Chris Curtis Web Site

Tuesday 29 March 2011

ten galaxies and a quasar

Filed under: Photography and Art,Science — Chris Curtis @ 21:14

ten galaxies and a quasar, originally uploaded by ThinkingCamera.

This is not a pretty picture, but it is mind-blowing. For a quick exposure, in a hazy, very light polluted sky from a suburban back garden not one, but ten galaxies and the tiny dot of a Quasar (certainly visible on the original, but not necessarily surviving the transfer process for you to see – look where the two lines intersect.
The galaxies are many millions of light years away in the direction of Virgo. The Quasar is billions of light years away – by far the farthest object I have imaged and farther away than I can possibly imagine.
15 x 40s exposures. Atik 320e camera on CPC800 Hyperstar (f2) telescope.

Sunday 27 March 2011

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-03-27

Filed under: General — Chris Curtis @ 00:00

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Tuesday 22 March 2011

Whirlpool Galaxy

Filed under: Photography and Art,Science — Chris Curtis @ 09:15
 

Whirlpool Galaxy, originally uploaded by ThinkingCamera.

M51 – I am quite pleased with this for a “quick and dirty” capture and process.
25 x 40s exposures on Atik 320e colour camera, CPC 800 Hyperstar (f2) telescope. Light pollution and rising moon!

Sunday 20 March 2011

IC361

Filed under: Photography and Art,Science — Chris Curtis @ 13:27

IC361, originally uploaded by ThinkingCamera.

IC361 – a cluster in Camelopardalis.
I like this cluster with its swarsm of 15-18th magnitude stars. Their relative dimness and reddish/yellowish colour is due to clouds of dust between us and them.

Monday 7 March 2011

M46

Filed under: Photography and Art,Science — Chris Curtis @ 22:57

M46, originally uploaded by ThinkingCamera.

M46 is a star cluster in the constellation Puppis (not too far from Orion). It is a pretty cluster of around 200 stars around 5,300 light years away. It appears to contain a small planetary nebula (NGC2438) – a cloud of gas and dust around a dying star. There is some debate about whether this is part of the cluster or simply in our line of sight.
This cluster was only about 28 degrees above our horizon (very low) so I am particularly pleased with this image.
15 x 20 second exposures. Atik 320e camera. CPC800 telescope with Hyperstar.

Sunday 6 March 2011

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-03-06

Filed under: General — Chris Curtis @ 00:00
  • Watched the ISS space station go over while on my run. Very bright and beautiful. #

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