Algol Loc: Georgia

This image is of the famous Double Cluster in the constellation Perseus. It is a stack of 90 individual frames, each exposed for 30 seconds with an f/6 72mm Refractor, focal length 432mm. I decided to keep the exposures shorter than usual to keep the bright stars from oversaturating. The image does have its issues but mostly due to the optics. The two clusters are at similar distances, about 7,500 from Earth and are separated only by a few hundred light years from each other. The brightest blue stars are actually blue supergiants and each shines with a luminosity equal to 60,000 of our suns. Yes, that's right, it would take 60,000 suns such as ours, combined, to make the brightness of just one of them! Imagine what these clusters would look like if they were at a distance of the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) at approximately 400 light years. As it is, they actually appear to the unaided eye as a faint smudge against the winter Milky Way.

NGC 884 & NGC 869

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tramsey Loc: Texas

A stack of ninety!!?? I would not have the patience to do that. I was looking at your interests, vary different. I thought I had a unique hobby of collecting igneous rocks; but you have taken it a step or two further and collecting meteorites. I bet I have more rocks than you have meteorites. :-D
When I was in college I took an Astronomy class to satisfy my liberal arts and became interested. I haven't done anything with it but I did light a fire in my grand daughter who has decided to be an astrophysics. I always enjoy your astronomical photography; always something different, beautifully done and with an interesting story to go with it. This is no different: beautifully done with something interesting to go with it. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Algol Loc: Georgia

Thank you for your generous comments. I do have a pretty good collection of meteorites. It is not the largest by weight, but I do have the largest collection (according to members of IMCA & MAG) in the southeast when it comes to different locations. At last count it was approaching 1500 with approximately 3000 specimens. I am a member of the International Meteorites Collectors Association as well as The Meteorite Association of Georgia. My interest are very varied and it keeps me from getting bored, lol. Also I am very, very glad to hear that your granddaughter has decided to pursue a career in astrophysics. An entire universe awaits her.

Algol Loc: Georgia

Ninety is not so bad actually. You just send them into DeepSkyStacker, plug in a few parameters and hit start. Then go find a good movie on television. The final image should be ready for Photoshop in a couple of hours.

globetrekker Loc: Bend, OR

Very nice. Such a treat because you're the only Hog doing this type of photography.

Algol Loc: Georgia

Thank you again globetrekker. In reality there are a ton of astrophotographers, it's just that few are members of Hog. I have a very good friend who regularly takes excellent images and have tried unsuccessfully to get him to join. He has however given me permission to post some of his images.

dlmorris Loc: Loma Linda, Ca

There are a few astrophotographers here, including myself, but I don't post often, because I don't get out often, but I do try to encourage some of the beginners. I do like the colors you were able to bring out in your shot. I tend to overexpose such subjects!

Algol Loc: Georgia

Thank you dlmorris. I learned how to obtain the colors from the astrophotography ghuru Adam Block. Basically all you have to do is make a duplicate of your image in Photoshop Layers. Take the duplicate and using filters apply a Gaussian Blur (expand the star images out to 2 or 3 sometimes maybe more). Then go back and using colors, run the saturation very high revealing the colors of the stars. It will look awful but then paste the gaudy copy on top of the original image. Using the Opacity slide bar in Layers bring it down to at least 50%. The main image will begin to show through. Play with the image using the slide bar until you are satisfied with the colors then flatten the image. It works, well most of the time, lol. The other way to get the colors and a more natural effect is to take a lot of short exposures (30 seconds or so), and a lower ISO then stack. That is what I did with the Double Cluster image.

dlmorris Loc: Loma Linda, Ca

Thanks for the info! I'll copy it into my notes and try it next time I'm out, or maybe I still have some original data somewhere.... Sounds easy enough, though.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

Great job on keeping the stars very close to their true colors too. And pinpoint focus!!! I'm learning how difficult that is to do.
Craig