3towers Observatory - Objects with Common Names

3towers Observatory Objects with Common Names

The Flame Nebula (NGC2024)

The color image is a composite of eight 90sec Red, eight 90sec Green (V), and twelve 90sec Blue (B) images combined. It was taken with an Apogee AP7 CCD Camera

These 3towers Observatory images were taken on a 12-inch LX 200 telescope using a focal reducer at f/6.5 with an Apogee KX260 CCD camera or an Apogee AP7 CCD camera running under MaxIm DL/CCD. The black and white images vary from single 30 second exposures to images produced by adding sixty one-minute exposures together using a median routine in Mira or MaxIM DL/CCD. The color images were taken with the Apogee AP7 CCD and an ISIS FW1 Filter Wheel containing Red (R), Green (V), Blue (B), Infrared (I), and Clear Photometeric filters. The exposures vary from R = 30 seconds, V = 30 seconds, B = 40 seconds for bright objects to Red = five 60sec exposures added together, Green (V) = five 60sec exposures added together, Blue = eight 60sec exposures added together for fainter objects. For very faint objects, even longer exposure sequences were used for each color. For some objects, clear exposures were also taken and added to the exposures through the photometric filters to produce a final color image. In general, the only image processing used is bias and dark subtraction, flat fielding, and contrast stretching. Compare these images obtained with a Meade 12-inch LX 200 telescope operating at approximately f/6.5 with those from the Grasslands Observatory (24-inch f/5 telescope at a dark sky site). It is amazing what a relatively modest sized telescope at a suburban location can achieve using good imaging equipment and software.

All images are oriented with the North at the top and the West to the right.

Object	Other Names	3towers Observatory Images	Comments
Andromeda Galaxy	M31		Two minute exposure with a 135mm f/2.8 telephoto lens coupled to a Nikon D100 digital camera.
Aurora in Tucson			The Aurora was photographed on the evening of 30 March 2001. It was visible in the northern sky from 11:00pm until shortly after midnight. This picture was taken on ASA 200 film with a 17mm f/4.5 lens and an exposure of 40 seconds. In the foreground are the three radio towers that border the 3towers Observatory which is situated in the foothills north of Tucson. The red color of the Aurora matches the tower lighting. Behind the towers are the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.
Barnard26			Barnard26-28 consists of a large dark nebulous region north of the variable star AB Aurigae. It is highlighted by the reflection nebula van den Bergh31 (vd31) which surrounds the variable star. This image is a composite of 20 60sec exposures added together.
Barnard127			AP7 Image
Bubble Nebula	NGC7635		The black & white image is a composite of eighteen 60sec exposures added together. The AP7 tri-color image consists of five 60-second black & white images combined to form a luminance image used with one 60-second Red (R), one 60-second Green (V), and two 60-second Blue (B) images to make a final color image.
Centaurus A; Arp153	NGC5128
Cocoon Nebula	IC5146	KX260 Image AP7 Image	The Cocoon Nebula is at the ESE end of the long dark nebula Barnard168. The KX260 image is a composite of 20 60sec exposures added together. The AP7 image is a composite of 15 60sec exposures added together.
Crescent Nebula	NGC6888		The AP7 tri-color image consists of five 60-second black & white images combined to form a luminance image used with one 60-second Red (R), one 60-second Green (V), and two 60-second Blue (B) images to make a final color image.
Double Cluster	NGC869/884		Two minute exposure with a 135mm f/2.8 telephoto lens coupled to a Nikon D100 digital camera.
Flame Nebula	NGC2024	KX260 Image AP7 Color Image	This image is a composite of forty 60sec exposures added together. The color image is a composite of eight 90sec Red, eight 90sec Green (V), and twelve 90sec Blue (B) images combined.
Flaming Star Nebula	IC405		The nebula lies north of the variable star AE Aurigae. This image is a composite of 30 60sec exposures added together.
Gum 5 Emission Nebula	Sharpless 2-301		This image is a composite of thirty 60sec exposures added together.
Helix Nebula	NGC7293
Horsehead Nebula	IC434	KX260 Image AP7 Black & White Image AP7 Color Image	The KX260 image is composite of fifty one-minute exposures added together, while the AP7 image is a composite of forty one-minute exposures added together. The color image is a composite of six 90sec Red, six 90sec Green (V), and ten 90sec Blue images combined.
Hubble's Variable Nebula	NGC2261		This image consists of three 60 second red, three 60 second green (V), and five 60 second blue exposures combined into a final color image.
Leo I	UGC5470		Leo I is the faint galaxy in the center of the image. The intense blue and green coloration overwhelming the galaxy is scattered light from Regulus, which is situated just below the bottom edge of the picture. The image is a composite of ten 60sec Red, ten 60sec Green (V), and fifteen 60sec Blue images combined.
Nova Sagittarii 2003			This image was taken on 27 April 2003. It is a composite of a 30-second R, 45-second V, 60-second B, and a 20-second open exposure.
Omega Centauri	NGC5139
PerseusA; Perseus I Galaxy Cluster	NGC1275		NGC1275 is at the heart of the Perseus I Galaxy Cluster (Abell 426). It is the largest galaxy near the center of the image. This image is a composite of thirty 60sec exposures added together.
PK131-5.1	This is a 30" planetary nebula, approximately 14.2 magnitude.	The bottom image is a magnified view of the top image centered on the planetary nebula.	This image is a composite of twenty 60sec exposures added together.
Ring-Tail Galaxy, Antennae	NGC4038/4039	Six 90sec exposures added together.	Image obtained at the Grasslands Observatory using an HPC-1 CCD camera.
Stephan's Quintet of Galaxies	Arp319; NGC7317, NGC7318A, NGC7318B, NGC7319, NGC7320	KX260 Image AP7 Image	The KX260 image is a composite of thirty 60sec exposures added together. The AP7 image is a composite of forty-five 60sec exposures added together.
Thor's Hammer	NGC2359
Veil Nebula	Bridal Veil Nebula; Cirrus Nebula; Cygnus Loop; NGC6960; NGC6992; NGC6995	KX260 Image AP7 Image AP7 Image AP7 Image AP7 Image AP7 Image Mosaic of AP7 Image Veil Nebula (NGC6992)- Color AP7 Image	Due to the large extent of the Veil's nebulosity only a small portion of it is shown in the KX260 image. It was taken with the object low on the Western horizon and is a composite of 51 thirty second exposures added together. The AP7 images consist of 20 60sec exposures added together.