Click on an image to view its uncompressed version.
My rendered videos are available on the Videos page.
My scanned astronomy photography from slides and negatives is available on the Scanned Astrophotography page.
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A recent move to Pemberton Heights, North Vancouver, may not have been the smartest choice for astrophotography, especially during the winter, but last night the skies cleared and I finally had a chance to image Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF). Our street has the benefit of no lights, and I was impressed with the ability of Photoshop to pull the data out of the sky glow.
On the left is a stack of five consecutive unguided two-second exposures with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/1.8, on Jan. 29, 2023 at 1:17 AM PST. Ursa Major (Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) are outlined; the comet is circled. On the right is a stack of five consecutive unguided two-second exposures with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and a Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8, at 1:33 AM PST. A faint tail extends upwards from the comet. |
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Starlink G4-15 soars over Calgary like a string of pearls in this photograph taken at 10:59 PM MDT on May 16, 2022. Launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 14 at 20:20 UTC, the individual satellites are still closely tracking each other.
Half-second exposures were recorded every second with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
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As predicted, clouds started to build up over Calgary a few hours before the start of last night's total lunar eclipse. My plan to drive as far east as possible changed when I saw better conditions to the north. I finally ended up about 50 km north of Hanna, pulled over on the side of Highway 36.
The clouds thinned for ten minutes at the end of totality, allowing me to take three exposures five minutes apart before the clouds moved in again. The first picture, taken two minutes before the end of totality, shows the northern part of the Moon deep within the Earth's shadow. Five minutes later, the Moon has started to move out of the shadow. A final picture, seriously affected by cloud, shows the progression of the eclipse. I used a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8 and 1/2-second exposures, with Photoshop processing. |
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Less than three days after a total solar eclipse over Antarctica, the Moon has reappeared in the evening sky. Here it is in conjunction with Venus on the evening of December 6, 2021, at 5:29 PM MST, as seen from Calgary, Alberta.
I used a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8 and a 1/20-second exposure, with Lightroom processing. |
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Venus is climbing higher in the sky after sunset, and has been recently joined by two other planets. This was the view from Calgary, Alberta, on December 5, 2021, at 5:44 PM MST.
Venus is the bright object to the right, while Jupiter shines in the upper left-hand corner. Saturn is near the center of the image.
This is a stack of five consecutive 1/4-second exposures with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/1.8, with Lightroom and Photoshop processing. |
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The sky cleared over Calgary, Alberta, just before the start of the partial lunar eclipse on the morning of November 19, 2021. I took pictures every four minutes with a Nikon D750
at ISO 800 and a Sigma 135mm DG lens. Exposures varied throughout the eclipse.
This five-picture photomontage, from left to right, shows the Moon moving into the Earth's shadow. At mid-eclipse, the Moon was almost completely in the shadow except at the southern tip. The last two images show the Moon exiting the Earth's shadow. |
| The outline of the Earth's shadow shows well in this rearranged five-picture photomontage. |
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I recorded a poor display of the Aurora Borealis on the evening of October 12, 2021, at the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta. The sky darkened as the Moon set.
237 consecutive 13-second exposures from 10:09 to 11:31 PM MDT were recorded every 15 seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/1.8, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Click here for a rendered video. |
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The passage of the International Space Station (ISS) over Calgary, Alberta, was recorded on the evening of October 3, 2021, at 8:09 PM MDT. The ISS disappears to the left as it passes into the Earth's shadow.
Half-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
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The passage of the International Space Station (ISS) over Calgary, Alberta, was recorded on the evening of September 24, 2020, at 9:32 PM MDT.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
| This comparison of my recent raw image of the southern Milky Way and the processed version shows the power of Lightroom and Photoshop. I used Lightroom to adjust brightness, color, contrast, lens distortion/vignetting, sharpness, and a few other tweaks. I imported the adjusted image and two others in Photoshop, aligned and stacked them, eliminated the lights from the adjacent highway, then applied a final round of brightness, contrast, and color correction. |
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While I was shooting the Perseid meteor shower with my wide-angle lens, I used my regular lens for a series of guided shots of the evening sky. Here is the Summer Milky Way at 11:45 PM MDT on August 12, 2020.
Jupiter and Saturn are prominent to the left.
My viewing site was at Range Road 54A, Township Road 252, 2 km east of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta. Three consecutive 30-second guided exposures were recorded every 34 seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/1.8, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. |
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I pointed my stationary wide-angle lens at the northwestern sky on August 12, 2020, for 1h41m starting at 11:00 PM MDT, and captured at least 28 Perseids. My viewing site was at Range Road 54A, Township Road 252, 2 km east of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta.
289 consecutive 20-second exposures were recorded every 21 seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Click here for a rendered video. |
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I caught this beautiful Perseid meteor on August 9, 2020, at 11:43 PM MDT, while shooting the Summer Milky Way. My viewing site was at Range Road 54A, Township Road 252, 2 km east of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta.
Five consecutive 30-second guided exposures were recorded every 35 seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. The closeup is from the single 30-second exposure that captured the meteor. |
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Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) was a shadow of its former glory in this image taken at Range Road 54A, Township Road 252, 2 km east of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta. Ten consecutive 20-second guided exposures were processed and stacked in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Technical details: August 9, 2020, at 11:20 PM MDT, Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. |
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The International Space Station (ISS) is currently at an altitude where it completes 31 revolutions every 48 hours. Consequently, the ISS has a passage very similar to the apparition two days earlier. Its appearance was recorded on the evening of July 28, 2020, at 11:19 PM MDT.
The overexposed Moon is prominent at the center-bottom. Jupiter is visible to the left. The ISS disappears on the left side as it passes into the Earth's shadow.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
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The International Space Station (ISS) has been recently overshadowed by Comet NEOWISE, but it has been visible from Calgary, Alberta, for the last few weeks. Its passage was recorded on the evening of July 26, 2020, at 11:19 PM MDT.
The overexposed Moon is prominent to the right. Jupiter and Saturn are visible to the left.
1.3-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
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Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) continues to fade as it recedes from both the Sun and Earth, but it is still visible to the unaided eye in dark skies. My viewing site was at Range Road 54A, Township Road 252, 2 km east of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta.
Six consecutive 20-second guided exposures were processed and stacked in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Technical details: July 24, 2020, at 12:55 AM MDT, Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. Click here for a rendered video. |
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Five nights after my last pictures, Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) is still an impressive sight from the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta.
Six consecutive 20-second guided exposures were processed and stacked in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Technical details: July 21, 2020, at 1:39 AM MDT, Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. Click here for a rendered video. |
| Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) continues to be a spectacular sight from the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta. Six consecutive 20-second guided exposures were processed and stacked in Lightroom and Photoshop.
The broad dust tail is starting to exhibit synchronic bands, similar to Comet West (C/1975 V1). Technical details: July 16, 2020, at 12:49 AM MDT, Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. Click here for a rendered video. |
| Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) was a spectacular sight from the Sibbald Creek Trail exit, near Calgary, Alberta. Five consecutive five-second exposures were processed and stacked in Lightroom and Photoshop.
The green glow is the Aurora Borealis.
Technical details: July 14, 2020, at 2:42 AM MDT, Nikon D750 at ISO 1600 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. Click here for a rendered video. |
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The passage of the International Space Station (ISS) over Calgary, Alberta, was recorded on the evening of May 27, 2020, at 11:45 PM MDT. The overexposed Moon is prominent to the right. The
ISS fades away on the left-hand side as it passes into the Earth's shadow.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. The background image is a stack of five consecutive exposures midway through the sequence. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
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On the evening of April 27, 2020, the Moon occulted (passed in front of) a number of stars. I used my Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a f/3.3 focal reducer and a RunCam Night Eagle 2 video camera
to record the events. Each video field is stamped with the precise time from an IOTA-VTI GPS Video Time Inserter. These images are stacks of five consecutive frames, so the time stamp is smeared.
There are two stars in the first image. Their disappearances occurred 63 seconds apart. Click here for a rendered video from the third event involving the star ZC 983 (visual mag. = 6.0), which starts ten seconds before the disappearance and ends 15 seconds later. Analysis of the individual fields acquired every 0.0167 sec. gives the time of the event as 05:45:42.78 UTC. The other star passed north of the Moon. |
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The passage of the International Space Station (ISS) over Calgary, Alberta, was recorded on the evening of March 25, 2020, at 9:27 PM MDT. The bright object in the field is Venus. Auriga is centered in the frame, while Orion and Taurus are off to the left.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
| The Moon and Venus together over Calgary, at 6:25:21 MST on January 28, 2020. This is a 1/4-second exposure with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8.
The image was processed in Lightroom. |
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The passage of the International Space Station (ISS) over Calgary, Alberta, was recorded on the evening of January 28, 2020, at 6:15 PM MST. The crescent Moon and Venus are prominent to the lower-left.
In contrast to the ISS passage three nights earlier, this sequence was shot in heavy twilight, so the exposures are shorter, the ISS is not as trailed, and few stars are visible. 1/30-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
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The passage of the International Space Station over Calgary, Alberta, was recorded on the evening of January 25, 2020, at 7:01 PM MST. The bright object on the right is Venus, close to the path of the ISS.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
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The passage of the International Space Station over Calgary, Alberta, was recorded on the evening of January 22, 2020, at 7:45 PM MST. Sky conditions were poor, with pervasive thin clouds.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/1.8, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Graphical prediction of the Calgary pass courtesy of heavens-above.com Click here for a rendered video. |
| The current series of International Space Station passages over Calgary is coming to an end, but we've had some spectacular events over the last few weeks. One of the best was recorded on the evening of November 30, 2019, at 6:13 PM MST.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Lightroom and Photoshop. Click here for a rendered video. |
| The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter (left to right) together over Calgary, at 5:17 PM MST on November 28, 2019. This is a 1/80 sec. exposure with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8.
The image was processed in Lightroom. |
| The Moon over Calgary on August 4, 2019. I took photographs every three minutes with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. Exposures varied with the brightness of the Moon.
The images were combined and processed in Photoshop and Lightroom. |
| The Moon over Calgary on August 3, 2019. I took photographs every two minutes with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. Exposures varied with the brightness of the Moon.
The images were combined and processed in Photoshop and Lightroom. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on July 17, 2019, at 11:54 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/640 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.36 and Sharpen setting of 0.150, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. Image quality was only fair due to the low altitude of the Moon. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on July 16, 2019, at 11:30 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/800 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 29 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.160, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. This picture was taken only 7h52m after the Full Moon, when a partial lunar eclipse occurred in the Eastern Hemisphere. Image quality was only fair due to the low altitude of the Moon. |
| The Moon at Griffith Woods Park, Calgary, on July 16, 2019. Following moonrise at 9:54 PM MDT, I took photographs every three minutes with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8.
Exposures varied with the brightness of the Moon.
The images were combined and processed in Photoshop and Lightroom. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on July 14, 2019, at 10:32 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/400 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on July 11, 2019, at 11:05 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 40 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on July 10, 2019, at 11:04 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The southern Milky Way, including the Magellanic Clouds, on the evening of May 27, 2019, from Kings Canyon Resort, NT, Australia. A 20-second exposure was recorded with a Nikon D750 at ISO 1600 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed in Lightroom. |
| The western sky after sunset on the evening of May 22, 2019, from Wilpena Pound, SA, Australia. A 20-second exposure was recorded with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed in Lightroom.
The Zodiacal Light is the prominent band of light trending from the lower center of the frame to the upper right. The Milky Way extends to the upper left. |
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The International Space Station (ISS) transited the Sun on April 25, 2019, at 12:33:22.94 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary. I shot high-definition video at 60 frames/second with a Nikon D750 at ISO 100 and 1/1000-second exposure with the Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and solar filter.
The ISS was 528 km away and some detail of its shape is evident here. As seen in the second image (courtesy of transit-finder.com), my location was 1.95 km north of the centerline, so the ISS track was displaced towards the Sun's southern limb. The processed video has been slowed down by a factor of six. The color-corrected photomontage (showing every second frame from the original video) was created with PIPP, Lightroom and Photoshop. Click here for the rendered video. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on April 18, 2019, at 11:51 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. This picture was taken only 5h21m before the Full Moon. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on April 17, 2019, at 11:43 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 15 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on April 17, 2019, at 12:37 AM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/320 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on April 16, 2019, at 12:17 AM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 24 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on April 14, 2019, at 10:34 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on April 13, 2019, at 11:38 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/640 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on April 13, 2019, at 12:03 AM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/400 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. The relative blue color of Mare Tranquillitatis in the color image is due to higher abundances of the titanium-bearing mineral ilmenite. |
| The Moon on April 8, 2019, at 9:57 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/25 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.240, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon over Calgary on April 7, 2019. I took 1/5 sec. exposures every 160 seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8.
The images were combined and processed in Photoshop. |
| The Moon over Calgary on April 7, 2019. I took photographs every three minutes with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. Exposures varied with the brightness of the Moon.
The images were combined and processed in Photoshop. |
| The western sky, as recorded on the evening of April 2, 2019, from Highway 68, about 400m south of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit on the Trans-Canada Highway, Alberta. A 20-second exposure was recorded with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed in Lightroom.
The Zodiacal Light is the prominent band of light extending from the lower right to the center of the frame. |
| The passage of the International Space Station was recorded on the evening of April 2, 2019, at 10:20 PM MDT. My observing site was on Highway 68, about 400m south of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit on the Trans-Canada Highway, Alberta.
One-second exposures were recorded every two seconds with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, then processed and combined in Photoshop. The background was a stack of three consecutive images taken halfway through the passage. Click here for a rendered video. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on March 23, 2019, at 6:52 AM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/640 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on March 21, 2019, at 11:46 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/1250 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 29 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon over Downtown Calgary on March 21, 2019, as seen from Edworthy Park. Following moonrise at 8:54 PM MDT, I took photographs every three minutes with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8.
Exposures varied with the brightness of the Moon.
The images were combined and processed in Photoshop. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on March 20, 2019, at 11:45 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/2500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 25 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on March 19, 2019, at 11:12 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary; a 1/1250 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 25 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on January 10, 2019, at 6:28 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/250 sec. exposure at ISO 1000 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.40 and Sharpen setting of 0.180, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| The occultation of the star SAO 165019 (visual mag. = 7.8) by the Moon was observed at Calgary on January 9, 2019; these are one-second exposures at ISO 1600 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
The exposures were taken at 6:02:10, 6:04:04, 6:09:04, 6:10:38, and 6:10:42 PM MST. The computed time of disappearance was 6:10:38.5 PM MST. |
| The Moon on January 9, 2019, at 6:01 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/250 sec. exposure at ISO 1270 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 10 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.35 and Sharpen setting of 0.120, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| First test of my new Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, which tracks the stars and allows you to take long-exposure photographs without the stars smearing.
On the left is a five-minute untracked exposure of Castor and Pollux on January 4, 2019, with a Nikon D750 at ISO 100 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/8. On the right is the same exposure with the tracking turned on. There is a bit of vibration from the observing platform, but overall the results are quite impressive! |
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The International Space Station (ISS) transited the Sun on December 22, 2018, at 2:50:48.2 PM MST, as seen from Calgary. I shot high-definition video at 60 frames/second
with a Nikon D750 at ISO 100 and 1/1000-second exposure with the Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and solar filter.
The Sun was only 10o above the horizon and seeing conditions were poor. The ISS was 1466 km away, so little detail of its shape is evident here. As seen in the second image (courtesy of transit-finder.com), my location was close to the centerline, so the ISS track was nearly central across the Sun. The color-corrected photomontage (showing every fifth frame from the original video) was created with PIPP, Lightroom and Photoshop. Click here for the rendered video. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on December 21, 2018, at 10:40 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/2500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 18 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.35 and Sharpen setting of 0.160, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on December 20, 2018, at 9:35 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/1250 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
Clouds were extensive and the seeing was poor. These are stacks of 8 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.50 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on December 19, 2018, at 6:18 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/200 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
Clouds were pervasive and the seeing was very poor. These are stacks of 7 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.40 and Sharpen setting of 0.160, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on December 18, 2018, at 10:38 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/1250 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on December 17, 2018, at 5:33 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/1000 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
The seeing was excellent. These are stacks of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.210, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on December 16, 2018, at 5:06 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/800 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 15 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.40 and Sharpen setting of 0.190, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on December 15, 2018, at 6:18 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/640 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
Chinook winds (and their associated poor sky conditions) were much reduced tonight, and the seeing was very good. This is a stack of 20 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.35 and Sharpen setting of 0.190, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on December 14, 2018, at 10:22 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 19 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.30 and Sharpen setting of 0.160, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
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| Black-and-white and color images of the Moon on December 13, 2018, at 8:45 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/400 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
These are stacks of 27 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.45 and Sharpen setting of 0.220, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Iridium 64 satellite produced a bright flare from its solar panels this morning in Calgary. Venus and Spica are also visible in this picture taken on December 13, 2018, at 6:19 AM MST.
A ten-second exposure at ISO 800 with a Nikon D750 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/10. |
| The Moon on December 12, 2018, at 6:27 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/320 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 51 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.35 and Sharpen setting of 0.200, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on December 11, 2018, at 5:54 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/60 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Sky conditions were not great, with cirrus cloud and poor seeing.
This is a stack of six images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.25 and Sharpen setting of 0.160, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| I captured an early Geminid meteor while shooting video of Gemini with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens, on the evening of December 8, 2018, near Bartstow, Alberta. I aligned and stacked five consecutive ten-second exposure frames in Photoshop.
The outline of Gemini has been added. |
| I captured an early Geminid meteor while shooting video of Taurus and the comet 46P/Wirtanen with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/1.8, on the evening of December 8, 2018, near Bartstow, Alberta. I aligned and stacked five consecutive ten-second exposure frames in Photoshop.
Taurus and the Pleaides are in the upper-left corner, while 46P/Wirtanen is the fuzzy green dot in the lower-right corner. |
| M42 and the central area of Orion, on the evening of December 8, 2018. This is a stack of four images with five-second exposures, processed and aligned with Lightroom and Photoshop, with a Nikon D750 at ISO 1600 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8.
I observed from Township Road 232 and Range Road 251, about 10 km south of Strathmore, Alberta. |
| A view of the winter sky from Bartstow, Alberta, on the evening of December 8, 2018. Orion is prominent left-of-center, while Taurus and the Pleiades star cluster are located slightly to the upper-left of center. The comet 46P/Wirtanen is the fuzzy green dot just to the right-of-center.
This is a stack of four images, each of 10 seconds duration, with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens. Stacking and processing in Photoshop. |
| The comet 46P/Wirtanen, at 10:23 PM MST on the evening of December 8, 2018, from Township Road 232 and Range Road 251, about 10 km south of Strathmore, Alberta.
This is a stack of four images with five-second exposures, processed and aligned with Lightroom and Photoshop, with a Nikon D750 at ISO 1600 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. |
| The comet 46P/Wirtanen, at 10:41 PM MST on the evening of December 5, 2018, from Highway 68, about 400 m south of the Sibbald Creek Trail exit on the Trans-Canada Highway, Alberta.
This is a stack of four images with five-second exposures, processed and aligned with Lightroom and Photoshop, with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. |
| The Moon on November 28, 2018, at 1:17 AM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/640 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 14 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.20 and Sharpen setting of 0.140, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| I captured this beautiful meteor while shooting the northern skies on the evening of November 27, 2018, from the Sibbald Creek Trail exit in Alberta, Canada.
A 10-second exposure at ISO 800 with a Nikon D750 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens. Processing in Lightroom. |
| The Moon on November 25, 2018, at 11:15 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/640 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.20 and Sharpen setting of 0.140, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on November 24, 2018, at 10:16 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/1000 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.20 and Sharpen setting of 0.160, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| A continuation of my moon photograph from two nights ago; here is the Moon on November 19, 2018, at 7:48 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/640 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 30 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.25 and Sharpen setting of 0.140, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on November 17, 2018, at 6:01 PM MST, as seen from Calgary; a 1/400 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 24 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.25 and Sharpen setting of 0.160, with Linked Wavelets) using RegiStax 6. |
| Smoky conditions in Calgary last night gave the Moon a distinctive orange color. This is a stack of 32 images (1/60 sec. exposure at ISO 800) at 9:18 p.m. on August 22, 2018, with the Nikon D750 and a Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
Stacking with PIPP and post-stack processing with RegiStax 6 and Photoshop CC. |
| Well, it took me a week to find one tiny meteor from my series of 116 shots of the Perseid meteor shower, but here it is! There are also three earth satellites, a plane (lower left corner), and M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy) in this ten-second exposure at ISO 2016 with a Nikon D750 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens.
This picture was taken at 11:14 p.m. on the evening of August 13, 2018, facing towards the radiant in the northeast. Photoshop CC was used to adjust the contrast and brightness. |
| Another spectacular sunset in the Springbank Hill suburb of Calgary, courtesy of the forest fires in British Columbia, at 8:13 p.m. on August 17, 2018.
This is a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 200 with a Nikon D750 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/5.6. Photoshop CC was used to adjust the contrast and brightness. |
| While the forest fires in British Columbia continue to play havoc with our night-time skies here in Calgary, the smoke makes for some awesome day pics. Here is the Sun at 8:05 p.m. on August 15, 2018, 52 minutes before sunset.
This is a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 200 with a Nikon D750 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/5.6. Photoshop CC was used to adjust the contrast and brightness. |
| The Summer Milky Way as seen from Scott Lake Hill, about 53 km west of Calgary, on the evening of August 13, 2018. This is a 10-second exposure at ISO 2016 with a Nikon D750 and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens. Photoshop CC was used to adjust the contrast and brightness.
Mars is the bright red object in the left side of the image. Saturn is buried within the Milky Way at the bottom center. |
| A composite picture of the passage of the International Space Station over Calgary on August 5, 2018. Two-second exposures were taken every four seconds. A Nikon D750
with a Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens was used for this wide-angle shot, operating at ISO 800 and f/3.5.
Jupiter is the bright object below the ISS track, in the middle of the frame. Saturn is above the end of the track on the left side. Click here for a rendered video. Two-second exposures were taken every four seconds, then processed in Lightroom and combined in Photoshop. |
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The Moon and Venus in conjunction on the evening of July 15, 2018 at 10:46 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary. A 1/2 sec. exposure with a Nikon D750 at ISO 800 and a Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. |
| The Moon and Venus in conjunction on the evening of July 15, 2018 at 11:05 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary. This is a 1/8 sec. exposure at ISO 800 with a Nikon D750 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8. |
| Three close-ups of the Moon on April 25, 2018, at 10:24 PM MDT as seen from Calgary. All images are 1/500 sec. exposures at ISO 800 with my Nikon D750
and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
The left photograph is a single exposure, while the middle photograph is a stack of 12 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, and stacked with RegiStax 6. Note the increase in resolution in the stacked photograph. The right photograph is the result of RegiStax 6 applying a Denoise setting of 0.25 and a Sharpen setting of 0.140, with Linked Wavelets, to the middle photograph. There is better contrast in the final photograph, while retaining detail along the terminator (upper-left corner). |
| The Moon on April 25, 2018, at 10:24 PM MDT as seen from Calgary. This is a 1/500 sec. exposure at ISO 800, my first photograph with my Nikon D750 and the Meade 8" f/10 LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
This is a stack of 12 images, cropped and aligned with PIPP, then stacked and processed (Denoise setting of 0.25 and Sharpen setting of 0.140, with Linked Wavelets) with RegiStax 6. |
| The Moon on April 23, 2018, at 10:26 PM MDT as seen from Calgary. This is a 1/250 sec. exposure at ISO 400 with the Meade 4" f/10 telescope.
For this image, I did a collimation of the telescope's optics, and for the first time shot the Nikon D750 with the mirror in the lock-up position to minimize vibration. |
| The Moon on April 21, 2018, at 10:07 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary. A 1/125 sec. exposure with a Nikon D750 at ISO 400 and a Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. |
| The Moon and Venus in conjunction on the evening of April 17, 2018 at 9:49 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary. This is a 1/2 sec. exposure at ISO 1600 with a Nikon D750 and AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens at f/1.8.
The star directly below the Moon is 5 Tauri, with an apparent magnitude of 4.14. |
| The Moon and Venus in conjunction on the evening of April 17, 2018 at 9:45 PM MDT, as seen from Calgary. This is a 1/8 sec. exposure at ISO 1600 with a Nikon D750 and Sigma 135mm DG lens at f/1.8.
The star directly below the Moon is 5 Tauri, with an apparent magnitude of 4.14. |
| A composite picture of the passage of the International Space Station over Calgary on February 9, 2018. One-second exposures were taken every two seconds. A Nikon D750 at ISO 800 with a Sigma Art 14 mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens was used for this wide-angle shot.
Click here for a rendered video. One-second exposures were taken every two seconds, then processed in Lightroom and combined in Photoshop. |
| A composite picture of the passage of the International Space Station over Calgary on December 8, 2017. 1/13-second exposures were taken every two seconds. A Nikon D750 with a Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens was used for this wide-angle shot. |
| A composite picture of the passage of the International Space Station over Calgary on November 30, 2017. Two-second exposures were taken every four seconds. A Nikon D750 at ISO 400 with a Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens was used for this wide-angle shot.
Click here for a rendered video. Two-second exposures were taken every four seconds, then processed in Lightroom and combined in Photoshop. |
| A composite picture of the passage of the International Space Station over Calgary on October 3, 2017. One-second exposures were taken every two seconds.
Notice how the object slows down as it moves further to the east and away from the viewing site. The last few streaks turn red as the ISS moves into the Earth's shadow and disappears.
Click here for a rendered video. One-second exposures were taken every two seconds, then processed in Lightroom and combined in Photoshop. |
| The Moon on October 3, 2017, taken with the Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Photoshop CC was used to adjust the contrast and brightness. |
| A composite picture of the rising Moon with a regular lens, from Calgary on October 3, 2017. |
| The Moon on October 2, 2017, at 10:22 PM MDT, taken with the Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. |
| A composite picture of the rising Moon with a regular lens and through a telescope, from Calgary on October 1, 2017. |
| The Moon on September 27-29, 2017, from Calgary. |
| Pictures of the rising Moon were taken every three minutes and combined in Photoshop CC with a landscape
photograph taken before moonrise. This montage was acquired near Ardrossan, Alberta, on September 7, 2017, nearly two days after Full Moon.
Note that due to refraction, the Moon was compressed vertically as it rose compared to its appearance later in the evening. |
| One day after the Full Moon, moonrise near Ardrossan, Alberta, on September 6, 2017. Pictures taken five minutes apart were combined in Photoshop CC. |
| Pictures of the Full Moon were taken every five minutes and combined in Photoshop CC with a landscape photograph taken at moonrise. This montage was acquired at Calgary, Alberta, on September 5, 2017. |
| The Sun on September 7, 2017. Notice how the sunspots have moved compared to the image two days earlier, due to the Sun's rotation. |
| The Sun on September 5, 2017. A solar filter was used with a Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Photoshop CC turned the original grey image into a pleasing yellow depiction. |
| The Moon on June 5, 2017, taken with the Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Photoshop CC was used to adjust the contrast and brightness. |
| The Moon on May 29, 2017, taken with the Meade 4" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. This photograph was acquired in JPEG format, which lacks the dynamic range of a NEF (RAW) image. |