The following tables show both black & white and color images of
the Messier Objects obtained at the 3towers Observatory.
Contrast the images from this suburban/urban observatory using a
12-inch telescope in light polluted skies with images of the
same objects taken at the Grasslands Observatory,
which contains a 24-inch telescope at a superb dark sky site.
What is apparent is how well modest equipment can perform.
The black and white images were obtained with either an
Apogee KX260
or an Apogee AP7 CCD camera. They range from single 30 second
exposures to images made by combining up to 20 ninety second
exposures. The color images consist of separate exposures
through Photometeric Red (R), Green (V), and Blue (B) filters
using an
Isis FW1 filter wheel. For a detailed general discussion of
color imaging, see
Tri-Color Imaging in the
Grasslands Observatory Image Gallery. All images are
oriented with the North at the top and the West to the right.
Two minute exposure with a 135mm f/2.8 telephoto lens
coupled to a Nikon D100 digital camera.
32
NGC221
Galaxy
33
NGC598
Galaxy
KX260 Image
AP7 Image
34
NGC1039
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
35
NGC2168
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
36
NGC1960
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
37
NGC2099
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
38
NGC1912
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
39
NGC7092
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
40
Winnecke 4
Double Stars
M40 consists of the double stars. The small galaxy in
the upper right hand corner of the image is NGC4290,
while the The bright star in the lower right hand corner
is 70 Ursae Majoris (6th magnitude).
41
NGC2287
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
42
NGC1976; The Orion Nebula
Diffuse Nebula
43
NGC1982
Diffuse Nebula
44
NGC2632; Praesepe; The Beehive Cluster
Galactic (0pen) Cluster
45
The Pleiades
Galactic (0pen) Cluster with Surrounding Nebulosity
This image shows Alcyone and the nebulosity nearby.
This image shows the nebulosity near Maia.
The Pleiades are best shown with wide-field photography,
such as this photograph obtained with the Grassland
five-inch f/5 finder as part of the
Photographic Messier Marathon.
Two minute exposure with a 135mm f/2.8 telephoto lens
coupled to a Nikon D100 digital camera.
46
NGC2437
Galactic (0pen) Cluster with Planetary Nebula (NGC2438)
