Camera Assisted Observing (EAA) - Oberserving using very short exposures
Visual observations are difficult if not impossible from my light polluted Bortle red/white zone backyard. Hence I mostly observe deep sky objects using CMOS/CCD cameras - also called electronically assisted astronomy / observing (EAA). I usually use live stacking software such as SharpCap to stack multiple short exposures in real-time while at the scope.
All images below are live stacks at the scope of very short sub exposures (no post processing), typically 1-15s, with SharpCap using the ASI290MM on my 8" XLT / EdgeHD Celestron SCTs from my Bortle Red/White Backyard.
Camera Assisted Observing (EAA) Showcase
In this gallery I have selected observations that illustrate what is possible in terms resolving detail and/or going deep using very short exposures with the newer CMOS cameras.
Revisited M87 Jet: Revisted the jet in Apr 2019
M87 Jet: Relativistic jet of matter of the giant eliptical M87 in the heart of the Virgo Cluster
Andromeda's Parachute: Quad lensed quasar. Look for the distinctive parachute shape
Siamese Twins: These are pair of interacting/colliding galaxies in the Constellation of Virgo
Copelands Septet HCG 57: One of the most interesting Hickson Compact Groups. Just 20x15s!
M64: Also known as the Black Eye Galaxy located in Coma Berenices
Twin Quasar: Mag 17 gravitationally lensed quasar in UMA in just 15x4s!
Galaxies
Live stacks using less than 10s sub exposures taken with mostly the ASI290MM and C8@F5.
M65: A galaxy ~35M lyrs away in Leo
M51: A very short 3 minute total exposure stack
M66: Part of the Leo Triplet
NGC4449: Irregular galaxy with significant star creation
Needle Galaxy: A superb example of an edge-on galaxy
Whale Galaxy (NGC4631): An interacting galaxy...
Box Galaxies (Hickson 61 group):
ARP Galaxies and other interesting finds..
The real faint fuzzies with the C8@F5 and ASI290MM. Also see my related observing article here on cosmic train wrecks..
The Penguin & Egg
Grasshopper Galaxies
Edward's Galaxy
Antennae Galaxies
Taffy Galaxies
ARP 278 NGC7253
ARP 284 NGC7714-15 VV51
ARP 158 NGC523
ARP 170 NGC7578
ARP 213 IC356
ARP 215 N2782
ARP 6 Bear's Paw
ARP 78 NGC772
Arp 212 NGC7625
ARP 299
Colorful Objects - From our local Milky Way neigbourhood
Live stacks using less than 60s sub exposures taken with a wide variety of cameras over the years including the ASI224MC, ASI385MC, ASI294MC Pro and the Atik Infinity. Sub exposure time for the CMOS based cameras tends to be tyically less than 15s, sometimes 30s.
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