On February 18, 2021 I used my SDR# (Software Defined Radio) software to pick up the Perseverance orbiter radio beacon signal when the Perseverance lander was landing on Mars. As a HAM radio operator, I have do have some experience in SDR, as I usually use it to pick up and record NOAA weather satellite signals, decode them, and then generate weather images. Here is the signal as recorded live. http://tek1systems.com/vid/MarsPerseveranceOrbiter/VID20210218_132426.mp4

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BackyardAstronomy/permalink/2562829904014818/

NASA Mars Perseverance probe frequency log Feb 18 2021:

Relay orbiter Freq 437.512.500
Orbiter beacon freq detected on 437.516.100 – blip every 20 sec. (DSB on SDR#)

I intend to capture images of these celestial targets early this year:

M97 – Owl nebula. I have many images of this; but the images are always faint with not enough exposure time. I will image this without filters first, which might produce grainy images from the light pollution – I will experiment. Filtered OIII images will follow.

NGC7293 – Helix nebula. I have never imaged this visually or photographically.

As usual, I like open clusters and asterisms. I aim to image M35 in Gemini, as this is a very interesting and fascinating open cluster to see visually. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_35

Asterisms – see the new asterism page from the main menu.

https://courses.planetary.org/

Known as the “little dumbbell” in Perseus. 26-120second light images. Cropped. DSS and GIMP stripped out the color for unknown reasons. No darks. Canon T7 DSLR, Optolong L-Pro. Meade LXD SN-10, Skywatcher EQ6 mount unguided.

The 107″ telescope at McDonald observatory in Texas has been around since 1968 and has is still in operation to this day, despite bullet holes in its primary mirror!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_J._Smith_Telescope

Open star clusters in Cygnus tonight. Stacked 35sec images @ ISO400. Filter: Optolong L-Pro.

Region of Pegasus. More data is needed for the galaxies as they are quite faint. All images are 20-40sec light frames @ ISO400, 10 dark frames. Filter: Optolong L-Pro. Canon T7 DSLR. Telescope: Meade Schmidt-Newtonian 10″. Skywatcher EQ6-r mount, unguided.

SN-10″ DSLR, Optolong L-Pro

Messier 27: 30sec, ISO800 19lights, 6 darks.
NGC 7331: 40sec, ISO800 102lights, 10 darks.

Stacked 37 90-second images, one dark frame with ISO400 DSLR. No filters, Canon T7. Meade LXD sn-10 on Skywatcher EQ6-r. Orion autoguider with PHD. Flat frames will make it better. Stacked with Deep Sky Stacker and edited with Gimp.

Single 30 second shot at 200ISO. No filters, unguided. Canon T7 DSLR. Meade LXD75 Schmidt Newtonian-10″, Skywatcher EQ6-r. Cleaned up with GIMP.

Bortle 7 sky. I have been using the Optolong L-Pro lately but I wanted to see results with an unfiltered optic train. No filter tonight. 10″ Schmidt-Netwonian. I am finding out the hard way that I need to start using flat frames to prevent vignette.

A shot of Sadr: 6 lights @ 120sec, 3 darks. Canon T7 DSLR, Optolong L-Pro filter. Meade Schmidtt-Newtonian on Skywatcher EQ6-r mount. Unguided.

In constellation CEPHEUS. 30 – 90sec lights @ 800 ISO. One dark. 10″ Schmidt-Newt w/ Cannon T3. Optolong L-Pro filter.

Stacked with Nebulosity, edited in GIMP. I need more images (more data) to get a better (and more detailed) image.

starhopper.org

In constellation CEPHEUS. 10 – 20sec lights @ 800 ISO 10″ Schmidt-Newt w/ Cannon T3. Optolong L-Pro filter.

First image of the Bubble Nebula. Edited in GIMP. I need more images (more data) to get a better (and more detailed) image.

starhopper.org

Observing With NASA

I have been digging out old images and re-editing them. This image was captured via Observing with NASA – a public education site in which one can send schedules to robotic telescopes in Arizona and obtain selected images via email. This is a project in collaboration with Harvard University and is part of the MicroObservatory Robotic Observatory Network. This is used in primary education. I have used it in the past.

Here is an old image of the Crab Nebula from ten years ago that I have edited in GIMP.

A screenshot of operations and the home office. I operate it all from inside over WiFi. Each telescope has its own on-board mini PC: I then remote desktop into each one.

NGC 6866 is an open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. It was discovered by Caroline Herschel on 23 July 1783. (Wiki).

120sec x20 @ISO200. sn-10 OTA, DSLR.

Messier 13 or M13, also designated NGC 6205 and sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Hercules Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster of several hundred thousand stars in the constellation of Hercules. (Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_13)

120sec x20 @ISO800, AND 30sec x20 @ISO1600. Optolong L-Pro. DSLR. sn-10 OTA. 

M57 – The Ring Nebula. 30sec x20 @ISO800. Optolong L-Pro. DSLR. sn-10 OTA. 

Getting better at using the dark light levels in GIMP.

The Ring Nebula (also catalogued as Messier 57, M57 or NGC 6720) is a planetary nebula in the northern constellation of Lyra.^[4] Such objects are formed when a shell of ionized gas is expelled into the surrounding interstellar medium by a star in the last stages of its evolution before becoming a white dwarf. (Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_Nebula)