Loran Hughes
@westwoodastro.net
Son of Oregon, gadget junkie, Mac addict, retired USAF NCO (linguist/analyst), and former CTO in the real estate industry (retired^2). Practicing the dark art of astrophotography. http://astrobin.com/users/lthughes/
Andromeda's maelstrom! Imaged over three nights in September from the driveway. Image details are on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/w0aubd. #astrophotography #astronomy
November 18, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Andromeda's maelstrom! Imaged over three nights in September from the driveway. Image details are on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/w0aubd. #astrophotography #astronomy
The Pacman nebula (NGC 281), some 9500 LY from the center of my driveway. This was imaged with an 8" Celestron RASA and ZWO ASI2600MC camera with a dual narrowband filter. #astrophotography #astronomy
October 6, 2025 at 10:52 PM
The Pacman nebula (NGC 281), some 9500 LY from the center of my driveway. This was imaged with an 8" Celestron RASA and ZWO ASI2600MC camera with a dual narrowband filter. #astrophotography #astronomy
I've got the William Optics GT-81 out this week. This scope never fails to deliver incredible views! #astrophotography #astronomy
September 26, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I've got the William Optics GT-81 out this week. This scope never fails to deliver incredible views! #astrophotography #astronomy
My #astrophotography complaint about smoke on Twitter (remember that thing?) a few years ago was used in research on Wildfires.
To Fight Wildfires, Look to Social Media, UMD Researcher Says
Research Changes Lives: AI-Based Crowdsourcing, Analysis of Posts Can Aid Emergency Response
today.umd.edu
July 30, 2025 at 5:38 PM
My #astrophotography complaint about smoke on Twitter (remember that thing?) a few years ago was used in research on Wildfires.
Them: You don't need to double-stack a Daystar Quark solar filter. Me: A Quark double-stacked with a Lunt LS40F filter. I designed and 3D printed a couple of adapters. The ZWO ADC tames Newton's rings like magic. This project created many cloudy days in the PNW! #astrophotography #astronomy
June 21, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Them: You don't need to double-stack a Daystar Quark solar filter. Me: A Quark double-stacked with a Lunt LS40F filter. I designed and 3D printed a couple of adapters. The ZWO ADC tames Newton's rings like magic. This project created many cloudy days in the PNW! #astrophotography #astronomy
NGC 6503, a dwarf spiral galaxy that lies 18 million light years distant in the constellation Draco and on the edge of the Local Void. Imaged with my 11" SCT over two nights this month. Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/au7oe5. #astrophotography #astronomy
June 12, 2025 at 3:17 PM
NGC 6503, a dwarf spiral galaxy that lies 18 million light years distant in the constellation Draco and on the edge of the Local Void. Imaged with my 11" SCT over two nights this month. Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/au7oe5. #astrophotography #astronomy
Spiral galaxy NGC 6015 in Draco, about 60 million light years from the center of my driveway. This is the result of nearly 12.5 hours of imaging over 3 nights in June. Image details are on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/lcolg9. #astrophotography #astronomy
June 10, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Spiral galaxy NGC 6015 in Draco, about 60 million light years from the center of my driveway. This is the result of nearly 12.5 hours of imaging over 3 nights in June. Image details are on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/lcolg9. #astrophotography #astronomy
The Draco Triplet, in the constellation (you guessed it) Draco! The spiral galaxy at the top (NGC 5986) is about a third larger than our Milky Way and 140 million light years distant! Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/jccmmy #astrophotography #astronomy
June 8, 2025 at 10:38 PM
The Draco Triplet, in the constellation (you guessed it) Draco! The spiral galaxy at the top (NGC 5986) is about a third larger than our Milky Way and 140 million light years distant! Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/jccmmy #astrophotography #astronomy
Having some renovations done on the house and and getting my #astrophotography fix is taxing on my old body. Late nights with the scope and early mornings with the contractor.
June 6, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Having some renovations done on the house and and getting my #astrophotography fix is taxing on my old body. Late nights with the scope and early mornings with the contractor.
This is how the galaxy group Hickson 44 looked some 80 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Photons collected with my RASA in 2020 and reprocessed this week! #astrophotography
May 31, 2025 at 7:08 PM
This is how the galaxy group Hickson 44 looked some 80 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Photons collected with my RASA in 2020 and reprocessed this week! #astrophotography
Reposted by Loran Hughes
Star #Lines
This photo is a stack of hundreds of shots over 2 hours, revealing Earth's rotation.
Each star shows its spectral color, forming a palette dancing around Polaris, the near-static star near the celestial pole.
#blueskyartshow #circumpolar
This photo is a stack of hundreds of shots over 2 hours, revealing Earth's rotation.
Each star shows its spectral color, forming a palette dancing around Polaris, the near-static star near the celestial pole.
#blueskyartshow #circumpolar
May 10, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Star #Lines
This photo is a stack of hundreds of shots over 2 hours, revealing Earth's rotation.
Each star shows its spectral color, forming a palette dancing around Polaris, the near-static star near the celestial pole.
#blueskyartshow #circumpolar
This photo is a stack of hundreds of shots over 2 hours, revealing Earth's rotation.
Each star shows its spectral color, forming a palette dancing around Polaris, the near-static star near the celestial pole.
#blueskyartshow #circumpolar
The morning after the night before. Clouds have moved in, so I get a few nights off. #astrophotography
May 8, 2025 at 12:55 AM
The morning after the night before. Clouds have moved in, so I get a few nights off. #astrophotography
Arp 104, Keenan's system in Ursa Major. A bridge of galactic material spans between the two galaxies as they interact. I had to dodge clouds for 3 nights to get this shot! Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/3hnqng. #astrophotography #astronomy
May 7, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Arp 104, Keenan's system in Ursa Major. A bridge of galactic material spans between the two galaxies as they interact. I had to dodge clouds for 3 nights to get this shot! Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/3hnqng. #astrophotography #astronomy
Messier 63, the Sunflower galaxy. Data from last year was combined with my imaging sessions from this spring to bump this to over 19 hours of total integration time from the driveway. Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/ql3yos. #astrophotography #astronomy
May 3, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Messier 63, the Sunflower galaxy. Data from last year was combined with my imaging sessions from this spring to bump this to over 19 hours of total integration time from the driveway. Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/ql3yos. #astrophotography #astronomy
The Eyes Galaxies in Markarian's Chain, approximately 52 million light years from Earth. NGC 4438's distortions are due to past interactions with other galaxies, likely NGC 4435 & M86. Image details on my Astrobin site at app.astrobin.com/i/enzh4a. #astrophotography #astronomy
April 24, 2025 at 10:20 PM
The Eyes Galaxies in Markarian's Chain, approximately 52 million light years from Earth. NGC 4438's distortions are due to past interactions with other galaxies, likely NGC 4435 & M86. Image details on my Astrobin site at app.astrobin.com/i/enzh4a. #astrophotography #astronomy
The Whirlpool galaxy (Messier 51), about 31 million light years from the center of my driveway. Total integration time was nearly 14.5 hrs in LRGB. Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/02phmv. #astrophotography #astronomy
April 22, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The Whirlpool galaxy (Messier 51), about 31 million light years from the center of my driveway. Total integration time was nearly 14.5 hrs in LRGB. Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/02phmv. #astrophotography #astronomy
Reposted by Loran Hughes
IC 2574 Coddington’s Nebula captured from my patio on four nights in early March 😊🔭
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 18 hours in LRGB and 10 hours in Ha to enhance the star forming regions. Processing this irregular dwarf galaxy was challenging!
#Astrophotography
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 18 hours in LRGB and 10 hours in Ha to enhance the star forming regions. Processing this irregular dwarf galaxy was challenging!
#Astrophotography
April 21, 2025 at 7:51 PM
IC 2574 Coddington’s Nebula captured from my patio on four nights in early March 😊🔭
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 18 hours in LRGB and 10 hours in Ha to enhance the star forming regions. Processing this irregular dwarf galaxy was challenging!
#Astrophotography
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 18 hours in LRGB and 10 hours in Ha to enhance the star forming regions. Processing this irregular dwarf galaxy was challenging!
#Astrophotography
642 - the number of galaxies in this image of the Markarian's Chain neighborhood! Imaged from the driveway last week with the William Optics GT-81 refractor. More image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/1lkrwb. #astrophotography #astronomy
April 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM
642 - the number of galaxies in this image of the Markarian's Chain neighborhood! Imaged from the driveway last week with the William Optics GT-81 refractor. More image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/1lkrwb. #astrophotography #astronomy
The Needle galaxy (NGC 4565), a beautiful edge-on spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices. Imaged with my 11-inch Celestron SCT last night from the driveway. Image details are on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/ubhujj. #astrophotography #astronomy
April 17, 2025 at 12:41 AM
The Needle galaxy (NGC 4565), a beautiful edge-on spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices. Imaged with my 11-inch Celestron SCT last night from the driveway. Image details are on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/ubhujj. #astrophotography #astronomy
Since this is the current ChatGPT rage, here's my contribution. Not sure what's up with the groin-level telescopes, But with three clear nights starting this weekend, I'm obviously happy. #Astrophotography
April 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Since this is the current ChatGPT rage, here's my contribution. Not sure what's up with the groin-level telescopes, But with three clear nights starting this weekend, I'm obviously happy. #Astrophotography
I've been a bit under the weather this week and it was cloudy last night, so I skipped the lunar eclipse. Here's something from the archive instead. Messier 1, the Crab nebula. Imaged in narrowband from the driveway with the 8" EdgeHD in Jan & Dec 2022. #astrophotography #astronomy
March 14, 2025 at 2:09 PM
I've been a bit under the weather this week and it was cloudy last night, so I skipped the lunar eclipse. Here's something from the archive instead. Messier 1, the Crab nebula. Imaged in narrowband from the driveway with the 8" EdgeHD in Jan & Dec 2022. #astrophotography #astronomy
Reposted by Loran Hughes
The Rice Hat Nebula on the left is a verrrrry faint supernova remnant. It was hard to pull out even with my fast (f/3.3) scope in the Bortle 1'ish skies of SW New Mexico and over 34 hours of exposure time. But...here it is. #astrophotography #photography
March 4, 2025 at 9:31 PM
The Rice Hat Nebula on the left is a verrrrry faint supernova remnant. It was hard to pull out even with my fast (f/3.3) scope in the Bortle 1'ish skies of SW New Mexico and over 34 hours of exposure time. But...here it is. #astrophotography #photography
The galaxy Messier 96, 31 million light years from our solar system in the constellation Leo. Imaged during our late February "false spring." More rain & snow incoming! Image details on my Astrobin page at astrob.in/rmlk70/0/. #astrophotography #astronomy
March 2, 2025 at 12:52 AM
The galaxy Messier 96, 31 million light years from our solar system in the constellation Leo. Imaged during our late February "false spring." More rain & snow incoming! Image details on my Astrobin page at astrob.in/rmlk70/0/. #astrophotography #astronomy
Reposted by Loran Hughes
NGC 1491 The Fossil Footprint Nebula captured from my patio in November last year 😊🔭
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 20 hours in mono with Ha and OIII narrowband filters and LRGB filters for the stars.
#Astrophotography
@kat-astro-bot.bsky.social
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 20 hours in mono with Ha and OIII narrowband filters and LRGB filters for the stars.
#Astrophotography
@kat-astro-bot.bsky.social
February 26, 2025 at 6:57 PM
NGC 1491 The Fossil Footprint Nebula captured from my patio in November last year 😊🔭
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 20 hours in mono with Ha and OIII narrowband filters and LRGB filters for the stars.
#Astrophotography
@kat-astro-bot.bsky.social
It was shot on the EdgeHD 8 for a total integration time of about 20 hours in mono with Ha and OIII narrowband filters and LRGB filters for the stars.
#Astrophotography
@kat-astro-bot.bsky.social