Dave
@photonphanatic.bsky.social
I shoot astrophotographs for fun. Retired/recovering engineer. Husband, dad, stepdad, granddad, bird dad, snowbird.
Another new wide-field image from the past few clear nights. The Heart and Soul nebulae (IC1805 and IC1848), captured in narrowband and processed in the Hubble palette, with RGB stars. About 17 hours of integration.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
November 13, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Another new wide-field image from the past few clear nights. The Heart and Soul nebulae (IC1805 and IC1848), captured in narrowband and processed in the Hubble palette, with RGB stars. About 17 hours of integration.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
The North American Nebula (NGC 7000) and the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) captured in a wide field image, shot at 260mm FL with a SW Esprit 80ED f/5 refractor reduced to f/3.25 with a Starizona Apex ED-S reducer. Hubble palette with RGB stars. About 10 hours of integration total.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
November 12, 2025 at 3:46 AM
The North American Nebula (NGC 7000) and the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) captured in a wide field image, shot at 260mm FL with a SW Esprit 80ED f/5 refractor reduced to f/3.25 with a Starizona Apex ED-S reducer. Hubble palette with RGB stars. About 10 hours of integration total.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
The last few years we've been wintering in our 5th wheel in AZ, and I always drag along some travel-friendly imaging gear. In previous years the gear I've brought along as not met expectations. Not so this year. This hardware has exceeded my expectations (1/4):
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
November 10, 2025 at 2:28 AM
The last few years we've been wintering in our 5th wheel in AZ, and I always drag along some travel-friendly imaging gear. In previous years the gear I've brought along as not met expectations. Not so this year. This hardware has exceeded my expectations (1/4):
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
This is what I get almost immediately when I follow back indiscriminately on Bluesky. All bots, no doubt. (Yes, I knew they were bots when I followed them back.)
May 30, 2025 at 6:21 PM
This is what I get almost immediately when I follow back indiscriminately on Bluesky. All bots, no doubt. (Yes, I knew they were bots when I followed them back.)
Another image I processed using Telescope Live's data. This is M66, a galaxy about 31Mly distant, shot with a 27.5" scope. I processed this using PixInsight and Affinity Photo. More on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/076cr4
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
April 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Another image I processed using Telescope Live's data. This is M66, a galaxy about 31Mly distant, shot with a 27.5" scope. I processed this using PixInsight and Affinity Photo. More on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/076cr4
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
Another image using data from Telescope Live, processed by me using PixInsight and Affinity Photo. The Fighting Dragons of Ara--too far south to shoot myself. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/v5081t
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
April 19, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Another image using data from Telescope Live, processed by me using PixInsight and Affinity Photo. The Fighting Dragons of Ara--too far south to shoot myself. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/v5081t
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
NGC 253, The Sculptor Galaxy. Too far south for me to shoot myself so this data is from Telescope Live, processed by me with PixInsight and Affinity Photo. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/tnmpnm
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
April 18, 2025 at 1:33 PM
NGC 253, The Sculptor Galaxy. Too far south for me to shoot myself so this data is from Telescope Live, processed by me with PixInsight and Affinity Photo. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/tnmpnm
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
This one's too far south for me to shoot myself. The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, data from Telescope Live in Chile (24" scope!), processed by me in PixInsight. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/u/PhotonPhan...
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
April 11, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This one's too far south for me to shoot myself. The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, data from Telescope Live in Chile (24" scope!), processed by me in PixInsight. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/u/PhotonPhan...
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
The Dolphin Nebula (SH2-308). I used data from Telescope Live's observatory (20" telescope!) in Chile to create this image in HOO. Would like to shoot this myself someday, but it's tough to shoot where we are right now. More on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/u/PhotonPhan...
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
April 6, 2025 at 8:24 PM
The Dolphin Nebula (SH2-308). I used data from Telescope Live's observatory (20" telescope!) in Chile to create this image in HOO. Would like to shoot this myself someday, but it's tough to shoot where we are right now. More on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/u/PhotonPhan...
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
Old data, new image. M 51, shot in Apr 2023. This time I added the H-alpha data I originally shot but never used. Less than 3 hours on this target, barely does it justice. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/e10t0a?r=D
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
April 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Old data, new image. M 51, shot in Apr 2023. This time I added the H-alpha data I originally shot but never used. Less than 3 hours on this target, barely does it justice. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/e10t0a?r=D
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
Another new image from old data. Shot in March 2022. Bode's Galaxy (M 81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M 82). Shot with a color camera through my 100-mm f/5.5 refractor. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com?i=f7osza
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
April 5, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Another new image from old data. Shot in March 2022. Bode's Galaxy (M 81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M 82). Shot with a color camera through my 100-mm f/5.5 refractor. More info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com?i=f7osza
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
More old data, this time from June 2023. The Sunflower Galaxy (M 63), shot with a color camera through my C8. About 4 hours of exposures. Could have used more time on target.
Technical info on this image can be found on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/zy3dzq?r=B
#Astrophotography
Technical info on this image can be found on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/zy3dzq?r=B
#Astrophotography
March 31, 2025 at 10:30 PM
More old data, this time from June 2023. The Sunflower Galaxy (M 63), shot with a color camera through my C8. About 4 hours of exposures. Could have used more time on target.
Technical info on this image can be found on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/zy3dzq?r=B
#Astrophotography
Technical info on this image can be found on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/zy3dzq?r=B
#Astrophotography
Recycling data from a year and a half ago. NGC 7331, this time with H-alpha added. Shot with my C8 in LRGB + Ha. More tech info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/xi9ffk?r=B
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
March 31, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Recycling data from a year and a half ago. NGC 7331, this time with H-alpha added. Shot with my C8 in LRGB + Ha. More tech info on Astrobin: app.astrobin.com/i/xi9ffk?r=B
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
In between shooting astro images I've been dabbling in silversmithing. Today I finished this silver ring with chrysocolla stone and inlay. The local rock and gem club has a nice metal shop for doing this kind of stuff. Maybe for my next project I'll figure out something astronomy-themed.
February 6, 2025 at 2:34 AM
In between shooting astro images I've been dabbling in silversmithing. Today I finished this silver ring with chrysocolla stone and inlay. The local rock and gem club has a nice metal shop for doing this kind of stuff. Maybe for my next project I'll figure out something astronomy-themed.
Image from last night's first light for the new SW Wave 150i mount. Adding more data tonight. Shot using a SW Esprit 80ED f/5 refractor and ASI2600MM Pro camera. SHO with RGB stars. #astrophotography
January 31, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Image from last night's first light for the new SW Wave 150i mount. Adding more data tonight. Shot using a SW Esprit 80ED f/5 refractor and ASI2600MM Pro camera. SHO with RGB stars. #astrophotography
First night with the new SW Wave 150i strain wave mount. Changed a few guiding settings and getting 0.6 - 0.7" guiding with an OAG through my 80mm f/5 refractor. Pretty pleased so far. Shooting the Rosette. First sub in H-alpha. #astrophotography
January 30, 2025 at 4:33 AM
First night with the new SW Wave 150i strain wave mount. Changed a few guiding settings and getting 0.6 - 0.7" guiding with an OAG through my 80mm f/5 refractor. Pretty pleased so far. Shooting the Rosette. First sub in H-alpha. #astrophotography
My iOptron GEM28 mount has been chronically flakey--sometimes it works great, sometimes it's cantankerous. I decided to try one of the new strain wave mounts--a Sky-Watcher Wave 150i. Seems like a nice piece of hardware. Hoping to try it out sometime in the next few nights. #astrophotography
January 28, 2025 at 4:24 AM
My iOptron GEM28 mount has been chronically flakey--sometimes it works great, sometimes it's cantankerous. I decided to try one of the new strain wave mounts--a Sky-Watcher Wave 150i. Seems like a nice piece of hardware. Hoping to try it out sometime in the next few nights. #astrophotography
I reshot the Jellyfish a few nights ago with my relatively new ASI2600MM Pro camera and SW Esprit 80ED refractor. One of my favorite targets. Shot in narrowband (Hubble palette) with RGB stars. More info on Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/qtxzxf/
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
January 21, 2025 at 12:45 AM
I reshot the Jellyfish a few nights ago with my relatively new ASI2600MM Pro camera and SW Esprit 80ED refractor. One of my favorite targets. Shot in narrowband (Hubble palette) with RGB stars. More info on Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/qtxzxf/
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
Time to shoot again. Familiar target, but with newer equipment. The Jellyfish, but this time with a 400mm FL refractor and ASI2600MM Pro camera on an iOptron GEM28 mount. Nice compact setup for shooting while traveling in the RV. Shooting narrowband, but RGB first for the stars. #astrophotography
January 19, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Time to shoot again. Familiar target, but with newer equipment. The Jellyfish, but this time with a 400mm FL refractor and ASI2600MM Pro camera on an iOptron GEM28 mount. Nice compact setup for shooting while traveling in the RV. Shooting narrowband, but RGB first for the stars. #astrophotography
More data recycling. I shot the Lobster Claw (SH2-157) back in Sept 2023 but my original image didn't really have the Hubble-like colors I wanted. This one is much closer. #astrophotography
January 18, 2025 at 4:03 PM
More data recycling. I shot the Lobster Claw (SH2-157) back in Sept 2023 but my original image didn't really have the Hubble-like colors I wanted. This one is much closer. #astrophotography
Another retread. Captured Thor's Helmet (NGC 2359) a year ago--it was lousy data so I was avoiding this redo, but glad I gave it another shot today. #Astrophotography
January 17, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Another retread. Captured Thor's Helmet (NGC 2359) a year ago--it was lousy data so I was avoiding this redo, but glad I gave it another shot today. #Astrophotography
Sunset this evening in Quartzsite, AZ, our refuge from cold and snow for a few months.
January 17, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Sunset this evening in Quartzsite, AZ, our refuge from cold and snow for a few months.
More recycled data, from Dec 2023. The Jellyfish Nebula, in SHO. Reprocessed today using a more refined workflow. #astrophotography
January 16, 2025 at 7:25 PM
More recycled data, from Dec 2023. The Jellyfish Nebula, in SHO. Reprocessed today using a more refined workflow. #astrophotography
More recycled data, and another favorite target. The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237), originally imaged in April 2023 and reprocessed today with a more refined workflow. #Astrophotography
January 13, 2025 at 2:06 AM
More recycled data, and another favorite target. The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237), originally imaged in April 2023 and reprocessed today with a more refined workflow. #Astrophotography
Another redo, using data from Sept 2024. The Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380), narrowband SHO with RGB stars. Another of my favorite targets. #astrophotography
January 12, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Another redo, using data from Sept 2024. The Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380), narrowband SHO with RGB stars. Another of my favorite targets. #astrophotography