Starman-X
@starman-x.bsky.social
Retired geophysicist (PhD) , amateur astronomer, Austin-Healey aficionado and a born curmudgeon who is fond of a functioning democracy. No DMs.
Celestron 9.25" Edge HD, CGX, Hyperstar V4. ASI2600mc pro
B6 light pollution (backyard, urban); A-H 3000 MKIII
Celestron 9.25" Edge HD, CGX, Hyperstar V4. ASI2600mc pro
B6 light pollution (backyard, urban); A-H 3000 MKIII
George Carlin: "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."
Me: "Never underestimate evil and self-serving people in small groups and in positions of power"
We have been in the perfect storm of both of these since 2016.
Me: "Never underestimate evil and self-serving people in small groups and in positions of power"
We have been in the perfect storm of both of these since 2016.
November 14, 2025 at 8:57 PM
George Carlin: "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."
Me: "Never underestimate evil and self-serving people in small groups and in positions of power"
We have been in the perfect storm of both of these since 2016.
Me: "Never underestimate evil and self-serving people in small groups and in positions of power"
We have been in the perfect storm of both of these since 2016.
Credit: Eugene Astronomical Society.
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
November 9, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Credit: Eugene Astronomical Society.
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
NGC891 (Silver Sliver Galaxy) last night, 80% of 160x180s exposures. First test of the new ASI2600mc pro with replacement fan deployed (see prior post). More info on this target here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_891. A definite improvement over those elongate stars I was getting from imbalanced fan.
October 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
NGC891 (Silver Sliver Galaxy) last night, 80% of 160x180s exposures. First test of the new ASI2600mc pro with replacement fan deployed (see prior post). More info on this target here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_891. A definite improvement over those elongate stars I was getting from imbalanced fan.
1/2: PSA: Do you get oblong stars like this but have good guiding? Are you using a ZWO cooled camera at long focal lengths? Is the elongation independent of exposure time? The problem is likely an imbalanced fan in the camera (in my case a brand new ASI2600mc pro).
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
October 22, 2025 at 12:59 AM
1/2: PSA: Do you get oblong stars like this but have good guiding? Are you using a ZWO cooled camera at long focal lengths? Is the elongation independent of exposure time? The problem is likely an imbalanced fan in the camera (in my case a brand new ASI2600mc pro).
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
Here is another screen capture this morning from the Mauna Kea Live webcam. Lasers are used to create an artificial laser guide star used for correcting for atmospheric turbulence. This technology is called adaptive optics and is a crucial tool for modern ground-based astronomy.
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
October 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Here is another screen capture this morning from the Mauna Kea Live webcam. Lasers are used to create an artificial laser guide star used for correcting for atmospheric turbulence. This technology is called adaptive optics and is a crucial tool for modern ground-based astronomy.
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
This morning, I brought up the webcam at the Subaru Telescope, Mauna Kea, HI. The image was spectacular, so I am sharing the screen shot I took. Here is a link to that webcam for those interested. www.webcamtaxi.com/en/usa/hawai...
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
October 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
This morning, I brought up the webcam at the Subaru Telescope, Mauna Kea, HI. The image was spectacular, so I am sharing the screen shot I took. Here is a link to that webcam for those interested. www.webcamtaxi.com/en/usa/hawai...
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
An amateur star-gazer’s pain,
Who wished for the skies clear again,
Sat watching the rain,
With a hopeful refrain—
“Let me glimpse through this clouded domain!”
#Astrophotography
Who wished for the skies clear again,
Sat watching the rain,
With a hopeful refrain—
“Let me glimpse through this clouded domain!”
#Astrophotography
October 4, 2025 at 11:34 PM
An amateur star-gazer’s pain,
Who wished for the skies clear again,
Sat watching the rain,
With a hopeful refrain—
“Let me glimpse through this clouded domain!”
#Astrophotography
Who wished for the skies clear again,
Sat watching the rain,
With a hopeful refrain—
“Let me glimpse through this clouded domain!”
#Astrophotography
M81 (Bode's Galaxy) this morning. I had an hour to kill before sunrise so gave it a shot. 48 minutes total exposure in Bortle 6 light pollution. Just tossing this out as an example of squeezing in all the dark you can in an imaging session. A "shot in the dark" maybe?
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
October 3, 2025 at 12:00 AM
M81 (Bode's Galaxy) this morning. I had an hour to kill before sunrise so gave it a shot. 48 minutes total exposure in Bortle 6 light pollution. Just tossing this out as an example of squeezing in all the dark you can in an imaging session. A "shot in the dark" maybe?
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
September 22, 2025 at 4:32 PM
After a bit of a hiatus from astrophotography, I gave my new camera (ASI2600mc Pro) a spin around the block last night (09/17/2025). Here is M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) with very little post processing. 120 X 180s exposures (stacked best 80%). C9.25 Edge with Hyperstar V4.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
September 18, 2025 at 4:23 PM
After a bit of a hiatus from astrophotography, I gave my new camera (ASI2600mc Pro) a spin around the block last night (09/17/2025). Here is M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) with very little post processing. 120 X 180s exposures (stacked best 80%). C9.25 Edge with Hyperstar V4.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
For something different, and good for a change! There has been a die off of starfish on this particular section of Oregon coast over the last few years. I am very happy to report that they are making a comeback. But slowly. Lessons learned. There is really hope for lost causes.
August 18, 2025 at 3:20 AM
For something different, and good for a change! There has been a die off of starfish on this particular section of Oregon coast over the last few years. I am very happy to report that they are making a comeback. But slowly. Lessons learned. There is really hope for lost causes.
Sun's got freckles today! Took this short video earlier today using Seestar S50. At Oregon Coast.
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
August 10, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Sun's got freckles today! Took this short video earlier today using Seestar S50. At Oregon Coast.
#Astrophotography
#Astrophotography
This is NGC7380 (Wizard Nebula) shot from my backyard over three nights (7/05-7/07 2025). 14 hours total exposure. NGC7380 is an emission nebula located in Cepheus and is approx. 7200 LY distant. Hubble palette on right. OSC camera, dual narrow band filter. Equipment in my bio.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
July 14, 2025 at 5:21 PM
This is NGC7380 (Wizard Nebula) shot from my backyard over three nights (7/05-7/07 2025). 14 hours total exposure. NGC7380 is an emission nebula located in Cepheus and is approx. 7200 LY distant. Hubble palette on right. OSC camera, dual narrow band filter. Equipment in my bio.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
NGC6888 (Crescent Nebula) is a cosmic bubble shaped by the interaction of a Wolf-Rayet star's stellar wind with material ejected by the star when it was a red giant. It is about 5000 light-years distant. Hubble palette on right. 20 hrs. exposure 7/05 to 7/13 2025 from backyard.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
July 13, 2025 at 3:14 PM
NGC6888 (Crescent Nebula) is a cosmic bubble shaped by the interaction of a Wolf-Rayet star's stellar wind with material ejected by the star when it was a red giant. It is about 5000 light-years distant. Hubble palette on right. 20 hrs. exposure 7/05 to 7/13 2025 from backyard.
#astrophotography
#astrophotography
This is NGC7023 (Iris Nebula) shot from my backyard 06/26/2025-06/29/2025. About 11 hours total exposure. NGC7023 is a reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus and is roughly 1300 light-years distant and 3 light-years in radius. Here is a zoom in on it youtu.be/Vhlesz-Knuw
June 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
This is NGC7023 (Iris Nebula) shot from my backyard 06/26/2025-06/29/2025. About 11 hours total exposure. NGC7023 is a reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus and is roughly 1300 light-years distant and 3 light-years in radius. Here is a zoom in on it youtu.be/Vhlesz-Knuw
A brain-cleanser after witnessing that vanity parade yesterday. Tide pools on Oregon Coast taken a few days ago. Evolution suggests that at one time in the distant past, we crawled out of these. I am thinking at this point that we did not get far, but I remain hopeful.
June 17, 2025 at 12:33 AM
A brain-cleanser after witnessing that vanity parade yesterday. Tide pools on Oregon Coast taken a few days ago. Evolution suggests that at one time in the distant past, we crawled out of these. I am thinking at this point that we did not get far, but I remain hopeful.
I just finished up a third night on M82 (Cigar Galaxy) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier.... About 9.5 hr. total exposure. I then applied the Hubble Ha-OO palette to the final image and did a comparison. My image on the left, a Hubble image on the right. No complaints but I now want an orbiting scope!
May 10, 2025 at 11:26 PM
I just finished up a third night on M82 (Cigar Galaxy) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier.... About 9.5 hr. total exposure. I then applied the Hubble Ha-OO palette to the final image and did a comparison. My image on the left, a Hubble image on the right. No complaints but I now want an orbiting scope!
This is M27 (Dumbbell Nebula). Six-hours total exposure from my backyard on 05/07 and 05/08 2025. M27 is a planetary nebula (nebulosity surrounding a white dwarf) at a distance of about 1360 light-years. Dual narrow-band filter and Ha-OO Hubble palette. More here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbbel...
May 9, 2025 at 3:49 PM
This is M27 (Dumbbell Nebula). Six-hours total exposure from my backyard on 05/07 and 05/08 2025. M27 is a planetary nebula (nebulosity surrounding a white dwarf) at a distance of about 1360 light-years. Dual narrow-band filter and Ha-OO Hubble palette. More here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbbel...
The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light years away. Estimated to be about 8,000 years old, it was formed from the outflow of material from the stellar wind of the central star. Six-hour exposure on 04/21/2025 from my backyard.
April 22, 2025 at 4:33 PM
The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light years away. Estimated to be about 8,000 years old, it was formed from the outflow of material from the stellar wind of the central star. Six-hour exposure on 04/21/2025 from my backyard.
This could be an image of your 401K blowing up, our economy blowing up or our democracy blowing up. Nope. It is Messier 3 (NGC 5272), a rather spectacular globular cluster consisting of a half-million stars. Took it last night. Here is more info on it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_3. Stay strong.
April 11, 2025 at 12:11 AM
This could be an image of your 401K blowing up, our economy blowing up or our democracy blowing up. Nope. It is Messier 3 (NGC 5272), a rather spectacular globular cluster consisting of a half-million stars. Took it last night. Here is more info on it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_3. Stay strong.
This is M100 (The Blow Dryer Galaxy) It is 55 million light-years distant. The light that hit the camera sensor started its journey at the same time that Earth was undergoing mass extinctions in the oceans due to global warming. History may repeat itself. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier...
April 4, 2025 at 2:41 PM
This is M100 (The Blow Dryer Galaxy) It is 55 million light-years distant. The light that hit the camera sensor started its journey at the same time that Earth was undergoing mass extinctions in the oceans due to global warming. History may repeat itself. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier...
UofPenn Wharton School of Business: If you are listening, you might consider revoking Trump's degree from your university to save yourselves a ton of future embarrassment. The Orange Clown knows less about economics that your average five-year-old. Optics are not optimal. Thank you... that is all.
April 4, 2025 at 12:13 AM
UofPenn Wharton School of Business: If you are listening, you might consider revoking Trump's degree from your university to save yourselves a ton of future embarrassment. The Orange Clown knows less about economics that your average five-year-old. Optics are not optimal. Thank you... that is all.
I have had two security clearances during my working career: Secret (DOD) and Q (DOE). I am totally aware of the extensive vetting by the FBI prior to being issued these clearances. What in God's name is going on with the Trump admin to hire such fools? Asking for a nation who really wants to know.
March 27, 2025 at 3:03 AM
I have had two security clearances during my working career: Secret (DOD) and Q (DOE). I am totally aware of the extensive vetting by the FBI prior to being issued these clearances. What in God's name is going on with the Trump admin to hire such fools? Asking for a nation who really wants to know.
PSA: Everyone should probably get on the Social Security website and make a hard copy of your contributions to SS over your working years (this is easy to do). This is just in case Elmo messes with that data (which he now has access to) in order to claim "rampant fraud". CYA folks.
March 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
PSA: Everyone should probably get on the Social Security website and make a hard copy of your contributions to SS over your working years (this is easy to do). This is just in case Elmo messes with that data (which he now has access to) in order to claim "rampant fraud". CYA folks.
Give me warp speed, Scotty! There are many galaxies to be explored, and Elmo has just cut NASA's budget... no time to dilly dally.
This is Markarian's Chain, total exposure about 10 hours over two nights from my backyard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markari...
This is Markarian's Chain, total exposure about 10 hours over two nights from my backyard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markari...
March 26, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Give me warp speed, Scotty! There are many galaxies to be explored, and Elmo has just cut NASA's budget... no time to dilly dally.
This is Markarian's Chain, total exposure about 10 hours over two nights from my backyard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markari...
This is Markarian's Chain, total exposure about 10 hours over two nights from my backyard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markari...