Pickering's Triangle
I haven’t been posting on the blog as much lately, mostly because I’ve been trying to get in the habit of putting my astrophotos on AstroBin. You can follow my work there for more photos.
all blog posts
Wizard Nebula from home
After the Rocky Mountain Star Stare, I was eager to try setting up the new ED80 rig at home. The first subject I was able to shoot was the Wizard Nebula. Here is the result of two nights’ worth of data, shown here in the Foraxx palette.
Rocky Mountain Star Stare 2026
astronomy, dwarf3, vanlifeThis year, I went to the 2026 Rocky Mountain Star Stare.
Since this was five days and four nights, and it was right in the middle of a big week of Ardith’s tennis season, I went on my own. I debated bringing Cashew, our eight-year-old greyhound, but we decided she’d be happier at home. She loves sitting outside our van on her pad, sniffing the outdoor air for hours on end. But she doesn’t do well in the heat: anything above 80°F is not good for her. It turned out to be hot and sunny during most of the days, so this was the right decision.
going to RMSS 2026
astronomyI’m about to pack up the van for a trip to the 2026 Rocky Mountain Star Stare. Unlike almost every other trip I take, I’ll be going solo this time. Ardith has lots of tennis activities this week, including playoffs for one of her leagues. Cashew likes being with me, but it’s likely that the weather at the venue will be hot, which would mean that she would be shut in the air-conditioned van for most of the time.
Dark Sky Weekend at Sandstone Ranch
astronomy, dwarf3Last Sunday I went to a star party at Sandstone Ranch open space in Douglas County. Some good friends who live nearby went with me, and brought their Dwarf 2 (an older telescope very similar to my Dwarf 3).
Black Mesa in Galaxy Season
astronomy, dwarf3Last March, we were driving home from a fun van trip to San Antonio and Austin. Black Mesa State Park is on the way, or close enough.
When we arrived in the late afternoon, it was practically overcast. The forecast had been mostly okay, but I was having strong doubts. I put the Dwarf out anyway, just in case. We ate dinner and hung out a bit, waiting for sunset to get closer. Once it was dark enough to think about polar aligning, the sky was nearly cloud-free!
Iris Nebula Combining Multiple Sessions
astronomy, dwarf3, PixInsightIn my last blog post I revisited the Iris Nebula. Here it is again, combining data from last year as well as the new data. It’s a mix of 45-second and 60-second subs.
Iris Nebula Returns
astronomy, dwarf3The Iris Nebula was one of my two favorite subjects from last year (the other being the Trifid Nebula). So when the skies cleared a couple of nights ago, I was happy to see the Iris becoming possible to image at this time of year.
M 42 Combining Multiple Sessions
I decided to experiment with stacking in PixInsight, this time combining different exposure times and different gains on the camera. These pictures of M 42 were taken from my house, and from Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona.
Bode's Galaxy from Black Mesa
astronomy, dwarf3In April 2026, I finally took the plunge and got a trial license for PixInsight. This is my first effort: Bode’s Galaxy, aka M 81.