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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · 25d

Our nearest galactic neighbour, the Andromeda galaxy, isn't really very pretty. Way back when, Apple pulled a satellite galaxy, M110 bottom right, out of its wallpaper for OSX to make everything more aesthetically pleasing. #science #astrophotography #astronomy

Zenithstar 61ii | Altair 26C | CEM70

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · 28d

This is something of a target rich environment for amateur scopes. The Dear Lick Group and Stephan's Quintet from yesterday evening, Oxfordshire, UK

115 x 180s
Altair 26C | Esprit 120 | CEM70
#science #astronomy #astrophotography #skywatcher

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · 29d

Messier 33, from last night

146 x 180s | Altair 26C | Esprit 120 | CEM70
Oxfordshire, UK
#space #astrophotography #astronomy #science

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Sep 1

Cygnus region, with Crescent and Veil nebulae
Somehow managed to get COVID again, but summoned just enough energy to put a regular camera out on the driveway. Feeling better now anyway.

Nikon Z6 + 85mm 1.8S | iOptron SkyTracker
106 x 60s | ISO 800 @f4 | BackyardNikon | PixInsight
#astronomy #space

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Aug 25

NGC 6888 again, from a few weeks back
Details: 174 x 180s | Altair 26C + dual band filter | Esprit 120 | CEM70
#astrophotography #space #astronomy

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Aug 25

NGC 6946 from last night. I've processed it to show up the foreground dust from our own Galaxy. I think that I may still have some internal reflection issues to fix though.
Details: 116 x 180s | Altair 26C | Esprit 120 | CEM70
#astrophotography #space #science #skywatcherusa

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Aug 9

NGC 6888 Crescent Nebula, from southern UK. Still battling guiding issues. The CEM70 mount is not really living up to expectations, it's just too high maintenance. I miss the EQ6R.

10 x 300s | Altair 26C | Skywatcher Esprit 120 + L-Extreme | iOptron CEM 70
#space #astronomy #astrophotography

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Jul 28

Thank you!

Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Jul 27

Sh2-155 Cave Nebula, from southern UK. Good to be back outside with a telescope and camera now that darker skies are here again. Excuse the dust bunnies, my scope needs a clean.

35 x 180s | Altair 26C (IMX571)
Skywatcher Esprit 120 | iOptron CEM 70
#space #pixinsight #astronomy #astrophotography

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Jun 2

Just back from a trip to Rencontres Astronomiques du Printemps 2025 with some good astro-friends. The skies there were so much better than at home. This is around 5 hrs of data on M51 through an Esprit 120. #astronomy #astrophotography #pixinsight #space #skywatcher

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · May 25

Hello Blue Sky, things have been less than sub optimal recenty. My mount died, sent it off, got it back, it's mostly okay. But it's really not great. In this line of work, you absolutely have to track below 1 arc second RMS, half that is better. Currently struggling >.8 RMS. Anyway, reprocessed M106

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Apr 5

NGC 3718, NGC 3729 + HCG 56, from last night (UK)

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Apr 3

I thought it would be interesting to compare last year's Whale Galaxy image with this year's. I'd be interested to know what people think.

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Apr 3

The Whale Galaxy (NGC 4631) and the Hockey Stick Galaxy (NGC 4656/NGC4657), as imaged last night (UK)

93 x 300s
Esprit 120 | Altair 26C | CEM70
NINA | PHD2
#PixInsight #Space #Astronomy #Astrophotography

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Apr 2

Messier 88 and surrounding sky, as imaged last night, UK

72 x 300s | Esprit 120 | Altair 26C
Acquired with NINA | PHD2
Processed in #Pixinsight
#Science #astronomy #space #astrophotography

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Apr 1

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 30

thanks!

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 30

Having another run at M101 now that it's looking as though we may have some clear, moonless nights ahead of us. Here's the first ~8 hours' worth.

157 x 180s | Esprit 120 | Altair 26C | CEM70
#pixinsight #science #astronomy #astrophotography

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 26

Incredible that we've become so far detached from the natural world around us that this even seems like a reasonable idea. It's not a reasonable idea.

Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 25

Thanks! Got autofocus to work last night by adding an outwards backlash value and setting the overshoot parameter, which had the effect of removing the backlash data points from the curve and allowing a perfect hyperbola fit, so all good now

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 25

Messier 63, Sunflower Galaxy, as imaged last night. The data was pretty dreadful, so had to work at this one. I'd love to attempt this one in clearer skies. For example, with the neighbour's garage lights out.
133x180s | Esprit 120 | CEM70 #PixInsight #Astronomy #Astrophotography #Science

Sunflower galaxy, from a back yard in the UK

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 25

Hi Pete, you'll need to use a hashtag #PixInsight IIRC. I created this a while back

Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 19

Thanks! I've been using APT for some time and really like it, however it has crashed out on me a few times and does have a few quirks of its own, so I've been playing with NINA to see what it can do. I really don't like NINA's UI much, and will probably revert to APT. NINA does seem more stable tbh

Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 19

M66, M65 and NGC 3826 aka the Leo Triplet from last night
This data was hard earned as guiding was bad, and I am still getting up to speed with NINA. Still not entirely convinced by any of the autofocus routines.

44 x 5 mins | Altair26C | Skywatcher Esprit120 #astronomy #astrophotography #science

An image of a group of three galaxies in Leo, taken from a back yard

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Roland Gooday @misplacedphotons.bsky.social · Mar 11

Added some more data to my M81/M82 session to try and get a little more IFN. Somewhat challenging to process as I'm in a Bortle 5 area.

13.25hrs x 180s
Esprit 120 | Altair 26C | CEM70
#astrophotography #astronomy #science #pixinsight

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