Your best photos submitted to the magazine this month

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

NGC 6188, The Dragons of Ara

Shaun Robertson, Melbourne, Australia, 10, 25, 26 and 29 April 2022

Shaun says: “This has been my favourite target since I started this hobby two years ago. The strong emission across each filter and the great separation of channels makes it the perfect image to work and experiment with. This was my second attempt at it, with much cleaner data and some more experience in processing than I had last year.”

Equipment: ZWO ASI1600GT camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount

Exposure: Ha, SII and OIII 180x 300” each, 15h total

Software: PixInsight, Photoshop

Shaun’s top tips: “Take your time. First, in framing your target: some nebulae have beautiful star clusters nearby, for example, so moving your target off-centre to include those can make a huge difference. Stellarium is great for planning this. Secondly, in gathering as much data as possible and in processing: process each filter’s data before combining your channels. Careful stretching reveals detail and improves the dynamic of the image. And lastly, do what appeals to you. There is no set ‘standard image’ in astrophotography and for me it is a blend of art and science.”

The Milky Way core

Steve Fox, Teide, Tenerife, 22 March 2022

Steve says: “The sky was amazing at this location. In fact, polar aligning wasn’t easy because there were so many bright stars around – something I’m not used to back in the UK!”

Equipment: Canon EOS R6 mirrorless camera, Sigma Art 24mm lens, iOptron SkyGuider Pro, Velbon DV- 7000N tripod

Exposure: ISO1000 f/2.8, 8x 60”

Software: APP, Affinity Photo, GIMP

Flower Moon rising over Christ the King

Mara Leite, Almada, Lisbon, 16 May 2022

Mara says: “This is a single exposure, taken at around 10pm from the opposite bank of the Tagus. The sky cleared just before moonrise. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

Equipment: Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR, Sigma 70–200mm lens with 2x extender, Manfrotto 190Go! tripod

Exposure: ISO 6400 f/13, 1/125”

Software: Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop

Mare Imbrium close-up

Roger Hyman, Sparkford, Somerset, 13 January 2022

Roger says: “With the help of a TeleVue Powermate 4x amplifier I managed to get this detailed capture of one of my favourite areas of the Moon.”

Equipment: Altair Hypercam 183C Pro camera, William Optics Zenithstar 126 refractor, Celestron CGX mount

Exposure: best 25% from 500 frames at 12.5ms, 200 gain

Software: AutoStakkert!, Photoshop, Topaz DeNoise

The Iris Nebula

Mark Johnston, Chiricahua National Monument Arizona, USA, 29 May 2022

Mark says: “This site was a 3.5-hour drive each way, but worth it for the pitch-black skies and a nakedeye view of Omega Centauri.”

Equipment: ZWO ASI183MC Pro camera, Celestron 9.25-inch Hyperstar Schmidt-Cassegrain, TTS-160 mount Exposure: 41x 120”

Software: Affinity Photo

Waxing crescent Moon

Stacey Downton, Longbridge, Birmingham, 5 May 2022

Stacey says: “This is the first image I captured on my brand-new telescope and is a mosaic made up of 2,000 frames.”

Equipment: Altair Astro GPCAM 290C camera, Altair Astro 8-inch f/5 Newtonian, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R mount Software: AutoStakkert!, MICE, Photoshop

The Cocoon Galaxy

Mark Shelton, Birmingham, 30 April, 5 May 2022

Mark says: “This target can be a challenge. It’s small and requires a large-aperture telescope to show appreciable detail. I had to pay close attention to guiding and focus.”

Equipment: ZWO ASI6200MM camera, Celestron C14 Schmidt-Cassegrain, Paramount MX+ mount Exposure: LRGB 5h, Ha 6h

Software: PixInsight, Photoshop

The ISS crossing the Sun

Jamie Cooper, West Haddon, Northamptonshire, 4 June 2022

Jamie says: “It wasn’t an optimal pass, with the ISS only 36 arcseconds across and the setting Sun fairly low at 36o altitude, but this six-pane mosaic is a pleasing result for a first attempt.”

Equipment: ZWO ASI290MM camera, unbranded 102mm refractor, Baader AstroSolar film, ZWO green filter, Sky-Watcher EQ6 mount

Exposure: 2,500-frame video, best 40% frames stacked Software: AutoStakkert!, RegiStax, Photoshop

The Sunflower Galaxy

Ron Brecher, Guelph, Ontario, 29 January–11 May 2022

Ron says: “This was six months in the making, mostly under Moon-free skies, captured in between other projects.”

Equipment: QHY367C camera, Takahashi FSQ106ED refractor, QHY600M camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 150ED refractor, Paramount MX mount

Exposure: 35h 15’ total Software: PixInsight

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Whether you’re a seasoned astrophotographer or a beginner, we’d love to see your images. Email them to contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com. Ts&Cs: www.immediate.co.uk/terms-and-conditions

We’ve teamed up with Modern Astronomy to offer the winner of next month’s Gallery a Hama Lens Pen, designed for quick and easy cleaning of telescope optics, eyepieces and camera lenses. It features a retractable brush and non-liquid cleaning element. www.modernastronomy.com • 020 8763 9953