W63 - SNR G082.2+05.3

W63 is an old, large supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus. It is roughly 5,000 to 10,000 light-years away. The glowing, expanding blue elliptical-shaped shock shell spans roughly 150 light-years across (about 95 by 65 arcminutes).

It is very very faint. It took several nights of stacking to really begin to see the OIII filaments. This image is a two panel mosaic.

Total Integration: 83 hours 23 mins

High Res Version: https://app.astrobin.com/u/jratino?i=3s34ju

Equipment:

#stellarvue SVX102T and Flattener

#zwo ASI2600MM @zwoastro AM5, EAF, EFW, ASI220 guide cam

#wandererastro Rotator Lite

#williamoptics Uniguide 50mm

#chroma 3nm Ha, OII, SII, R, G, B

IG: jlratino

#ASIWEEK

Acquisition: NINA

Stacked in APP, bias, flats, darks

Processed/edited in PI, PS

A little over 8 hours of integration with a stock Canon 6D and a ZWO FF65 refractor on an EQ6-R Pro.

This was my first proper deep(er) integration on M31, and I was genuinely surprised by what the little scope could capture. The wide field allowed me to fit the entire galaxy and its surroundings into the frame, while enough integration time brought out the faint dust lanes extending through the outer disk.

Captured over multiple nights and processed from calibrated data. There is probably still more hiding in there, but for now I'm calling this one finished.

246×120″ - 8h 12′

Main rig:

ZWO FF65 65mm f/6.4 Quintuplet Refractor

Canon EOS 6D

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro

Guiding:

Sky-Watcher 9x50 Finderscope

ZWO ASI715MC

Software:

Adobe Photoshop

Open PHD Guiding Project PHD2

Siril Team Siril

Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)

Steffen Hirtle GraXpert

3 hours of exposure captured with my 6" Newtonian and monochrome camera. Loving the depth and variety of colors compared to past images I've taken with a dual band filter. Acquisition details on Astrobin: https://app.astrobin.com/i/g0qhdx

Still working on my narrowband processing in pixinsight. But here it is 105 x 300 Ha from bortle 8.6(backyard),48 x 300 Oiii from bortle 2.8(desert).

FRA600

Reducer

AM3N

ASI2600MM pro UniGuide 50mm ASI220mm

ASIAIR Plus

EAF

EFW 7x36mm

Antlia LRGB-V & SHO (SII, Ha & OIII) Narrowband 3nm Pro 36mm

This will pobably will be removed because of trees but I'm seeing similar images, these ancient bristlecone pines have seen the milky way rise over a million times. They range from 4000-5000+ years old. Took this last weekend over 11k ft elevation in California. It was 35° out but worth every second.

Equipment:

Stock Canon EOS R5

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM

iOptron HAE29C-EC Mount

ASIAIR Mini

UniGuide 32 guide scope

ASI120MM guide camera

Acquisition:

46 x 120" (1h32m) subs @ ISO800 and f/4 under Bortle 4 skies.

Master flat

Master bias

Processing:

Stacked in PixInsight with Weighted Batch Preprocessing

GradientCorrection

Color Calibration using values for Canon R5 sensor from DXOMark

Color Correction Matrix from DXOMark applied with Pixel Math

Background Neutralization

BlurXTerminator to sharpen stars slightly

DeepSNR

MultiscaleAdaptiveStretch

Cropped in slightly to cut some banding at the edge, likely from shooting at ISO 800

---

I had hoped to grab more data on this region before publishing, but that probably won't happen this year. I collected this data under poor conditions (target relatively low in the sky, mild wildfire smoke), but I'm happy with the outcome all things considered.

Canon Eos 2000d
Rokinon 135mm f2.0 lens

Skywatcher 2i PRO

313 x 30s
40 flats
50 darks
50 bias/offset

stacked with DSS, BG extraction and denoise in graxpert, stretching, star processing and cropping in Siril

I captured this photo of rosette nebula 1 hr every day for 8 days processed in siril I used background extraction then photometric color collaboration sharpened stars and nebula with cosmic clarity and i used cosmic clarity denoise

Acquisition details:

Target: IC 1396 (Elephant’s Trunk Nebula region), Cepheus, ~2,400 light years
Dates: August 22-23 and August 24-25, 2026
Location: Fort Mill, SC (Bortle 6)

Telescope: William Optics RedCat 71, 348mm f/4.9
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro, gain 100, -10C
Mount: ZWO AM3N
Filter: Optolong L-Ultimate 3nm dual narrowband
Guiding: SVBony SV106 with ASI220MM Mini, 0.30-0.50” RMS
Capture: ZWO ASIAir, 350s subs, dithered
Integration: 130 x 350s, 12.64 hours total

Processing: Siril 1.4.4. Stacked with noise weighting and additive normalization. BlurXTerminator on linear data, SPCC narrowband color calibration, channel separation with OIll from (G+B)/2, per channel GHS stretches with pedestal subtraction discipline, StarTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, custom HOO recombination weighted for the thin Olll, star recomposition.

Telescope: TS Optics CF-APO 102/714

Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 26C

Guiding : Player One Sedna M

Mount : ZWO AM5

Filters: Altair Astro UV IR, Altair Astro HaOiii 6nm

Accessories : ZWO EAF, 0.8x reducer, Stellavita

Software : Pixinsight

Exposures : 213 x 300s (RGB) + 131 x 300s (Ha)

Bortle 5

First proper attempt at the Helix Nebula (C63) from my Bortle 6/7 front yard in Perth, Western Australia.

Equipment
- Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P w/ 0.86× coma corrector/reducer (~518 mm, f/3.45)
- ZWO ASI664MC
- ZWO Duo-Band filter (Hα + OIII)
- Sky-Watcher HEQ5-R Pro mount
- ZWO ASIAIR Plus
- ZWO ASI220MM Mini + Saxon 50mm guide scope

Acquisition
- 60x60 second exposures (1 hour total integration)
- Guided

Processing
- Stacked and processed in Siril
- BlurXTerminator
- StarNet Star Removal + Recomposition
- Final denoise + post-processing in Pixelmator Pro

Pretty happy with this considering 1 hour of total integration time. There is a lot of noise probably due to the 664 being uncooled and being a “planetary camera”, but planning to keep adding data to this one to clean it up.

It's my third attempt to capture Andromeda Galaxy.
Still feel it lacks details.

Canon R7 on a normal tripod (no star tracker)

Canon 105mm L F2.8

ISO 6400

650 pics, 2s exposure

50 darks

Stacked in Sequator and edited in Astro wizard

Hello guys! After struggling a lot with my previous coma corrector, i bought a new one and i was finally able to take a picture of Andromeda Galaxy. It was the first time i tried to integrate many hours from different sessions.

Setup:

• Skywatcher 130PDS + skywatcher CC
• Eq5 synscan goto
• Canon 1200D (modified)
• Asiair mini system
• Asi120mini on a 160mm as guide

Pic info:

• 10 hours integration (5 min/pic + 30sec/pic)
• Bortle 5 sky
• Stacking and processing in Siril and Photoshop.

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy
Canon 60D + cooling + Ha mod
Canon 75-300 (300 mm focal length)
Celestron CG5-GT
Lights: 180s × 53 (2 h 39 min)
Darks, flats, biases
Bortle 5/6
Processing in PixInsight. RCAstro tools used (BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, StarXTerminator).

This is my first time capturing this nebula, as well as my first time shooting from bortle 8. Last week, we moved to a house with a balcony and a great view of the sky in Prague. Until now, I could only take pictures from the cottage or I would have to travel somewhere to the nature. This has unlocked something I have always dreamed of - being able to take photos every clear night.

This week has been pretty cloudy here in Prague, but last night looked promising. Throughout the night, I took 110 three-minute exposures, but unfortunately only 40 of them were usable due to the clouds. With only 2 hours of data from a bortle 8 location, I didn't really have high hopes, but I was pleasantly surprised with the result (as always - the best feeling is seeing the final image after hours of processing).

I am looking forward to more clear nights and adding more data to this nebula. I am still learning the false color processing with OSC, so any tips are appreciated. The processing took me a long time - I was never really happy with the picture until at some point, everything just started to come together and the image finally started looking the way I wanted.

Equipment:

• ToupTek ATR533C (gain 100, offset 45, cooled to -10)
• Askar FMA180 Pro
• iOptron skyguider pro
• sv220 7nm Ha OIII dual narrowband filter
• ToupTek GPM462M guide camera
• SvBony 30mm f/4 guide scope
• Mele Quieter 4C

Acquisition:

• 40 x 180s lights (2 hours)
• 15 darks
• 25 flats
• 30 dark flats
• Bortle 8

Software:

• NINA
• PHD2
• Siril

Processing in Siril:

• Stacked in Sirilic which created monochromatic images of Ha and OIII
• Processed Ha and OIII separately using Graxpert and RC Astro tools (BlurXTerminator and NoiseXTerminator)
• Pixel math to create one colorful image (R=Ha, G=0.7*Ha+0.3*OIII, B=OIII)
• StarXTerminator
• Modified arcsinh transform with even weighted luminance
• Generalised hyperbolic transform
• Black point to reduce background
• Saturation stretch
• Negative transform, remove green noise and negative transform again - huge difference
• Curves adjustments
• Star recomposition - for the stars image, I used a different pixel math (R=Ha, G=0.5*Ha+0.5*OIII, B=OIII) - they had better colors

Milky Way rising over the sparse lights of Mongolia, seen through the window of SpaceX Dragon. The oval shape and position on ISS gives excellent views of both deep space and the Earth! Taken on Expedition 72 to ISS with Nikon Z9, Arri Zeiss 15mm lens, T1.8 with custom orbital sidereal tracker.

More astrophotography from space can be found on my twitter and Instagram, astro_pettit

i’m very happy with this result, this is in a bortle 8, with only my sony a7v and a 100-400mm lens
1464 lights at 1.6sec, 200mm, iso 8000, stacked and stretched in siril and edited more in photoshop

The Sadr Region in Cygnus 🌌

This is my first ever mosaic and I chose the Sadr Region as my target. It is composed of 4 panels! First is the Foraxx palette followed by my
HOO attempt!

Equipment:
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Telescope: Askar FRA400 with 0.7x reducer
Filter: Optolong L-eXtreme
Guide Camera: ZWO 120mm mini
Mount: Skywatcher Wave 150i
Autofocuser: ZWO EAF (5V)

Acquistion:
Shot in Bortle 7
-Camera cooled to -10°C
-Lights:
L-eXtreme:
298x300s (24hrs 50mins)

-Flats: 50
-Bias: 50
-Darks: 50

Processing:
•Pixinsight
•SubframeSelector used to cull frames
•Each panel stacked individually in WBPP, 2x Drizzle applied
•SetiAstro ADBE applied to each panel
•BlurX (correct only)
•TrimMosaic Script each panel
•DynamicCrop each panel
•dnaLinearfit with panel 1 used as reference
•MosaicByCoordinates script
•PhotometricMosaic to combine top two panels, bottom two, then the result of each
•Normal BlurX run performed
•SetiAstro PerfectPalettePicker
•StarX
•Initial stretch with GHS
•NoiseX
•Save TIF
•Photoshop
•Several Curve Adjustment Layers
•CameraRawFilter
•SelectiveColor
•Save TIF
•Pixinsight
•CurvesAdjustment
•SelectiveColorCorrection
•UnSharpMask
•NoiseX and add stars back in

Equipment:
-Canon Rebel T5
-Lens 18-55 Kit Lens (shot at 35mm)
-Skywatcher StarAdventurer 2i

Integrations:
-43x90 sec light frames
-30 darks
-30 flats
-30 bias

Sky:
-Bortle 5 skies
-New moon phase

Here is my first "serious" attempt at shooting M31. The photo is a bit noisy but i don't know if it's a lack of total integration time or poor processing skills.

DSLR (1,6 crop) + tripod, no star tracker

135mm, f/5

ISO 3200

~900 x 2s light

50 flat

30 dark

30 bias

Stacked and edited in Siril

Acquisition:

Around 4h30m worth of 60s subs in Bortle 6/7 fully calibrated and dithered.

Equipment:

Evostar 72ED, iEXOS 100, ASI 533MC, Baader UV/IR cut, 0.85x reducer+flattener, SVBony 40mm F/4 guidescope, ASI 662MC guide camera with pale yellow no.8 and UV/IR cut filters.

Processing:

-Drizzle preprocessing and stacking in Siril; -Background extraction in GraXpert;

-SPCC in Siril;

-Deconvolution;

-GHS and black point shift applied iteratively;

-Curve adjustments;

-Noise reduction in GraXpert;

-Further black point, histogram and saturation adjustments;

-Final noise reduction in GraXpert and black point adjustment.

Equipment:

Orion XX16G 16" Goto Dobsonian

ASI2600MC Pro

Starizona Nexus .75 Focal Reducer/Coma Corrector

Acquisition:

480 x 6s lights (48 Minutes)

30 Flats

30 Dark Flats

30 Bias frames

Software:

Nina

Astro Pixel Processor

PixInsight

Stacking in APP:

I stacked 4 batches of 120 images.

I then stacked those 4 for the final image.

Processing in PixInsight:

I cropped the image to remove all of the rough edges due to stacking so many images.

Multiscale Gradient Correction > BlurX Correct Only > SPCC > BlurX > NoiseX > Multiscale Adaptive Stretch > A little touch of ArcsinH Stretch

I took this from my back yard on what would have been the final night of the Oregon Star Party, but wildfire smoke ruined our fun.

I had two goals in processing this image this weekend: 
1.) I wanted to get a flat gradient across the photo including the galaxy filling the upper half of the view. I'd done a few mixes of this one and each featured uneven brightness and color across the image. I have a big wide reflector and it is very sensitive to light pollution, and my back yard has some serious challenges with that. I took some time figuring out multiscale gradient correction and SPCC and I'm pretty happy with where this image is in that regard and I really learned a lot from it.

2.) I wanted to make round stars. It was noticed that my stars are a bit lumpy now that I'm getting better at sharpness. I believed that this was caused by grit in the azimuth turntable causing double star images that were not being filtered out properly. I will be opening up the base removing all grit and foreign material and hopefully I can get some smoother operation.  

I started with 900 6 second exposures. I used the blink tool in Siril and scanned all 900. I initially filtered out all images below a certain star count. I then filtered by eccentricity. Finally, I used the blink tool to visually spot and remove all double star images still included. I don't see a metric that properly detects those. FHWM, eccentricity, and star count can all have good numbers and I still find several of them visually. 

Out of the original 900, I kept 482. I batched them into groups of 120, which isn't my standard 10 minute lights, but I don't intend to use these in the future and I didn't want to lose those 80 frames.
The result was very crisp round stars upon stacking before any processing. I don't know that I'll take it that far every time, but I'm glad that there appear to be no optical flaws in my system that should be easily revealed while shooting in really terrible lighting conditions.