3towers Observatory Messier Objects |
The following tables show images of
the Messier Objects obtained at the 3towers Observatory.
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 AP7 color images consist of separate exposures
through Photometeric Red (R), Green (V), and Blue (B) filters
using an Isis FW1 filter wheel.
Since March 2012, the 3towers observatory has contained a Celestron NexStar 11 GPS telescope which has special coatings for enhanced transmission of light. The C-11 had been used with a Starizona HypeStar focal reducer and a Starlight XPress SXVR-H9C single shot color camera or a Canon 60Da camera for most imaging applications until June 2019. Since then, a Canon 7D MarkII camera is being used on the C-11 HyperStar combination. An Orion Star Shoot AutoGuider on an Orion 50 mm Guide Scope helps with longer exposures. The observatory computer is networked to the in-house computer, and image files can be transferred to the in-house computer after they are downloaded from the CCD camers.
The C-11 HyperStar combination has a focal length of 560 mm with the f/2 HyperStar. The field of view of the Starlight Xpress SXVR-H9C is 56.6 x 41.1 arcminutes, and the field of view of the Canon 60Da is 137 x 91.5 arcminutes while that of the Canon 7D Mark II is almost the same 138 x 92.1 arcminutes. This permits ultra-wide field imaging, particularly with the Canon cameras. Stray light from inside and outside the observatory including light from the nearby 3 towers is blocked from the telescope imaging system by a long semi-permanent dew shield which extends beyond the length of the HyperStar CCD combination.
All images are
oriented with the North at the top and the West to the right.
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Table of Messier Objects |
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