Jeff Ross Astrophotography

Trifid Nebula, shot with RGB filters. Four hours of imaging time. Pixinsight, Photoshop and Topaz Labs for post processing.

0.50-m f/6.8 reflector and f/4.5 focal reducer

FLI ProLine PL1102M CCD

Shot in RGB, registered and channels combined with PixInsight. Final touch ups with Photoshop.

Barred spiral galaxy. 10 hours total imaging time. Pixinsight and Photoshop, with additional noise reduction with Topaz Labs software.

Known for the dark band of dust in the front of the central region.

0.50-m f/6.8 reflector and f/4.5 focal reducer.

Post processing with PixInsight and Photoshop.

The Orion nebula (left), and the neighbor Running Man nebula (NGC 1973) (right) are visible to the naked eye, but a tough photographic target since they combine a very bright central core with extended diffuse nebulosity.  This image is a combination of 3 photos shot at different time intervals (60, 180 and 300 seconds) and combined using the high dynamic range (HDR) feature of Pixinsight software.  Registration, integration, channel combination, color correction and HDR transform done in Pixinsight.  Slight touch ups done with PS. Shot with Tak 106 from US and Australia.

This large galaxy is NGC 1316, and the smaller companion galaxy is NGC 1317.  NGC 1316 is a giant elliptical galaxy in Fornax, which is a strong radio source.  This is thought to harbor a supermassive black hole in its center.

Acquired from Australia on a Planewave CDK 510mm, with RGB filters. 4 hours total imaging time.  Post-processed in Pixinsight and Photoshop.

NGC 4038 (Antenna Galaxy) shows the interaction and merging of two galaxies, with the large interstellar trails forming the "antenna". This image is produced from a combination of 60 minutes each R,G filters and 40 minutes of B.  Acquired from from Australia using a Planewave 20" CDK on a Planewave Ascension mount.  Image was processed in PixInsight and PS.

NGC 2032 is variously called the Seagull Nebula (not to be confused with the Northern Hemisphere nebula of the same name) or the Dragon Head nebula, and resides in the Southern constellation of Dorado in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

This image was remotely acquired from Australia using a 20” Planewave CDK, Ascension Mount, and FLI-09000 camera (3056x3056 with 12 micron pixels).  It was shot with narrowband filters (Ha, OIII, SII) with 3 hours total imaging time.  Processed in PixInsight, and Photoshop.

The Iris Nebula, also (NGC 7023 or Caldwell 4), is a bright reflection nebula and Caldwell object in the constellation Cepheus.

20 minutes @ of R,G,B

Shot on Tak FSQ-ED from New Mexico.

Processed in PixInsight and PS.

This is a 3 color, narrowband image using Ha, OIII, and SII filters.  Exposure times in minutes were 50:30:40.  Shot on FSQ 106 from New Mexico.  Post processing in Pixinsight, with final enhancement in PS.

NGC 1097 is a barred spiral galaxy about 45 million light-years away in the constellation Fornax. William Herschel discovered it in 1790.

40 minutes @ R,G,B

Shot with 20" Planewave on Ascension Mount from Australia.

This is an RGB image obtained from Spain on a Takahashi TOA-150, with an SBIG STL-11000M.  25 minutes of Lum, plus 20 minutes each of R,G,B.  Bulk of the postprocessing done in PixInsight, with minor tweaks and enhancement in PS.

It is called various names, such as the Silver Dollar Galaxy (for its appearance in small telescopes), or the Sculptor Galaxy for its location in the southern constellation Sculptor. The galaxy was discovered from England in 1782 by Caroline Herschel with her small comet-sweeper telescope.  70 thousand light-years across, NGC 253 is the largest member of the Sculptor Group of Galaxies, the nearest to our own Local Group of Galaxies. NGC 253 is also classified as a starburst galaxy (the nearest one to Earth) because of the high rate of star formation and dense dust clouds in its nucleus.

This image was shot from Australia, on a Planewave 27”, and an FLI PLO09000.  Image times were LRGB 15:30:30:30. Postprocessing in PixInsight and PS.

Nearly Edge-on Spiral Galaxy, type Sc
NGC 253, MCG -4-3-9, ESO 474 29, PGC 2789
Visual Magnitude: 8
Distance: 9 Mly

NGC 7814 (also known as UGC 8 or Caldwell 43) is a spiral galaxy about 40 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. The galaxy is seen edge-on from Earth. It is sometimes referred to as "the little sombrero", a miniature version of Messier 104. The star field behind NGC 7814 is known for its density of faint, remote galaxies. This galaxy shows a slight deviation from being truly edge-on. The background dust lanes can be seen "above" and through the halo giving this galaxy more depth than is usually displayed.

20 minutes each of R,G,B on 20" Planewave CDK. Shot from New Mexico. Processed in PixInsight and PS.

NGC 1763, or the Bean Nebula, is located in the Large Magellanic cloud. 

This image was remotely acquired from Australia using a 20” Planewave CDK, Ascension Mount, and FLI-09000 camera (3056x3056 with 12 micron pixels).  It was shot with narrowband filters (Ha, OIII, SII) with 2 hours total imaging time.  Processed in PixInsight, and Photoshop.

45 minutes of imaging time with Ha, OIII, SII filters on a Takahashi FSQ ED with SBIG STL-11000M camera from Australia.

The Trifid Nebula (M20) is an interesting mix of open star cluster, reflection nebula and emission nebula. This narrowband image only defines the star cluster and the emission component.  Image was obtained with 45 minutes total imaging time, on a 17” Planewave CDK, FLI Proline 16803 camera from Australia.  Pixinsight for registration, integration and wavelet transform, and color mapped in PS.

First described by Edmond Halley in 1677, this stellar system contains at least two stars, the most massive is a luminous blue variable around 120 solar masses.  This central stellar system is just above the central "V" shaped dark dust lane.  This is home to the famous Hubble telescope images of the Homunculus Nebula (not visible).  This whole nebula region is estimated to have a luminosity of over 5 million times the Sun's.  Image is 30 minutes each of Ha, OIII, SII with a Hubble palate. FSQ 106 from Austrialia.

This widefield view shows the Lagoon nebula as the large area of emission at the lower right, and the variously named Simeis 188 smaller emission region to the image left.  This image is a narrowband acquisition of 40 minutes Ha,  20 minutes OIII, and 15 minutes SII obtained on a Tak FSQ from Australia.  The image was registered and integrated in Pixinsight, with wavelet transform - then combined in Photoshop with Topaz denoise.

30 minutes of Ha, PS colorized, star spikes added.

30 minutes of Ha, DSS, Pixinsight stretched, PS colorized, Topaz noise reduction.  Tak FSQ from New Mexico.

Processed in Pixinsight.

FSQ106, New Mexico.

Stack of 10-5 minute exposures.  Takahashi FSQ on a Paramount GT, from New Mexico

15 minutes each of Lum, Ha, OIII, SII.  DSS, Pixinsight, PS.  Pixinsight wavelet transform.  Tak FSQ from New Mexico.

Hubble palate

15 minutes each of Ha, OIII, SII.  5 minute Lum exposure overlay. Hubble palate.  Tak FSQ from New Mexico.
 

15 minutes each of Heart and Soul nebulae, mosaic in PS.

Narrowband, 30 minutes Ha, 15 minutes each of OIII, SII. Hubble palate.  Tak FSQ and Tak FSQ-ED from New Mexico.

50 minutes Ha, plus 15 minutes each of Lum, OIII, SII.  Tak FSQ-ED from New Mexico.

15 minutes each of Ha, OIII, SII, Lum.  Hubble palate.  Tak FSQ-ED from Australia.

20 minutes each of Lum, Ha, OIII, SII.   Hubble palate.  Tak Epsilon 250 from New Mexico.

I have found this very difficult to achieve a satisfactory look, given the very bright central aspect which gets burnt out.  15 minutes each of Ha, OIII, SII.  Hubble palate, wavelet transform in Pixinsight.  Planewave 20" on Ascension 200 mount from Australia.

Another view.  Wavelet transformation in Pixinsight.  20" Planewave from Australia.

30 minutes of Ha exposure.  Tak FSQ from New Mexico.

PS, Topaz noise reduction, star spikes added.

Added OIII and SII to the large amount of Ha that I show in black and white.  Not the best tracking for these two emission bands, but the color mix is interesting.

Pretty pleased how this one came out.  20 minutes each of Ha, OIII, SII, and 10 minutes Lum.  DSS, stretched and wavelet transform in Pixinsight, PS, topaz denoise.  20" Planewave on Ascension 200 mount from Austalia.

15 minutes each of Ha North American and Pelican nebulae, mosaic in PS.  Tak FSQ fluorite from New Mexico.

Shot with my 11" celestron, and canon 60Da from light polluted Phoenix.

15 minutes each of Lum, R, G, B, with overlay of Ha added to R layer.  Not really satisfied with the product, the central trapezium is still too burnt out.

HDR transform in Pixinsight.  Tak FSQ from New Mexico.

30 minutes of Ha, plus 10 minutes Lum.

PS, colorized, wavelet transform in Pixinsight

10 minutes each of Ha, OIII, SII.  Not bad given the short imaging times.  20" Planewave from Australia.

20 minutes Ha, and 15 minutes each of Lum, OIII, SII.  Hubble palate.  Shot on Tak FSQ from New Mexico.

15 minutes each Lum, Ha, OIII, SII.  Tak FSQ fluorite from New Mexico.

Hubble palate

20 minutes Ha, 10 minutes OIII, SII.  Hubble palate. Acquired on Planewave 17" from New Mexico.

10 minutes Ha exposure, colorized.  Takahashi TOA-150 from Spain.

15 minutes each of Lum, Ha, OIII, SII. Hubble palate.  Tak FSQ fluorite from New Mexico.

One shot color, Tak Sky90 from Australia.

Also called the "Little Orion" nebula. 15 minutes of Ha, PS, topaz noise reduction.  Planewave 12" from New Mexico.

Original stack of 30 minutes Ha.  DSS, Pixinsight stretch, PS, topaz noise reduction.

20 minutes Ha, 20 minutes OIII, 15 minutes SII.  Pixinsight, PS, Topaz denoise.  Standard RBG palate.  Tak FSQ from New Mexico.  The tiny Hubble variable nebula is the small triangular bright emission at the lower right.

20 minutes of Ha, using Tak FSQ from New Mexico.

20 minutes Ha (red), 20 minutes OIII (green), 15 minutes SII (blue), 15 minutes Lum mapped to blue.  Pixinsight, PS, Topaz denoise.   Tak FSQ from New Mexico.

1 hour total luminance exposure on Tak FSQ-ED.

1 hour total Lum exposure. 

10 minutes of Lum exposure, using Planewave 17" from New Mexico.

10 minutes each of RBG, plus 10 minutes of Ha layered on R.  DSS, PS, topaz denoise.  Tak TOA-150 from Spain.
 

Most recent version of this target, combining data from 2017 with 2014.  I think this version has better color, and there is less burn out of the central region of the main galaxy.

NGC 891 (also known as Caldwell 23) is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784.

Red 12 images @ 300 seconds =  60 minutes

Green 10 images @ 300 seconds = 50 minutes

Blue 9 images @ 300 seconds =  45 minutes

Total  155 minutes

Sierra Remote Observatory

CCD:  FLI-PL09000  Array:  3056 by 3056

Telescope: Planewave 24" (0.61m) CDK

Mount: Planewave Ascension 200HR

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 or NGC 5194) is a spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus (giant black hole at it's center). One of the most recognizable and photographed objects in the sky, this image is a RGB composite from a total of 105 minutes of imaging, on a 20" Planewave CDK from New Mexico. Processed in Pixinsight, with some minor tweeking in PS (think I finally got the color right).

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 or NGC 5194) is a spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus (giant black hole at it's center).  One of the most recognizable and photographed objects in the sky, this image is a RGB composite from a total of 105 minutes of imaging, on a 20" Planewave CDK from New Mexico (inital attempt, with not great color).

M101 is a face-on spiral galaxy distanced 21 million light-years distant in the constellation Ursa Major, discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. 90 minutes total imaging time on a 24" Planewave CDK in California.  Processed in Pixinsight.  Not totally happy with this one, and sad to say spend close to 5 hours to get this far!

11 million light-years distant, and 60,000 light-years across, this active galaxy is thought to have a massive central black hole, some billion times the mass of the sun.  Acquired with a 20" Planewave CDK on Ascension mount from Australia.  Exposure (minutes) LRGB 40:20:15:15.  Registered and integrated in Pixinsight, with denoise and wavelet transform.  Photoshop for color combination and star spikes.

Unbarred spiral galaxy in Virgo, which is 28 million light-years distant.  20" Planewave CDK from Australia.  LRGB 15:15:15:15.  Registered and integrated in Pixinsight, with denoise and wavelet transform.  Combined in Photoshop, with star spikes added.

Series of 5 - 5 minute luminance exposures on Tak TOA-150 from Spain.

Deep sky stacker, Pixinsight, Photoshop

Series of 5, 5 minute luminance exposures

Deep sky stacker

Pixinsight wavelet transform.  I was impressed by the detail that the wavelet transform brought out.

First discovered on 1-21-2014,  the right panel shows the Type 1a supernova (an exploding white dwarf star) within the galaxy M82 in Ursa Major.  M82 is 11 million light-years distant.  Obtained on Planewave 20" from New Mexico.

More detailed view of the supernova, obtained with 25 minutes total Lum exposures on Planewave 20" in New Mexico, plus 15 minutes Ha (red color mapped).  Star spikes added

10 minutes of luminance on 17" Planewave CDK.  Seeing was deteriorating, and the observatory roof closed right after my second 5 minute exposure.  Not bad for very suboptimal skies.  CCD was a  FLI ProLine PL4710 with 13 micron pixels and extended red sensitivity.

15 minutes of Lum exposure on a Planewave 20" in Australia.  ARP244

PS colorized

20 minutes L on a 20" Planewave CDK, with not great skies.  DSS, Pixinsight for stretch, and wavelet transform.  Photoshop for gradXterm and noise reduction.

M65 - bottom left

M66 - top left

NGC3628 - top right

20 minutes Lum exposure, on Tak TOA-150 from Spain.  The triplet is about 30 million light-years distant.

Single shot color of Triangulum galaxy, which is about 3 million light-years distant.

Single 5 minute exposure from Spain on a Planewave 12" CDK.  Spiral galaxy in Ursa Major.

Barred spiral galaxy discovered in 1826.  10 minutes of Lum exposure on a Planewave 17" from Australia.

5 minute Lum exposure using a RCOS 12.5" from Australia.

Stephan quintet (lower left), and Dear Lick group (upper right) in Pegasus. 

Visual grouping of 5 galaxies, 4 of which form a compact group and are physically associated.  Obtained with 17 minutes of Lum exposure on a Planewave 17" from Spain.

Yellow colorized to show bridge connection

Edge on barred spiral

Great southern barred spiral galaxy

T16, 3 stack Lum, DSS, Pixinsight, PS, topaz noise reduction

Inverted to show galaxy bridging material.  In the ARP class "appearance of fission".

M84 is just out of the field-of-view at the top.  The Chain consists of M84 (NGC 4374), M86 (NGC 4406), NGC 4477, NGC 4473, NGC 4461, NGC 4458, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435.  Obtained with Tak TOA-150 from Spain (15 minutes luminence).

This is a large planetary nebula in Aquarius, thought to be around 700 light-years away.  Also called the "eye of god", or the "eye of Sauron", it is the end result of dying Sun-like star.  This image is a red, green, blue composite shot using a 20" Planewave CDK from Australia.  Additional hydrogen-alpha imaging has been added to the red channel.  Processed in PixInsight for registration, integration and combination with final buffing in Photoshop.

This is a bipolar planetary nebula looking like a bug smashed on a car windshield.  It is about 3800 light-years distant.  This is a 45 minute exposure using RGB filters, and processed in PixInsight.  There is an artifact of small star tails in the image.  17" Planewave CDK from Australia.

Also called the Clownface Nebula, or Caldwell 39, this is a 10.1 magnitude double-shell planetary nebula in Gemini.  This is a 9 minute total exposure with Ha filter using a 24" Planewave CDK, registered and integrated in Pixinsight, with cropping and noise reduction in Photoshop.

Ha, OIII, SII, Hubble palate.  Planewave 20" on Ascension 200 mount from Australia.

Planewave 20" from New Mexico.  2 - 5 min Lum stack, Pixinsight, PS, gradient xterminator, Topaz noise reduction.

RCOS 12.5" on Paramount PME from Australia.  Pixinsight, PS, Topaz noise reduction

24" Planewave, 10 minutes total of OIII.

Colorized Ha stack

10 minutes lum & 10 minutes Ha using RCOS 12.5" from Australia.  Check out the relative position of NGC2261 on my image of the Cone nebula - widefield.

Nebula in Ursa Major, and resides about 2000 light-years distant.  18 minutes total luminance imaging time on a 24" Planewave CDK from California.

M13 was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714, and cataloged by Charles Messier on June 1, 1764. M13 is 145 light-years in diameter and contains several hundred thousand stars.

Omega Centauri is the brightest globular cluster in the sky.  It resides in the constellation of Centaurus and was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1677.  It is about 16,000 light years distant.  12 minute total exposure on a FSQ 106 with SBIG STL-11000M, from Australia.

T3, Single shot color

M83 is a barred spiral galaxy in the southern constellation of Hydra.  It is thought to be around 15 million light-years distant.  These four views give you some idea of the challenge of astrophotography since the output is only limited by your inventiveness (and time).

Redo of this data using Pixinsight software.  Fairly pleased with the color rendition and maintaining the detail in the galaxy core. I added the star spikes just for looks.

Series of images with various interpretations of the Omega Nebula (M17).

55 minutes of total imaging time obtained on a 17” Planewave CDK, with a FLI Proline 16803 camera (pretty sure I want this camera when I grow up). 

This red hue image is a typical narrowband mapping of R to Ha, G to OIII and B to SII.  Registered and integrated with Pixinsight, and post processed in PS.

This green hue image is the Hubble palate with G mapped to Ha, B to OIII and R to SII.

Version using filter sets in PS with Nik Collection.

The Omega Nebula (aka the Swan Nebula, Checkmark Nebula, Lobster Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula) was describe by Charles Messier in 1764, and defined as M17. This is an active HII region in the constellation Sagittarius.

Registered, integrated and combined in Pixinsight, with minor tweeking in PS.

60 minutes total exposure on a 20" Planewave from Australia.  Processed in Pixinsight.

Ha mapped to R, OIII mapped to G, and SII mapped to B.

First attempt.

Lets start with the standard RBG combination, with 20 minutes imaging time for each color, obtained on a 20" Planewave.

In this image, additional Ha images are combined into the red channel, giving more breadth to the nebulosity at the top and bottom.  Also notice the additional peripheral faint nebulosity along the top right.
 

This image is a narrowband combination of 20 minutes each of hydrogen alpha (green), ionized oxygen (red) and sulfur (blue).  The noise reduction technique I used worked well to suppress the background noise, but bloated the star diameters too much.

This narrowband image does not use as aggressive of noise reduction, so the star diameters are more pleasing. I have also overlayed "synthetic" luminance data to bring out the stars.  Synthetic luminance is combining R,G,B filtered images into one master image to use in lieu of obtaining a separate set of non-filtered luminance images.

The final narrowband image with added star spikes, purely for looks!
 

This is hydrogen-alpha data of this nebula, inverted to show the very faint peripheral nebulosity.

This is an emission nebula approximately 4,000 light years distant in the Southern constellation Ara (Altar).  This is 60 minutes of imaging with Ha, OIII, and SII filters. Processed in PixInsight, with minor tweeks in PS.

Ha mapped to R, OIII mapped to G, and SII mapped to B

Becoming a little more sophisticated in the postprocessing.
 

Hubble palate, processed in PixInsight

Standard palate, processed in PixInsight

Hubble palate, processed in PS

Shot from the Alta ski resort in Utah.  5- 1 minute exposures.

This shows the final images at top, with the various narrowband images lined up below.

There was a recent article in Sky and Telescope, showing the various globular clusters in Andromeda.  This is my image from the galaxy gallery, which is inverted and rotated to match the S&T article.  I annotated my image in PS.

The galaxy NGC7320 is a foreground object, and is about 40 million ly distant, versus the other members of the compact group which are 210-340 million light-years distant.

Grus Quartet (NGC 7552, NGC 7582, NGC 7590, and NGC 7599)

These four galaxies are thought to be strongly interacting, with lines of hydrogen gas extending between (not visible in this luminence image).