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

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

M4 - Globular Star Cluster

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

M8 - Lagoon Nebula

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

return to List of Astrophotos

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.

Astrophotography

List of Astrophotos

Moon

NGC 7331 - Galaxy

M4 - Globular Star Cluster

M8 - Lagoon Nebula

M13 - Globular Star Cluster

M13 - Globular Star Cluster

M17 - Nebula and Star Cluster

M20 - Trifid Nebula

M27 - Dumbbell Nebula

M27 - Dumbbell Nebula

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy

M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy

M57 - Ring Nebula

M57 - Ring Nebula

M81 - Bode's Nebula

M95

M104 - Sombrero Galaxy

M104 - Sombrero Galaxy

Back to Edmund W. Frick Home Page