Rework Barnard's Loop Sh2-278

 

Reworking of the Barnard's Loop following protocol:
* Stacking using APP (H-alpha with Sigma 24mm f/1.8 & Optolong L-Pro Nikkor 23mm f/3.5)
* DeNoise AI

* Layer adjust using CS4

* Starnet ++ and adjusting using CS4

* Combining all in CS4

Barnard's Loop SH2-278

 

I used my new (second hand) Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens for the first time. It was foreseen with a dew heater as ambient temperature was about -5°C.

Objective was capturing Barnard's loop with H-alpha filter and ASI2600MC.

This was my 6th session so far of which one failed. 

Polar allignment failed with SharpCap, so no polarallignment was done. With a 300s exposure time, the scope was pretty well alligned :)

Setting:

ASI2600MC with Signma 18-35mm f/1.8 and H-alpha filter (12nm)

Software: SharpCap, APP, CS4 and DeNoise AI

Stacking:

* Session 4: Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.8 H-alpha 23x300s

* Session 5: Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.8 Optolong L-Pro 6x300s

* Session 6: Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 H-alpha 24x300s

Barnard's Loop or Sh 2-276) is an emisson nebula in Orion. It is part of the Orion molucelar cloud complex which also contains the Orion Nebula and Horsehead. The stars within the Orion Nebula are believed to be responsible for ionizing the loop.

The Barnard's Loop is about 1,400 ly away and 360 ly long. The loop is the result of a supernova about 2 million years ago.

Bernard's Loop Sh2-276

After a first session on X-mas day and a failed second session, a third session was completed on December 28.

This third session was a combination of H-alpha and Optolong L-Pro; all of them 300s exposure time.

Using APP, all images are stacked, resulting in a total integration time of 4hours 25minutes.

Bernard's Loop and Sh2-264, Lambda Orionis Ring or Angelfish Nebula is good visible. I'm still doubting on the quality of the images. Hopefully I can add one more session to get up to 6h total integration time. 

Bernard's Loop Sh2-276

Bernard's Loop is identified as Sh2-276. Sh2 is the abrevation of Sharpless, a catalog of 313 H II regions (emission nebulae) published in 1959 by US astronomer Stewart Sharpless. Sh2 is referred to the second and final catalog. Number 276 refers to a H II object, in this case Bernard's Loop.
The image below shows Sh2-276 and Sh2-264, Lambda Orionis Ring or Angelfish Nebula.

Setting: 

Nikkor 24-200mm with ASI2600MC and H-Alpha filter

Exposure: 29x120, 19x180, 4x300 or  total integration time of 2h15min

Software: SharpCap, APP, DeNoise AI, CS4

Eros (433) with M31 & M110

Image of Asteroid Eros (433) with M31 & M110. 

Setting: TLAPO80/480 f/6 with flattener and ASI2600MC
Filter: Optolong L-Pro
Camera temperature: -20,7°C
Exposure time: 39x 57s,
Software: SharpCap, ASTAP, CS4, APP (Stellarium & Skysafari)

The flattener was used but with wrong distance: 93 instead of 123mm.

Asteroid EROS (433) my first blink!

Asteroid EROS (433) is almost in opposition and thus perfect for observation.  I had a clear sky with a tempurature of -4,2°C .

Setting: TLAPO80/480 f/6 with flattener and ASI2600MC

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Camera temperature: -20,7°C

Exposure time: 39x 57s, 

Software: SharpCap, ASTAP, CS4, APP (Stellarium & Skysafari)

Difficulties: connection of mount with Sharpcap was not succesful except for moving the scope. But inaccurate use of goto function and platesolving. It even resulted in miscommunication with the mount. As a result I had to set the synscan back into factory setting. After 3h I was able to make my first image but then I figured out the camera hit the tripod. Once this was solved I made 40 images of which one polluted with an airplane. 

Making sure both Eros and M31 was on my picture, I used stellarium without success. This was resolved with Skysafari.

ASTAP - Astrometric Stacking Program

I'm working my next challenge: making a light curve of a variable star. I was reading an article in magazine Heelal (November 2025 - Review Dwarf3 by Dmonique Dierckx) which explained the making of a curve using the Dwarf3 and ASTAP. So I went searching for more information on this software.

Downlaoding ASTAP was done via this link https://www.hnsky.org/astap.htm

I also downloading the following databases : D80 and V50

ASTAP, Astrometric Stacking Program, is able to stack images; so far I was only able to do this with Fits files. On top of this, it makes annotations, deepsky, asteroids, comets and variable stars.

There is a section Photometry, which calculates the magnitude and compares those with the database. Using color images, ASTAP can extract the green channel which makes values more accurate. 

When analysing the image with M51, two variable stars showed up. I let the software extract the green channel and measuring the magnitude. This data was copied into excel making the curve. 

My first long exposure: M51

 

My first long exposure: total integration time 7h. This was accomplished over two days respectively 4 and 3h.

Setting: TAL200K f/8.5 on EQ8R
Main Camera: ASI2600MC -20°C
Guiding Camera: ASI290MM on 50f/5
Filter: L-Pro Optolong
Exposure: 84x300s
Software: ASIAIR Plus, APP, CS4

Moon and Pleiades

 

Moon and Pleiades.
Set up: TLAPO80/489 f/6 on EQ8 and Nikon D7500

Bracketing and HDR using CS4

Startrail with Star Adventurer 2i

Update Star Adventurer 2i:

After my colleague, Walter, fixed my issue on the bad "snap" connection, I was able to take again some images of the nightsky. 

First I completed the polarallignment; next I opened my app "SA Console" and connected with the mount. I selected Astro-Time Lapse and took 200 images of constellation Orion.

Postprocessing was done with Startrails and CS4.

When looking in detail, the mount is not always very accurate. But I found out I did nog fixed the altitude bold; not sure if this was the cause.

Setting

Nikon D7500 10mm f/4 ISO100 200x30s

Mount Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i

Startrails and CS4

Reworked Milky Way Big Bend

I reworked my images of the Milky Way taken in National Park and Dark Park "Big Bend" in Texas (US). This is a real Bortle 1 location. 

Setting: Nikon D7500 on Sky Adventurer 2i

Lights : 44x60s

Editing: APP Stacking and Mosaic on Stars; APP Stacking and Mosaic no Stars, Light Pollution filter, Combining using CS4

Horsehead and Flame Nebula reworked using Starnet++

I followed a lecture on postprocessing of deepsky images by Astronomy club Altair (Sint-Truiden). The learning I took away was to remove the stars and edit both the nebula and star image seperate. Once completed combine both images again.

I used starnet++ to remove the stars and editing was done using CS4 and DeNoise AI. The result is better as my stars aren't that big any more compared with the nebula.

Millky Way - Study Butte (Texas)

 

Selection of three pictures of the milky way taken in a bortle 1 location in Study Butte (near Big Ben National Park, Texas).
Setting:
Nikon D7500, f/3.5, 10mm, ISO1600, 60s exposure time
Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i on Manfrotto Tripod
Editing unsing CS4

Milky Way - Study Butte Texas

 

Image of Milky Way taken in Study Butte near Big Bend National Park (Texas).
Setting :

Nikon D7500 f/3.5 10mm ISO1600,  60s

Star Adventurer 2i on Manfrotto tripod

Editing : CS4

Horsehead and Flame Nebula

Picture taken on wednesday January 10, 2024 of both Flame (NGC2024) and Horsehead Nebulae (IC434) in constellation Orion. Conditions were good with temperatures between -4.5°C en -6.5°C. This was my first DSO session since June last year. It was also my first DSO session using the Optolong L-Pro filter. It took me more then a hour from installing the mount to taken my first photo. This is beyond the fact that the day before the entire set up was tested inside (dry run). 

Setting: TLAPO80/480 f/6 with ASI2600MC

Guiding : ASI290MM on Guiding scope ZWO Miniscope 30f/4 

Filter : Optolong L-Pro

Lights : 24x300s; Flats (10x0,35s), Darks(5), Bias (5), DarkFlats (10)

Software : SharpCap 4.1 (Poolallignment), Stellarium, N.I.N.A., APP, CS4, Denoise AI