Astrophotography
List of Astrophotos
Moon 
NGC 7331 
M4 
M8 
M13 
Another M13
M17 
M20 
M27 
Another M27 
M31 
M51 
M57 
Another M57 
M81 
M95
M104 
Another M104 
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Moon
Moon 
- Date taken: 11/28/98
- Telescope: 80 mm Refractor (400 mm fl, German Eq) with
dust cover on and center cap removed. This makes
an effective aperture of 1.6 inches.
- Exposure Time: 0.04 seconds
- Filters: ND96 (0.13 transmittance) and 80A
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by sharpening.
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NGC 7331 - Galaxy
NGC7331 
- Date taken: 8/7/99 at 00:55
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f3.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 120 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
NGC7331 is an elongated, almost edge on galaxy.
NGC7331 is 10.7 by 4 minutes of arc,
48 million light years distant and magnitude 9.5
Located in Pegasus.
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M4 - Globular Star Cluster
M4 
- Date taken: 7/15/99
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f6.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 20 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other:
Sky conditions were slightly hazy.
M4 is a globular star cluster, 58 light
years in diameter, 10,000 light years distant
and magnitude 5.9. Located in Scorpius.
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M8 - Lagoon Nebula
M8 
- Date taken: 7/15/99
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f6.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 40 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Sky conditions were slightly hazy.
M8 contains an open star cluster (NGC 6530).
M8 is a nebula, 100 light
years in diameter, 4,900 light years distant
and magnitude 5.8. Located in Sagittarius.
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M13 - Globular Star Cluster
M13 
- Date taken: 7/15/99
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f6.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 20 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Sky conditions were slightly hazy.
M13 contains about 500,000 stars.
M13 is a globular star cluster, 100 light
years in diameter, 26,000 light years distant
and magnitude 5.9. Located in Hercules.
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M13 - Globular Star Cluster
M13 
- Date taken: 8/6/99 at 23:52
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f3.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 5 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
M13 contains about 500,000 stars.
M13 is a globular star cluster, 100 light
years in diameter, 26,000 light years distant
and magnitude 5.9. Located in Hercules.
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M17 - Nebula and Star Cluster

M17 
- Date taken: 7/21/01 at 01:42
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f3.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 15 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
Familiar name is Omega or Horseshoe Nebula.
M17 contains about 35 stars scattered over
0.4 degrees.
75 light years in diameter, 5900 light years away.
Magnitude 6.0 Located in Sagittarius.
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M20 - Trifid Nebula
M20 
- Date taken: 8/6/99 at 23:58
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f3.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 60 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
M20 contains an open star cluster with 60 stars.
M20 is 29 by 27 minutes of arc,
2300 light years distant, 30 light years in diameter
and magnitude 6.3.
Located in Sagittarius.
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M27 - Dumbbell Nebula
M27 
- Date taken: 8/6/99 at 23:22
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f3.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 60 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
The Dumbbell formed when a star exploded.
M57 is shaped like a dumbbell, 8 by 4 minutes of arc,
300 light years distant, 1.5 light years in diameter
and magnitude 7.4. The central star has a magnitude of 13.9.
Located in Vulpecula.
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M27 - Dumbbell Nebula
M27 
- Date taken: 6/4/00 at 01:01
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f6.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 60 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
The Dumbbell formed when a star exploded.
M57 is shaped like a dumbbell, 8 by 4 minutes of arc,
300 light years distant, 1.5 light years in diameter
and magnitude 7.4. The central star has a magnitude of 13.9.
Located in Vulpecula.
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M31 - Andromeda Galaxy
M31 
- Date taken: 12/14/98
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f6.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 7.5 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by decreasing brightness.
This photo represents only the central
region of the M31 galaxy.
M31 is an elongated spiral galaxy, 100000 light years
in diameter, 2.9 million light years distant
and magnitude 3.5. Located in Andromeda.
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M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy
M51 
- Date taken: 6/3/00 at 23:52
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (using f3.3 focal length reducer, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 60 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
M51 and it's smaller companion galaxy (NGC 5195) are
approximately 15 million light years distant. M51 is 11 X 7
minutes of arc and magnitude 8. NGC 5195 is
3 X 2 minutes of arc and magnitude 9.5.
Located in Canes Venatici.
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M57 - Ring Nebula
M57 
- Date taken: 8/6/99 at 22:15
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (f10, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 60 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
The Ring Nebula formed when a star exploded.
M57 is elliptal, 74 by 62 seconds of arc,
1400 light years distant, 300 light years in diameter
and magnitude 9. The central star has a magnitude of 14.8.
Located in Lyra.
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M57 - Ring Nebula
M57 
- Date taken: 6/3/00 at 22:15
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (f3.3, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 10 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by adjusting brightness and contrast.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
The Ring Nebula formed when a star exploded.
M57 is elliptal, 74 by 62 seconds of arc,
1400 light years distant, 300 light years in diameter
and magnitude 9. The central star has a magnitude of 14.8.
Located in Lyra.
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M81 - Bode's Nebula
M81 
- Date taken: 4/8/99
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (at f10, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 120 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by decreasing brightness.
Sky conditions were slightly hazy.
M81 is an elongated spiral galaxy, 96000 light years
in diameter, 8.5 million light years distant
and magnitude 6.9. Located in Ursa Major.
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M95
M95 
- Date taken: 4/8/99
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (at f10, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 360 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by decreasing brightness.
A neighbor's mercury lamp caused interference.
A broadband filter may have improved the photo.
Sky conditions were slightly hazy.
M95 is a round galaxy, 80000 light years
in diameter, 29 million light years distant
and magnitude 9.7. Located in Leo.
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M104 - Sombrero Galaxy
M104 
- Date taken: 4/24/99
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (at f10, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 90 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by decreasing brightness.
This photo was taken 8 days after the new
moon. Sky conditions were slightly hazy.
M104 is a spiral galaxy, 143000 light years
in diameter, 41 million light years distant
and magnitude 8.4. Located in Virgo.
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M104 - Sombrero Galaxy
M104 
- Date taken: 6/3/00 at 23:25
- Telescope: Meade LX-200 (at f3.3, alt-az).
- Exposure Time: 60 seconds
- Filters: none
- Camera: Celestron Pixcel 237 CCD
- Other: Photo enhanced by decreasing brightness.
Sky conditions were clear with low humidity.
M104 is a spiral galaxy, 143000 light years
in diameter, 41 million light years distant
and magnitude 8.4. Located in Virgo.