Gallery

One Target. Four Collaborators. Nearly 58 Hours of Data.
YCAS Astrophotography Collaboration - NGC 2237, the Rosette Nebula

Astrophotography is often thought of as a solitary pursuit-one photographer, one telescope, and one image. The members of the York County Astronomical Society (YCAS) decided to take a different approach.
Four YCAS astrophotographers-Don, Ken, Adam, and Julie-worked together over multiple nights to capture NGC 2237, the Rosette Nebula. Using different telescopes, cameras, mounts, filters, and imaging techniques, the group collected nearly 58 hours of combined data, bringing their individual contributions together to create a single composite image.

The project demonstrates what can be accomplished when astrophotographers combine their equipment, experience, and data toward a common target.

Four Imaging Systems, One Collaborative Project

Don used a William Optics GT71 with a ZWO ASI2600MM Pro monochrome camera, contributing OIII and SII narrowband data.
Equipment:
William Optics GT71
William Optics 50mm UniGuide guide scope
ZWO ASI2600MM Pro main camera
ZWO ASI120MM Mini guide camera
ZWO AM5N mount
ZWO CAA camera angle adjuster
ZWO EFW filter wheel
ZWO EAF electronic focuser
Altair Astro 3 nm SII, Hα, and OIII filters
PixInsight processing

Ken imaged the Rosette using a William Optics WIFD RedCat 91 APO refractor, contributing OIII data to the project.
Equipment:
William Optics WIFD RedCat 91 APO Refractor
Askar 53mm Super ED guide scope
ZWO AM5 harmonic-drive equatorial mount with TC40 tripod
Eagle 6 controller
ZWO EAF electronic focuser
ZWO ASI2600MM Pro primary camera
ZWO ASI220MM Mini guide camera
ZWO CAA camera angle adjuster
ZWO 7-position electronic filter wheel

Adam used an Apertura 75Q with a 0.7× reducer and a ZWO ASI2600MC color camera, contributing Hα data along with color data captured using Color Magic D1/D2 filters.
Equipment:
Apertura 75Q
0.7× reducer
Askar 52mm f/4 Guide Scope
ZWO EAF electronic focuser
ZWO ASI2600MC
ZWO ASI220MM Mini guide camera
Color Magic D1/D2 filters
ZWO AM5 mount

Julie captured Hα data with an Apertura 75Q, 0.7× reducer, and ZWO ASI2600MC, using a ZWO AM3 mount.
Equipment:
Apertura 75Q
0.7× reducer
ZWO EAF electronic focuser
Optlong L-Ehance
ZWO ASI2600MC
ZWO AM3 mount

Combining Different Approaches
The strength of this project came from combining data captured with very different imaging systems. The group brought together Hα, OIII, and SII data from multiple telescopes and cameras, along with color information from the OSC systems.

Don and Ken contributed OIII data, while Don contributed SII, and Adam and Julie supplied Hα data. The resulting datasets provided the full range of wavelengths for a complete image of the Rosette's complex emission structures and gave the group greater flexibility during processing.

To showcase the different paths for processing the group took the collated data and processed the data separately. Allowing each contributor to use all of the data to create the artistic profile they preferred. Whether it be the HOO or SHO each image is truly stunning.
Image Credit: Don

Image Credit: Ken

Image Credit: Adam


Four Contributors. Multiple Setups. One Rosette.
Don ** Ken ** Adam ** Julie
York County Astronomical Society (YCAS)

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YCAS member Adam Love provided this image of an emmission nebula in Cassiopeia. The picture of the Heart Nebula (IC1805) was taken between Dec 24 and Jan 25. Comprising six nights of imagining. Adam used the GTI71 with the ASI 2600MC Astrophotography Camera. Utilizing narrowband filters, Adam captured about 9.5 hours using the Askar D1 (HaOiii) filter and about 9.5 hours using the Asker D2 (S2Oiii) filter. The images were stacked and processed using Pixinsight using the Hubble SHO Pallet.


YCAS member Lydell Nunn has taken some excellent pictures of deep sky objects.

The Leo Triplet of galaxies consists of three galaxies, which lie at an average distance of 35 million light-years from Earth, below the belly of the constellation Leo the lion. NGC 3628 (top-left in the image) is viewed edge-on, while Messier 65 (bottom-right) and Messier 66 (top-right) are tilted towards the Earth. M65 & 66 were discovered by Charles Messier on March 1, 1780; however, his telescope lacked the resolution to detect the dimmest of the trio, NGC 3628. Also known as the Hamburger Galaxy, NGC 3628 was not discovered until April 8, 1784, by William Herschel.

The image was captured from Wallingford-MAK Observatory on February 20, 2021. It consists of 125 2-minute exposures for a total integration time of just over four hours. The data was captured with SGP with pre and postprocessing performed in Pixinsight and Photoshop (watermark). Nexdome Observatory Control: Primaluce Lab Eagle 3S Scope: RASA 8 f/2 Imaging camera: ASI2600 MC Pro Guide scope: ZWO 30mm f/4 Guide camera: ASI 120mm mini Guiding: PHD2 Filter: Optolong L-Pro filter Flat frames: 50 Dark frames: 30 Bias frames: 50 Sky: Bortle ⁵⁄₆ Planetarium: Cartes du Ciel

IC 1396 - The Elephant Trunk Nebula is located 2,400 light-years from the Earth, in the constellation Cepheus.

The image was captured from Wallingford-MAK Observatory over three days in November 2021. It consists of 167 5-minute exposures for a total integration time of just under 14 hours. The data was captured with SGP with pre and postprocessing performed in Pixinsight and Photoshop (watermark). Nexdome Observatory Control: Primaluce Lab Eagle 3S Scope: RASA 8 f/2 Imaging camera: ASI2600 MC Pro Guide scope: ZWO 30mm f/4 Guide camera: ASI 120mm mini Guiding: PHD2 Filter: IDAS NBZ Flat frames: 50 Dark frames: 30 Bias frames: 50 Sky: Bortle ⁵⁄₆ Planetarium: Cartes du Ciel

IC 410 - the Tadpole Nebula and IC 405 - the Flaming Star Nebula. The image is comprised of 90 3-minute exposures. The total integration time is 4.5 hours. Found in the constellation Auriga, the Tadpole is located 12,000 light-years from Earth, and is about 100 light-years across. The Flaming Star nebula is located 1,500 from Earth and approximately five light-years across.

The image was captured with SGP with pre and postprocessing performed in Pixinsight and Photoshop (watermark). Nexdome Observatory Control: Primaluce Lab Eagle 3S Scope: RASA 8 f/2 Imaging camera: ASI2600 MC Pro Guide scope: ZWO 30mm f/4 Guide camera: ASI 120mm mini Guiding: PHD2 Filter: IDAS NBZ Flat frames: 50 Dark frames: 30 Bias frames: 50 Sky: Bortle ⁵⁄₆ Planetarium: Cartes du Ciel

YCAS member Julie is new to astrophotography and has some excellent success with her SeeStar 50 telescope, stacking the (about) 4 hours of images with Siril software and using Starnet to separate the stars. Processed with Siril and Graxpert and combined in Photoshop Elements.

Julie processed the Crab Nebula in Pixinsight, BlurXT and Graxpert, using Starnet for star removal and combined in Photoshop.