11
OCT
2026

The Wizard Nebula

I had to try some narrowband imaging with some newly acquired 1.25″ HSO filter set, despite not having a monochrome camera. The wizard nebula in Cepheus was the perfect test for the new setup. Image details: HOO colour palette with 2 hours of Ha (40 x 180 seconds) plus 5.5...
04
OCT
2026

Saturn at opposition

A clear night and a ridge of high pressure is a rare event in England. I made the most of the above average seeing conditions, with Jupiter just 1 day from opposition. Despite being severly undermounted on my AstroTrac TT320X-AG unguided star tracker, I was itching to try my...
29
SEP
2026

The crescent under a full moon

Being aflicted with a case of GAS for astro equipment, I splashed out on a new dedicated DSO cooled astro camera, the Touptek ATR 585c. With clear skies, I didn’t let the full ,moon put me off testing out the new setup. Using the trusty Optolong L-eNhance dual narrowband...
05
SEP
2026

Our nearest star

The buzz from the recent total solar eclipse plus a nudge from an enthusiastic friend gave me the bug for imaging once again. Image details: Taken 7th September 2026 at 11am with Coronado PST 400mm / f10 H-alpha telescope. ToupTek G3M 678M monochrome camera – 1000 frames...
23
OCT
2024

Capturing the king of the planets

I picked up a second hand Sky-Watcher Skymax 102 telescope recently on Astro buy and Sell website. I figured the 1300 mm focal length would allow me to try my hand at some planetary, lunar and solar imaging using the ZWO ASI120MM-S guide camera. A clear night with a high pressure...
17
OCT
2024

Comet Atlas in the evening

Finally a break in the clouds gave me the chance to capture comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) this evening. It was barely visible to the naked eye, but a nice sight in my 7×50 binoculars. Despite the low altitude and the glare from a full moon, the stack reveals the tail...
12
OCT
2024

Chasing the lights

I was out at dusk training for an upcoming marathon when I noticed the a big auroral display filling the sky. Pillars of reds and green were clearly visible, despite the glow form the setting sun. With 5k still to run, I set off as fast as I could to get back home and grab the...