Sadr Region in Cygnus | IC 1318 and Emission Nebula
The Sadr Region in the Cygnus refers to the hydrogen emission nebula surrounding Sadr (Gamma Cygni) in the cross of the constellation Cygnus. In this area of the night sky, you will also find even more deep-sky astrophotography targets such as the Butterfly Nebula (IC 1318), and the Crescent Nebula. Sadr (a supergiant) has 12 times the mass of our Sun and about 150 times our Sun's radius. IC 1318 is considered to be the diffuse emission nebula surrounding Sadr. The image above shows the bright star, Sadr, at the top right of the image. This photo includes 72 x 4-minute exposures using a…
Sadr Star – Intersection of the Northern Cross
Photographing the Sadr Star in Cygnus If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I was poking around in the middle of the constellation Cygnus last weekend, specifically centered on to the extremely bright Sadr star. I really wanted to post a really snazzy wide field photo of this region on this blog, but I was unhappy with my results. I set my mount and telescope up for imaging in the South, at the far edge of my backyard. This spot was a poor location for shooting straight up overhead at the constellation Cygnus for me, as I ran into trees by 1:30 am. The result, only 1 hour…
Astrophotography from a Light Polluted Backyard
Backyard Astrophotography Summer would not be complete without spending a night enjoying the dazzling beauty that is the constellation Sagittarius. The "teapot" asterism just clears my fence to the south of my backyard in central St. Catharines. From my latitude, August is my last chance to image the many star clusters and nebulae that populate this area. Last night, I set out to gather as much light on the Lagoon Nebula and the Trifid Nebula as possible before they dipped below the trees. With the nights being so short at this time of year, it is important to have your astrophotography eq…
Astronomy at Ontario Campgrounds
One of the best ways to enjoy astronomy under a dark sky is to go camping. Campgrounds are usually well away from city light pollution, meaning that you will be able to enjoy many more stars in the sky than you are used to seeing at home. In mid-summer, the sun sets very late at the campgrounds in Ontario, and most campers are settling in for cozy sleep in their sleeping bag. But if you're anything like me, your night is just beginning. Astronomy at Ontario Campgrounds Dark Skies at Ontario Provincial Parks During the summer months, I like to leave my light-polluted backyard in t…
Wizard Nebula through 80mm Telescope
The Wizard Nebula through my 80mm Telescope Clear August Nights More consecutive clear summer nights have allowed me to put in some serious time on the Wizard Nebula! In fact, this is the most amount of exposure time I have put into any object! Over 7 Hours! Truth be told, I would have hopped over to a new subject, but this attractive nebula is in the sweet spot of the sky right now. View an updated image of the Wizard Nebula using my current astrophotography equipment. [caption id="attachment_7268" align="aligncenter" width="650"] The Wizard Nebula using an 80mm Refractor…
