Milky Way over Double Arch Panorama Astrophotography

Monday, October 17, 2016

Balanced Rock Arches National Park Utah Night Landscape Astrophotography

Balanced Rock is one of the most famous examples of natural erosion in Arches National Park. Even in daylight it looks unbelievable — a massive boulder balancing on a narrow pedestal of rock. But at night, under the Milky Way, it becomes absolutely magical.

These photos were taken during my trip to Arches National Park. The combination of Balanced Rock, the bright summer Milky Way, dramatic clouds, and natural airglow created a truly unforgettable nightscape.

Canon 60Da • EF16–35mm f/2.8L II USM • 25 sec • f/2.8 • ISO 6400

Balanced Rock under the Milky Way at Arches National Park — night landscape astrophotography with Canon 60Da

Balanced Rock and Milky Way Arches National Park Utah Night Landscape Astrophotography

Balanced Rock, the Milky Way, and the “drama” of clouds moving across the sky all come together in this first image. I added a small amount of light to the Rock itself, allowing its details to be visible without overwhelming the natural night sky.

What makes this scene even more special is the presence of airglow — faint natural light produced by Earth’s upper atmosphere. A moonless night sky is dark, but not black; it shines in subtle green, red, yellow, and orange tones created by atmospheric atoms and molecules.

This is one of the many reasons Arches National Park is one of the best places on Earth for nightscape astrophotography.

Canon 60Da • EF16–35mm f/2.8L II USM • 25 sec • f/2.8 • ISO 6400

Balanced Rock silhouette with bright airglow — Arches National Park night sky photography

Airglow and Balanced Rock - Arches National Park Utah Night Landscape Astrophotography

This second photo is a silhouette of Balanced Rock illuminated only by natural sky light — no artificial lighting at all. Here the airglow is even stronger, painting the horizon with soft green and yellow tones. The dark clouds appear almost black because there is no light pollution and no moonlight — the images were taken during new moon, one of my favorite astrophotography techniques.

Balanced Rock already looks surreal in daylight, but at night — combined with the Milky Way, airglow, dark clouds, and the silent desert around it — it becomes a truly fantastic natural sculpture.

Different types of the Milky Way Night Landscape - Stair Sail and Arch

Let me introduce a new (and completely humorous!) classification of the Milky Way. No, I am not serious — there is only one Milky Way galaxy — but give me a chance! Just look at the collage below: three very different shapes of the galactic core captured in a single night.

I call them the Stair, the Sail, and the Arch Milky Way. All three photos were taken in the same location — Park Avenue, Arches National Park — during the same night. Only small changes in viewpoint and composition, yet the Milky Way looks completely different!

This is part of my light-hearted series Astronomical Jokes, where I play with perspective and imagination. People love to classify everything they see, and sometimes those classifications become fun in themselves.

As the astronomer Olin Eggen playfully said:
“Classification is a tool for understanding — and occasionally for amusement.”
And the statistician George Box famously reminded us:
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.”
My “Milky Way types” are definitely wrong — but they are useful for a smile.

Collage of humorous Milky Way classifications — Stair, Sail, and Arch — photographed at Park Avenue, Arches National Park.

Different types of the Milky Way Night Landscape Astrophotography - Stair Sail and Arch

This collage shows how dramatically the Milky Way’s appearance changes depending on camera angle, foreground, and the rising position of the galactic core. Even though the galaxy is constant, our perspective makes it look like different “types.”

I hope this light-hearted classification brings a smile — and perhaps inspires you to try your own creative Milky Way “types” on the next clear night!

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Arching Milky Way over Arches National Park Utah Astrophotography

Arches National Park is a true paradise for landscape astrophotography. The combination of towering red-rock formations, dramatic canyons, and some of the darkest skies in the continental United States creates endless opportunities for unique night-sky compositions. Every viewpoint in the park feels different, and each photograph becomes a blend of geology, astronomy, and adventure.

Among the many locations inside Arches, Park Avenue stands out as one of the most dramatic natural corridors in the Southwest. Its massive sandstone walls rise like ancient monuments, making it a perfect frame for the sweeping arc of the Milky Way.

The Milky Way Over Park Avenue

The towering sandstone walls rise like a mountain in the center of the frame, creating a dramatic canyon passage. Above them, the rainbow-colored arc of the Milky Way stretches gracefully across the sky, with soft reds, greens, and blues blending together. A gentle background glow illuminates the tops of the rock formations, adding depth and highlighting the rugged desert texture without overpowering the night sky.

Arching Milky Way over Park Avenue, Arches National Park – Utah Astrophotography

Arching Milky Way over Park Avenue at Arches National Park - Utah Astrophotography

How This Panorama Was Created

This final image is a 40-shot panorama. Each individual frame was captured using:

Camera: Canon 60Da
Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: 20 seconds
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO: 6400

The entire sequence took approximately one hour to shoot from start to finish. Afterward, all 40 frames were stitched together in Adobe Photoshop to create the seamless, wide-field view of the Milky Way arching above the canyon walls.

Clear nights in Arches National Park are unforgettable, and capturing the Milky Way above these towering red-rock cliffs remains one of my favorite astrophotography experiences.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Pelican Nebula Astrophotography (IC5070 and IC5067)

“A wonderful bird is the Pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belly can.
He can hold in his beak
Enough food for a week!
But I'll be darned if I know how the hellican?”

— Dixon Lanier Merritt

This is one of my favorite deep-sky objects because it actually looks like its name. The Pelican Nebula truly resembles the outline of a real pelican — especially in hydrogen-alpha rich astrophotos.

This image was taken without a telescope using:
Canon 60Da • EF200mm f/2.8L II USM • f/4 • ISO 6400
iOptron SkyTracker • DeepSkyStacker • 144 frames × 20 sec

The Canon 60Da has enhanced sensitivity to H-alpha, which is perfect for capturing emission nebulae like this one.

Pelican Nebula IC5070 and IC5067 captured with Canon 60Da and 200mm lens.

Pelican Nebula Astrophotography IC5070 and IC5067

Yes — it really does look like a pelican! Compare it with the real bird below:

Pelican

Below is a smaller set of exposures — 29 frames × 20 sec — using the same Canon 60Da and 200mm lens:

Pelican Nebula Canon60Da iOptron SkyTracker EF200mm f2.8 L II USM_Astrophotography

The Pelican Nebula is part of a large star-forming region in the constellation Cygnus, located next to the famous North America Nebula. You can see both together — along with the bright star Deneb — in the wide-field image below:

North America Nebula, Pelican Nebula, and Deneb captured in deep sky astrophotography with Canon 60Da

Northern America nebula and Pelican Nebula and Deneb Star

Finally, here is a collage showing:

Milky Way wide-field pointing to the nebula’s location,
my detailed Pelican Nebula image,
and a daytime photo of a real pelican (taken in Puerto Rico).

This makes it much easier for beginners to understand where the nebula is in the sky, how it looks up close, and why astronomers gave it this name.

Collage: Pelican Nebula location, zoomed nebula, and real pelican.

Pelican Nebula, Sky Location Milky Way and real Pelican Collage

The Pelican Nebula is a fantastic target for DSLR astrophotography and a great example of how astronomy and imagination often meet. It also shows one of the biggest advantages of the Canon 60Da: excellent H-alpha sensitivity for emission nebulae.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Meteor or Satellite?

There is story about attempt to make photos of meteors. These photos were done April 13, 2016 about 5 a.m. When I saw first photo I was very happy that I this steak which looks like meteor. Direction on first view was from Perseid radiant and it was very close to Andromeda galaxy

Andromeda galaxy and meteor-satellite steak during Perseid meteor show April 2016 - photo 2

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, ISO-6400, f/3.5, 90 sec.

I found that on previous photo I saw another steak. Fantastic!

Andromeda galaxy and meteor-satellite steak during Perseid meteor show April 2016 - photo 1

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, ISO-6400, f/3.5, 120 sec.

But after that I recognize that both about same location and on the same line, but looks like have opposite directions! I combine both photos in one.

Andromeda galaxy and meteor-satellite steak during Perseid meteor show April 2016 - two photos

Probability that this is one meteor I think about zero. Difference between these two photos about one second and in this case meteor would be very slow. Probability that there are two meteors also very small. Definitely such situation would look very strange.

After that I googled if somebody had before such photos and can explain it. Immediately got idea that it can be Iridium satellite. When I asked this question on astronomy forum http://www.astronomyforum.net/ and immediately received recommendation to check http://www.heavens-above.com/ website for Iridium satellites at this time. Actually it was one at about this time!, but orbit was projected to Orion constellation from my location.

Iridium Flare

So continue to search if this is bright satellite. Havens-above web site also have this data. There were a lot of satellite so I got problem with calibration of EXIF DateTimeOriginal values the photos. I did couple of photos of computer time and http://www.time.gov/ time and compare with DateTimeOriginal. Difference about 1 hour (58 min) looks like camera not using summer time. After that I founded two satellites which most close to this time and orbit.

IRS-P2 Rocket

Cosmos 2292

One actually was in opposite direction (IRS-P2 Rocket) other in right direction and really on very close line and right direction (Cosmos 2292). But my calculation time is 4:57 a.m. - difference about 3 minutes. Probably camera clock not stable or not using start time or it can be other not so bright satellite or something other. Could not prove that these sky steaks is satellite but I believe it is most probable explanation. I added link in my blog to http://www.heavens-above.com/ website – really amazing and very useful data. Hope my story was interesting and help other in such situation

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Long Island Astrophotography - Custer Astronomical Observatory

These photos were done during my trip to Custer Astronomical Observatory. This observatory is oldest Long Island's public astronomical observatory. It was founded in 1927. Photos were done by Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, ISO-6400, 20-30 seconds.

Long Island Astrophotography - Custer Astronomical Observatory - Dome and Radio Telescope

Custer Observatory Radio Telescope and Jupiter - Long Island Astrophotography

Custer Observatory Dome and Big Dipper - Long Island Astrophotography

Susan Mini Observatory inside Custer Observatory - Night Landscape

Silent Sky - Custer Observatory Long Island

Monday, May 9, 2016

Peru Astrophotography

Finally, my dream happens and I was able to see south sky – Southern Cross, Alpha Centauri, Large Magellanic Cloud etc. These photos were done during my trip to Peru, Central Andes, near Inca sacred valley and Cusco city - Chinchero village. I had limited time for astrophotography during shopping time of our women. Altitude is about 3,762 m or 12,339 ft. At such altitude the sky absolutely amazing! You really feel that stars are much closer.

Canon EOS 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, ISO-4000, f/2.8, 30 seconds. on this photo you can see Alpha Centauri which is the closest star to the Sun, just 4.37 light-years. Thinking about next vacation :)

Peru Astrophotography - Milky Way and Alpha Centauri

Canon EOS 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, ISO-4000, f/2.8, 30 seconds. Peru is on South hemisphere and on the photo you can find the south pole (3 1/2 times the distance between Gacrux and Acrux).