Happy Holidays from The Astronomy Dude

Happy Holidays to one and all from TheAstronomyDude.com

New Astro Image - Rho Ophiuchi

I finally got a clear night and a chance to image again. Since it is early summer, the constellations Scorpius and Ophiuchus are as high as they get in the southern sky, so I thought I would image again in the area of Rho Ophiuchi and Antares. This area is one of the most colorful in the sky, with a combination of reflection nebulae and emission nebulae. I hope you like it.

This image is of the Rho Ophiuchi region of the sky. The bright star in the lower right is alpha Scorpii, Antares. The triple star system in the upper right, surrounded by blue nebulosity is Rho Ophiuchi. You can also see M4, a Globular Cluster, to the right of Antares.
Camera - Hap Griffin Modified Canon EOS 350D
Lens - Sigma 100 MM f2.8 Lens, set at f3.5 - ISO 1600 - (160MM effective focal length)
49.5 Minutes of exposure (33 x1.5 minutes)
AstroTrac TT320X Astrophotography mount for tracking

Happy New Year 2011

Hello folks,

Just jumping in to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I am looking forward to another year of spending time with family, friends, wildflowers, and the Night Sky.

All the best to you.

Michael