Final Process - NGC7000 3x3 Mosaic (Ha Only)

This is the largest mosaic I ever done - the size of the final image is 8489 × 6123.

NGC7000 is a large target and took me 15 nights (48hr) to collect enough data from my Fremont backyard. Required 3x3 mosaic to cover this...

Detail and large image at https://www.astrobin.com/364311

48-Hour NGC-1499 - Ha Only

Have been a long time since the last post.
Here is the final image of this large target. Pretty happy with the result !!

https://www.astrobin.com/325875

Single 30min O3 (@ 2017 CalStar Star Party) sub for Squid Nebula

I can barely see a shape here...

Very tough target. I will target on this next year !

Bubble Nebula & M52 - Image at 2017 CalStar Star Party

Finally a quick process of the image we took (Adrian and me).

This is the final HaRGB

Detail:  http://www.astrobin.com/315327/

30min x 14 Ha

10min x 12 RGB

2017 New Year Project -- "Portable Observatory"

Want to do something like this for a long long time. Having two young kids really limits my go-out-to-do-imaging time. People said having a semi-permanent setup is the next best thing to an observatory. So I pull the trigger... !!

I really should do this earlier !!!

Take me 5 min to setup and 5 min to tear down.

Although I have very limited sky in my backyard, I think I am going get a lot of subs this year.

365 cover ...

Very limited sky ...

First light -- Thor's Helmet Nebula - Ha 30min x 3 and the target is blocked by the tree...

 Second light -- Rosette Nebula -- Ha 30min x 7 ...

7/4/2016 BLM - Imaging Veil Ha 4hr

Consider this is my first official night out to image with my CCD. Joined 3 other friends and do an all nigh imaging. The image above is not fully processed yet, will need more NB data. 12 sub, 1200sec each with 7nm Ha filter.

BLM is kind of in the middle of nowhere ...

A couple images of our setups...

There are some bullets on the ground... kind of scary...

Still learning SGP

Jing Wee took several very amazing Milky Way images for me !!

6/5/2016 - First Saturn Image

Seeing was no good and most of my AP friends are at BLM imaging deep sky objects... :-(

I was too tired from the camping trip (company offsite event) so decide to just do something in my front yard. Even feel too tired to move the setup to the backyard !

 Never image Saturn before so still learning...

Second try on Jupiter + New ASI224 Camera

Got an used ZWO ASI224 camera for planetary imaging.
Finally decided not to use DSLR for this job.

My friends weChat me said the seeing is excellent on 4/1 (I thought it was a April Fool joke) so I only setup the quick one.

The second day (4/2) I setup my 10" to try on Jupiter.

Borrow a 5x Powermate from a friend and get the scope to F25.
Man, it so painful to find the target as I didn't use GoTo.

New on Firecapture too...

 Install a poor-man electric focuser too.

This is the focuser looks like ...

Finally give my small refractor another try. Still cannot get to focus with 5x Powermate...

Add caption

The result is still no good but I think I am getting there... ;-)

M33 (2015/09) @ DARC

This is the first AP image that I felt happy to share. ;-)

This is also my first time do image for a whole night !

I met a few new friends from China who also live at Bay Area. They have a "secret" site where is 2 hour away. We chat on "WeChat" for a while and I decide to give that site a try.

PS: https://blackdragon72.wordpress.com/ this is one of the guy's blog. Very cool.

2hr drive is not much and the site is pretty dark.

It is very close the the D.A.R.C observatory (http://www.deepskycolors.com/locations_DARC.html) and kind of a semi-public place.

At 2015/Sept/19, I arrived at about 7pm and quickly setup the gears and meet the new friends in person. Although I got the CCD at time but that's too new to me, I decide to use DSRL on this one.

Total 40 subs and 480sec each.

Detail: http://www.astrobin.com/212993/B/

OTA is Takahashi FSQ-85 (without reducer).

Mount is Astro-Physics Mach1

Camera is Canon T3i mod

I really like the site !!

It is dark, clean, and convenient.

We have 4 scopes that night.

This is DARC observatory... (http://www.deepskycolors.com/locations_DARC.html)