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Widefield deepsky


This is based on the same technique as DSO photography - a long exposure on a mount that tracks the sky. However, instead of a camera attached to a telescope, a camera with its own lens is used. This gives a much wider field of view, and gives a truly awesome view of the Milky Way and big star fields. Having said that, there is some crossover between what telescopes and camera lenses are capable of. The main difference is that because of the shorter focal lengths involved, the tracking/guiding doesn't have to be as precise.


Ursa major

Probably the best recognised asterism/constellation in the sky.


Casseiopia and Perseus

Possibly the W shape of Casseiopia is the next well known. Here it's centre frame. Note the Double Cluster in Perseus rising from the trees, and the Andromeda galaxy to the right of Casseiopeia.


Casseiopeia and the Double Cluster

Taken from the same site about an hour later, the darker sky now shows the summer Milky way rising. Casseiopeia is at the top of the frame, and it's "top" star has now gone out of view. Check out the Double Cluster in "Deep Sky" for a comparison.


The Andromeda galaxy

2.2 million light years away, and you can see it with the naked eye. Woo! Possibly how our own galaxy would appear from the outside.


Within Perseus

Centred on Mirphak in Perseus you are now looking out into our own galaxy, aka as the Milky Way. The milkiness now resolves itself into millions of stars. Consider it as looking sideway through a fried egg. Works for me anyway.



In Cygnus, and also part of the summer Milky Way. Note the satellite trails, and the amp glow.



Very widefield this time. Although this is a bit noisy and suffers from spherical abberration, you can just about start to see the start of the Flame Nebula on the left.



M45, the Pleiades

One of the most pleasing little clusters in the sky, and a tricky one to capture well.

