Sam

@samwx.bsky.social

257 Followers 227 Following

Senior in HS | Illinois State Scholar | 18 | Iowa State Meteorology after graduation | Photographer | Astrophotographer | Christian | Storm spotter

The propeller nebula in the Hubble palette
NGC 7635 - The Bubble Nebula Due to the poor weather over the last couple months, I only have a bit under one night's worth of data on this object. In the center of the image is the bubble nebula, and in the top right corner is M52, an open star cluster. The bubble nebula is an emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. This nebula was created by the stellar wind from a large and hot star in the center. With more exposure time, much more nebulosity and detail will be pulled out. Enjoy! Details: Bortle 4 Moon illumination: 80% 82x300 sec Darks, flats, bias **6.8 hours of exposure time** CarbonStar 150 with 0.95x corrector ASI533 mc pro, -20℃, gain of 101 Heq5-pro SvBony SV106 guidescope ASI120mm Mini ASIAIR Plus Optolong L-eXtreme Stacked and processed in Pixinsight
Merry Christmas everyone! My latest project was the Christmas tree cluster and cone nebula! Its catalogue designation is NGC 2264, which covers both the christmas tree cluster (majority of the image) and cone nebula (top). This is located about 2,300 light years away in the Monoceros constellation and is about 30 light years across. Details: Bortle 4 Moon illumination: 60-100% 194x300 sec Darks, flats, bias **16 hours of exposure time** CarbonStar 150 with 0.95x corrector ASI533 mc pro, -20℃, gain of 101 Heq5-pro SvBony SV106 guidescope ASI120mm Mini ASIAIR Plus Optolong L-eXtreme Stacked and processed in Pixinsight Higher resolution image: https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/209982/deep_sky/ngc-2264/christmas-tree-cluster-and-cone-nebula/by-sam_tower
Iris Nebula - NGC 7023 In between the clouds, I have managed to image the Iris Nebula! This nebula is a reflection nebula, with the central star illuminating the surrounding dust. It gets its name from its flower-like shape, named after the iris. It is located about 1,300 light years away in the constellation Cepheus. The iris nebula spans about 6 light years across and was discovered back in 1794. Reflection and dark nebulae are some of my favorite things to image and edit, I’ll be doing much more in this region of the sky when the clouds break up and the moon isn’t full. Enjoy! Image details: 307x300sec with uv/ir cut filter **25 hours exposure** Bortle 4 Equipment: CarbonStar 150 with 0.95x corrector ASI533 mc pro, -10℃, gain of 101 Heq5-pro SvBony SV106 guidescope ASI120mm Mini ASIAIR Plus ZWO uv/ir cut Stacked and processed in Pixinsight Higher resolution image: https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/206455/deep_sky/ngc-7023/iris-nebula-ngc-7023/by-sam_tower
My current astrophotography setup! Carbonstar 150 w/ 0.95x corrector Asi533 mc pro EAF Heq5-pro Asiair plus Asi120mm mini Sv106 guidescope Optolong L-eXtreme Zwo uv/ir cut
NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula and surrounding dust In my latest project, I have imaged the Pacman Nebula! This image has a total integration time of just over 24 hours, along with RGB stars, imaged over the course of 3 nights. Also starting to come out in the image is some dust around the nebula! I may go back and do this project in broadband someday to bring it out better. This is roughly 9,200 light-years away from Earth, and has a diameter of 96 light-years. Enjoy! Image details: 219x300sec with the Optolong L-eXtreme 20x300sec uv/ir cut (for stars) **26 hours exposure** Bortle 4 Equipment: CarbonStar 150 with 0.95x corrector ASI533 mc pro, -10℃, gain of 101 Heq5-pro SvBony SV106 guidescope ASI120mm Mini ASIAIR Plus Optolong L-eXtreme ZWO uv/ir cut Stacked and processed in Pixinsight Higher resolution image: https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/206083/deep_sky/ic-11/ngc-281-the-pacman-nebula-and-surrounding-dust/by-sam_tower?gallery_user_id=57298&gallery_order=is_featured
Cygnus wall - 8 hours integration from bortle 4 107x300sec Carbonstar 150 with .95x corrector Asi 533mc pro Optolong L-eXtreme Heq5-pro Asiair plus Asi 120mm mini SVBONY sv106 Guide scope Processed in pixinsight
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS setting over Central Illinois on 10-15-24
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS setting over Central Illinois on 10/13/24