VIEWING AND IMAGING IN THE SW USA

Realm of galaxiesApril 2006

New Mexico Skies

• Cloud Croft in southern NM

• Dark Skies

• 7,300-ft elevation

• Accommodations, 2 BR apartment

• Scopes to rent on a per-night basis

• Help with digital imaging

Overall view of scopes at NMS

Apartment building

Inside 2 BR apartment

NMS 25-in Dob, f/4

16-in LX200

Saturn with P&S camera thru 25-in Dob

M 51 16-in

LX 200, 4x15-min

M 81

M 104

M 106

M 109

Skywatcher’s Inn & Vega-Bray Observatory

• Benson, AZ

• Pretty Good Dark, town & I 10 close by

• 3,500-ft elevation

• Funky and fun place

• Breakfast included

• Less on-your-own opportunities

Overall view of Skywatchers Inn

Our Bedroom

20-in Cass

Their astronomer processing “our” image

M 83

M 100

NGC 4298 & 4302, Virgo

Return to NMSAugust 2007

• Summer Milky Way

• 30-in Dob this time, f/5

• 6-in Takahashi Apo with wide-field sens

• Our own equipment also

• Poorer weather

• Rattlesnakes

Roswell

Roswell 2

Me and the 30-in Dob

Takahashi 150 (mm) @f/5

My Bro and image processing

M 27 with LX200

M 74

NGC 7331

NGC 7479

M 8 & M 20

North American NebulaNGC 7000

M 31

M 31

Milky Way

• Equip: Nikon N 80, 50-mm f/1.8 lens• Exposure @ f/2.3, ~28-seconds• Photoshopped for saturation and contrast

3rd Visit to NMS

• Planned for Oct. 2008

• The winter sky

• Takahashi again

• 30-in Dob again

• Own equipment. including 135-mm, f/2 lens and 300-mm, f/2.8

Thanks

• Dave and Steve (from PA) Siskind