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Look at this beauty! NGC 1097 is a barred spiral galaxy located approximately 47 million light-years away in the constellation Fornax. It spans about 120,000 light-years in diameter, comparable in size to our Milky Way. However, NGC 1097 is estimated to contain around 1 trillion stars, significantly more than the Milky Way's estimated 100-400 billion stars. Its distinctive bar structure is surrounded by spiral arms rich in star formation, hosting active regions of star birth and intense radiation. NGC 1097 also exhibits a prominent central region, likely harboring a supermassive black hole. Studying galaxies like NGC 1097 offers insights into the diverse nature of cosmic evolution.

The mesmerizing NGC 1097 image has a total of 8 hours and 35 minutes of total integration time. It was captured through Luminance and RGB filters with 300-second exposures, using a QYH600mm camera mounted on a Planewave CDK24 telescope in Chile's Telescope Live observatory. I stacked and processed the RAW images in Pixinsight and Photoshop. 

Since early February, I've been unable to enjoy clear skies for backyard astrophotography. However, I'm optimistic that May 2024 will bring some favorable conditions to capture new celestial wonders from my backyard, stay tuned!

Clear skies,

Wido.

NGC1097: @Wido oerlemans & Telescope Live

Link to Telescope Live:  https://telescope.live/home 
For a 20%on the Silver and Gold plans, feel free to use my promo code: 2DD8Q 

Behold Messier 83, the southern pinwheel galaxy, a stunning face-on spiral galaxy located approximately 15 million light-years away from us in the constellation Hydra. This galaxy is a breathtaking example of a barred spiral, characterized by its prominent central bar structure surrounded by graceful spiral arms.

The exquisite details of Messier 83 were captured through the Planewave CDK24 telescope paired with a QHY 600M camera, stationed in the celestial haven of Telescope Live's observatory in Chile. With a total integration time of 10 hours and 20 minutes, employing 5-minute long exposure shots with broadband luminance, red, green, and blue filters, we've unveiled the celestial beauty of this distant wonder in remarkable detail. 

For those who've joined my YouTube channel, a full-resolution image awaits your download, allowing you to immerse yourself in the cosmic splendor of Messier 83.Clear skies to all, though perhaps not so much in the Netherlands.

Credits: Wido Oerlemans, Telescope Live 

The Large Magellanic Cloud in full glory, thanks to Telescope Live's observatory in Australia! We can't see this beauty "up north". The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is one of the Milky Way's closest galactic neighbors, located about 163,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. It's classified as an irregular dwarf galaxy and is the fourth largest galaxy in the Local Group, after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Milky Way, and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33).  The Tarantula Nebula (top right in this framing) within the LMC is one of the largest known star-forming regions in the Local Group and is home to some of the most massive stars ever discovered.

Telescope: Takahashi FSQ-106ED:  https://bit.ly/3TBsL89 
Imaging Camera: QHY600PH (Mono):  https://bit.ly/3xKHi90 
Mounts: Software Bisque Paramount MX GEM:  https://bit.ly/3UitStJ 
Filters: Astrodon Lum, RGB, and H-alpha (3nm):  https://bit.ly/4cYfMVO  
Processing Software used: PixInsight and Photoshop

Astrodon Lum: 12×600″(2h)
Astrodon Red: 12×600″(2h)
Astrodon Green: 12×600″(2h)
Astrodon Blue: 12×600″(2h)
Astrodon H-alpha: 12×600″(2h)

Total integration time: 10h

Link to telescope live:  https://telescope.live/home 
Promo Code (20% discount for silver and gold plan): 2DD8Q 

Hi folks, I hope you enjoyed the wonderful solar eclipse yesterday for those in the USA/Canada. It's galaxy season in April, so I'll be sharing all kinds of galaxies with you this month! I just finished processing the majestic Sunflower Galaxy! 🌌 Also known as Messier 63, this spiral galaxy is located about 27 million light-years away and boasts striking spiral arms filled with bright clusters of young stars. 🌀💫 Thanks to Telescope Live's remote observatory in the south of Spain, under pristine dark skies, I was able to acquire stunning data for this cosmic beauty! People who join the channel can download the picture in full resolution, without the logo. The full resolution photo is in 16K (4096x4096) and the TIFF format is 230MB. So nice enough for a nice wallpaper,  or a large poster print, lol.

For those interested in Telescope Live, check out:
 https://telescope.live/home 
Get a 20% discount by entering my promo code: 2DD8Q

To join my channel, click here:
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYoVkD8JgC8txf2AcwGjlmg/join 

Alyn Wallace, an inspirational nightsky astrophotographer, unexpectedly passed away too soon, leaving behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come. Here he is, a star looking at the stars. My thoughts are with his family, he wil be sorely missed. 

Dear members, I'm deeply grateful for your support! Please access the link below to download stunning images of the Whirlpool Galaxy and NGC1365. I obtained the RAW data from Telescope Live, and processed them to showcase the wonders of large aperture telescopes in optimal locations. I'll provide more info in the next video. While I can't share the RAW data due to copyright, I'm thrilled to share the processed 16-megapixel images, albeit with a small watermark to credit Telescope Live which must be kept in the picture. 

Enjoy, and may your skies always be clear!

Here's the link to download the full-resolution photos:
 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/v5s4xug3qu3k3skcfyueq/h?rlkey=431pplu8n93k73xxvw4xbnm8c&dl=0 

Tuesday opinion poll: Backyard Astrophotographers should NEVER use a Remote Observatory! 

It's March, let's go galaxy season! Here's my attempt to capture the LEO triplet, didn't quite work out with my flats but I'll post it anyway :-). Testing my mobile, wireless rig again, with only one battery powering the EQ mount and the ASIAIR Plus supervising the rest. The total integration time was about  2:30  hours (180s exposures) with my FF80 Telescope and ASI2600MC Pro, without any filters in a Bortle 7 sky. 

Cheers!

Wido.

Here's a video showing the gear:  https://youtu.be/XZyhJctKs0Y?si=9YV-f... 
More info on my website:  https://astroforumspace.com/ 

Hey folks! Dan Higgins from Astroworld TV invited me to one of his awesome live webcasts today at 2 pm EST / 8 pm CET. I'm going to present my personal astro-journey, from APO refractor to Edge HD, to going wireless and smart telescopes, lol. Here's a link if you want to check it out:  https://www.youtube.com/@AstroWorldTV