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/
I tried my hand at vibe coding this week with Google's Antigravity. Within minutes, I had a working Python script that takes Pixinsight image annotation data, does Simbad queries, and generates a spreadsheet of info - and I can barely spell "Python." #astrophotography
November 22, 2025 at 11:54 PM
I tried my hand at vibe coding this week with Google's Antigravity. Within minutes, I had a working Python script that takes Pixinsight image annotation data, does Simbad queries, and generates a spreadsheet of info - and I can barely spell "Python." #astrophotography
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
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
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
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
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
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
Combining old data with new, I was able to reveal Messier 82's H-alpha "Cap," that slight, red smudge in the upper left of the image. It's extremely dim! This represents a total of nearly 25 hours of imaging from the driveway in 2022 & 2025. #astrophotography #astronomy
February 26, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Combining old data with new, I was able to reveal Messier 82's H-alpha "Cap," that slight, red smudge in the upper left of the image. It's extremely dim! This represents a total of nearly 25 hours of imaging from the driveway in 2022 & 2025. #astrophotography #astronomy
In 2019, I was just getting into narrowband and attempted to image the faint planetary nebula Yerkes-McDonald 16 in Serpens Cauda. The image was a mess and my processing skills suspect, but I kept the data. Reprocessed today and was pleasantly surprised! #astrophotography #astronomy
February 10, 2025 at 11:04 PM
In 2019, I was just getting into narrowband and attempted to image the faint planetary nebula Yerkes-McDonald 16 in Serpens Cauda. The image was a mess and my processing skills suspect, but I kept the data. Reprocessed today and was pleasantly surprised! #astrophotography #astronomy
The Serpens Molecular Cloud, with the reflection nebula vdB 123 at the top-center and the Flaming Skull (planetary) nebula on the right. This was imaged as a 2-panel mosaic with the 8-inch RASA in 2023. #astrophotography #astronomy
February 9, 2025 at 11:45 PM
The Serpens Molecular Cloud, with the reflection nebula vdB 123 at the top-center and the Flaming Skull (planetary) nebula on the right. This was imaged as a 2-panel mosaic with the 8-inch RASA in 2023. #astrophotography #astronomy
The Cigar galaxy (Messier 82), about 12 million light years from the center of my driveway! Image details on my Astrobin page at astrob.in/o7f0wk/0/. #astrophotography #astronomy
February 1, 2025 at 11:42 PM
The Cigar galaxy (Messier 82), about 12 million light years from the center of my driveway! Image details on my Astrobin page at astrob.in/o7f0wk/0/. #astrophotography #astronomy
The Medusa nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation Gemini. I shot this over two nights this week from the driveway. Image details are on my Astrobin page at astrob.in/f1reae/0/. #astrophotography #astronomy
January 30, 2025 at 7:39 PM
The Medusa nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation Gemini. I shot this over two nights this week from the driveway. Image details are on my Astrobin page at astrob.in/f1reae/0/. #astrophotography #astronomy
Galaxy NGC 2841 in Ursa Major, approximately 46 million light years from the driveway! Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/n0g7hz. #astrophotography #astronomy
January 25, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Galaxy NGC 2841 in Ursa Major, approximately 46 million light years from the driveway! Image details on my Astrobin page at app.astrobin.com/i/n0g7hz. #astrophotography #astronomy