MAPOW on L'Arciere Celeste

MAPOW Nr 7: A false color Flaming Star Nebula

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 10:00:00 +0000

MAPOW Nr 7: A false color Flaming Star Nebula

Auriga is really a treasure box of bright astronomical objects: star clusters, bright nebulas and dark nebulas. Among them all, IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula, is one of the most photographed objects.

This image is an unusual Hα–SII bicolor composition in false color. The Hα and SII emission lines both lie in deep red, so it is impossible to render colour differences in a realistic way: the only option is a false color composition.

MAPOW Nr 6: The Elephant Trunk

Sat, 05 Sep 2015 10:00:00 +0000

MAPOW Nr 6: The Elephant Trunk

Cepheus is a quite dim constellation in the northern sky; despite its dimness it is full of sky treasures.

One of them is the large IC 1396 nebula, which contains the famous vdB 142 dark nebula, best known as the Elephant Trunk Nebula.

This narrowband image was caught with a William Optics FLT 110 with my SBIG ST2000XM camera and a Baader Hα filter, from a heavily light polluted sky and under a very bright full Moon.

MAPOW Nr 5: Magnificent Pinwheel

Sun, 17 May 2015 10:00:00 +0000

MAPOW Nr 5: Magnificent Pinwheel

M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a wonderful galaxy in Ursa Major.

Here is the latest result of the collaboration between me and my friend Luigi Fontana. The RGB signal was caught by Luigi with his ODK 12" and an unmodified Canon 6D.

Since the unmodified Canon is nearly blind to hydrogen light, I added the Hα signal, caught with a William Optics FLT 110 with my SBIG ST2000XM and a Baader Hα filter.

MAPOW Nr 4: The Cigar Galaxy M82 From Castenedolo

Sat, 25 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

MAPOW Nr 4: The Cigar Galaxy M82 From Castenedolo

M82, the Cigar Galaxy, is a very bright galaxy in Ursa Major. It is a very easy target even from a light polluted sky.

Its central part shows a very strong Hα emission, making it the perfect target for narrowband filter photography. This is an Hα enhanced picture of this beautiful object, taken from Castenedolo, a town near Brescia in northern Italy.

MAPOW Nr 3: The Triangulum Galaxy from Passo Mortirolo

Sun, 12 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

MAPOW Nr 3: The Triangulum Galaxy from Passo Mortirolo

M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is one of the most beautiful galaxies in the sky.

Although being one of the most prominent members of the Local Group, together with the Great Andromeda Galaxy and our Milky Way, it is an elusive target for astrophotographers due to its low surface brightness.

MAPOW Nr 2: The Sky Over Bazena

Sat, 04 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

MAPOW Nr 2: The Sky Over Bazena

Startrails is one of the very first experiences in an astrophotographer’s career.

Here is a 4 hour and 20 minute exposure taken in Bazena, a wonderful place on the Alps in northern Italy: the winter sky performs its mighty show over the small church of the Alpini.

MAPOW Nr 1: M13

Sat, 28 Mar 2015 11:00:00 +0000

MAPOW Nr 1: M13

Here is one of my very first experiments with digital astrophotography: M13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules.

It is one of the finest globular clusters in the northern sky and a very easy target even from my light polluted sky. In the top right corner of the image the galaxy NGC 6207 is also present and, midway between NGC 6207 and the cluster, the galaxy IC 4617 is barely visible.

Project MAPOW begins

Sat, 28 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Project MAPOW begins

As every astrophotographer knows, one of the great fulfillments, for those who love sharing images, is having an image published on the NASA APOD (Astronomy Picture Of the Day) website.

I haven’t had this honor yet, but I like sharing my images and processing hints with the astrophotographer community. This is the reason why I decided to start My Astronomy Picture Of the Week: on a weekly basis I’m going to publish my best astrophotos.