Stellar Objects
Deep-sky Objects
Cygnus Loop
My best photo (mosaic) of the Cygnus Loop - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 28/Aug/2024
- Exposures: 202x2min Lights, 20x2min Darks
- ISO: 800
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Description
The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103) is a large supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Cygnus, an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across. Some arcs of the loop, known collectively as the Veil Nebula or Cirrus Nebula, emit in the visible electromagnetic range. Radio, infrared, and X-ray images reveal the complete loop.
Find more information about the Cygnus Loop on Wikipedia
Personal Stats
First observation
📆 | 28/08/2022 |
📍 | Canadelo, Portugal |
Imaging sessions
Date | Bortle Class | Total Exposure Time |
28/8/2024 | Class 3 | 6h44min (202x2min) |
Captured media
Photographs
My best photo (mosaic) of the Cygnus Loop - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 28/Aug/2024
- Exposures: 202x2min Lights, 20x2min Darks
- ISO: 800
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
My best photo of the East Veil Nebula - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 6/Sep/2025
- Exposures: 10x5min Lights, 3x5min Darks, 15x5s Flats, 15x5s Dark Flats
- Gain: 126
- Sensor Temperature: -10ºC
- Guiding: Yes
Equipment:
- Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro
- Filters: SVBONY SV260 Light pollution filter
- Telescope: Orion Newtonian 8"/790 mm N 203/790 (0.95x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ6 modified with Onstep
Pacman Nebula / NGC281
NGC 281
My best photo of the Pacman Nebula - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 26/Aug/2025
- Exposures: 10x5min Lights, 3x5min Darks
- Gain: 105 (doh!)
- Sensor Temperature: -10ºC
- Guiding: Yes
Equipment:
- Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro
- Filters: SVBONY SV260 Light pollution filter
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Description
NGC 281, IC 11 or Sh2-184 is a bright emission nebula and part of an H II region in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way's Perseus Spiral Arm. This 20×30 arcmin sized nebulosity is also associated with open cluster IC 1590, several Bok globules and the multiple star, B 1. It collectively forms Sh2-184,[3] spanning over a larger area of 40 arcmin.[4] A recent distance from radio parallaxes of water masers at 22 GHz made during 2014 is estimated it lies 2.82±0.20 kpc (9200 ly) from us.[5] Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character.
Find more information about the Pacman Nebula on Wikipedia
Personal Stats
First observation
📆 | 26/08/2025 |
📍 | Fontão Fundeiro, Portugal |
Imaging sessions
Date | Bortle Class | Total Exposure Time |
26/8/2025 | Class 4 | 50min (10x5min) |
Captured media
Photographs
My best photo of the Pacman Nebula - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 26/Aug/2025
- Exposures: 10x5min Lights, 3x5min Darks
- Gain: 105 (doh!)
- Sensor Temperature: -10ºC
- Guiding: Yes
Equipment:
- Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro
- Filters: SVBONY SV260 Light pollution filter
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
North-America Nebula / NGC 7000
NGC 7000
My best photo of the North America Nebula - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 7/Jun/2025
- Exposures: 27x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks
- ISO: 3200
- Guiding: Yes
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Filters: SVBONY SV206 Light pollution filter
- Telescope: Orion Newtonian 8"/790 mm N 203/790
- Mount: Equatorial Sky-Watcher EQ6 (Upgraded with OnStep)
Description
The North America Nebula (NGC 7000 or Caldwell 20) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, close to Deneb (the tail of the swan and its brightest star) in the night sky. It is named because its shape resembles North America.
Find more information about the North America Nebula on Wikipedia
Personal Stats
First observation
📆 | 16/08/2022 |
📍 | Santa Cruz, Portugal |
Imaging sessions
Date | Bortle Class | Total Exposure Time |
16/8/2022 | Class 5 | 50min (50x1min) |
7/6/2023 | Class 5 | 27min (27x1min) |
Captured media
Photographs
My best photo of the North America Nebula - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 7/Jun/2025
- Exposures: 27x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks
- ISO: 3200
- Guiding: Yes
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Filters: SVBONY SV206 Light pollution filter
- Telescope: Orion Newtonian 8"/790 mm N 203/790
- Mount: Equatorial Sky-Watcher EQ6 (Upgraded with OnStep)
My first photo of the North America Nebula (reprocessed) - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 16/Aug/2025
- Exposures: 50x1min Lights
- ISO: 3200
- Guiding: Yes
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Lens: Pentax Lens 200 mm Super Takumar 200mm
- Mount: Unknown EQ2 (Modified with OpenAstroMount)
Galaxies
Andromeda Galaxy / M31
Messier 31
My best photo of the Andromeda galaxy - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 22/Aug/2022
- Exposures: 80x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks
- ISO: 1600
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Description
The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. It was originally named the Andromeda Nebula and is cataloged as Messier 31, M31, and NGC 224. Andromeda has a D25 isophotal diameter of about 46.56 kiloparsecs (152,000 light-years) and is approximately 765 kpc (2.5 million light-years) from Earth. The galaxy's name stems from the area of Earth's sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which itself is named after the princess who was the wife of Perseus in Greek mythology.
Find more information about the Andromeda Galaxy on Wikipedia
Personal Stats
First observation
📆 | 19/08/2022 |
📍 | Santa Cruz, Portugal |
Imaging sessions
Date | Bortle Class | Total Exposure Time |
22/8/2022 | Class 5 | 2h (60x2min) |
22/8/2023 | Class 5 | 1h20min (180x1min) |
Captured media
Photographs
My best photo of the Andromeda galaxy - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 22/Aug/2022
- Exposures: 80x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks
- ISO: 1600
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Triangulum Galaxy / M33
Messier 33
My best photo of the Triangulum galaxy - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 31/Aug/2024
- Exposures: 63x1min Lights, 10x60min Darks
- ISO: 800
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Description
The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy 2.73 million light-years (ly) from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598. With the D25 isophotal diameter of 18.74 kiloparsecs (61,100 light-years), the Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, behind the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way.
Find more information about the Triangulum Galaxy on Wikipedia
Personal Stats
First observation
📆 | 31/8/2024 |
📍 | Canadelo, Portugal |
Imaging sessions
Date | Bortle Class | Total Exposure Time |
31/8/2024 | Class 3 | 1h03min (63x1min) |
Captured media
Photographs
My best photo of the Triangulum galaxy - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 31/Aug/2024
- Exposures: 63x1min Lights, 10x60min Darks
- ISO: 800
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Star Clusters
Pleiades / M45
Messier 45 (and NGC1432 / NGC1435)
My best photo of the Pleiades - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 22/Aug/2023
- Exposures: 45x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks
- ISO: 1600
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Description
The Pleiades also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an asterism of an open star cluster containing young B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of about 444 light-years, it is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and the nearest Messier object to Earth, being the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky. It contains the reflection nebulae NGC 1432, an HII region, and NGC 1435, known as the Merope Nebula. Around 2330 BC the Pleiades marked the vernal point. Due to the brightness of its stars, the Pleiades is viewable from most areas on Earth, even in locations with significant light pollution.
Find more information about the Pleiades on Wikipedia
Personal Stats
First observation
📆 | 22/08/2023 |
📍 | Santa Cruz, Portugal |
Imaging sessions
Date | Bortle Class | Total Exposure Time |
22/8/2023 | Class 4 | 45min (45x1min) |
Captured media
Photographs
My best photo of the Pleiades - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 22/Aug/2023
- Exposures: 45x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks
- ISO: 1600
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Telescope: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)
- Mount: EQ5 modified with Onstep
Comets
Tsuchinshan–ATLAS / C/2023 A3
Tsuchinshan–ATLAS
My only photo of the C/2023 A3 comet - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 13/Oct/2023
- Exposures: 1x2.5s exposure
- ISO: 1600
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Lens: Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD
- Mount: Photography Tripod
Description
Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, also known as the Great Comet of 2024 and formally designated as C/2023 A3, is a comet from the Oort cloud discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China on 9 January 2023 and independently found by ATLAS South Africa on 22 February 2023. The comet passed perihelion at a distance of 0.39 AU (58 million km; 36 million mi) on 27 September 2024, when it became visible to the naked eye.[7] Tsuchinshan–ATLAS peaked its brightest magnitude on 9 October, shortly after passing the Sun, with a magnitude of −4.9 per reported observations at the Comet Observation Database (COBS).[7]
Find more information about the Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS on Wikipedia
Personal Stats
First observation
📆 | 13/08/2023 |
📍 | Torrão, Portugal |
Imaging sessions
Date | Bortle Class | Total Exposure Time |
13/8/2023 | Class 3 | 2.5s |
Captured media
Photographs
My only photo of the C/2023 A3 comet - Full resolution picture available on Telescopius
Details:
- Date: 13/Oct/2023
- Exposures: 1x2.5s exposure
- ISO: 1600
Equipment:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Lens: Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD
- Mount: Photography Tripod