Hubble Sees Massive Globular Cluster: NGC 6139

Sci News ^ | 06/25/18

[dragnet2]

Canon 60D, raw mode, at prime focus through a 10" equatorial mounted Schmidt Cassegrain, which uses a series of lenses and mirrors. All mounted to a steel homemade pier mounted into about 1500 pounds of of concrete for stability and it's filled with fine sand to keep the vibrations down. I designed it were I can remotely control the instrument from inside the home if need be.

Btw, thanks.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Wow, that is one solid base! Impressive.

[dragnet2]

I had to make the floor isolated/not touching the pier, so that when I walk around the scope it doesn’t cause vibration during imaging. It would otherwise. Btw, everything the camera/scope sees, is seen on one of two LED monitors where software controls the guidance, scope, and camera.

[Silentgypsy]

Ah, just as I thought.

[dragnet2]

Agree. ‘Boggles the mind’ is a most appropriate term. I never get bored thinking about the distances and the size of some of these objects. Earth in comparison is a like an atom or molecule out here spinning like a top in a giant rotating pinwheel of stars. I find it all fascinating.

[dragnet2]

I've visited all those, but not with the camera yet. But I did get M-1!

M-1 or the Crab Nebula - At about 6300 light years from Earth. M-1 is the remnant of a star that exploded as a supernova which was bright enough to be observed by the ancient Chinese in 1054

M1/NGC 1952 14x60s

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks colorado tanker, nice topic to ping the former APoD list.

[doorgunner69]

I have to wonder what the gamma ray flux is in such a cluster.

If the radiation level would allow life to ever get started.

[doorgunner69]

I am so inferior, cannot even get a poor shot of M31.

[Conan the Librarian]

Because it is so big, M31 is really hard to shoot through a scope.

If you have a dslr and a tripod, try just pointing it in the area of m31 and take a few 10 or 15 sec exposiers. You may be surprised.

[doorgunner69]

I did try that, aimed where I thought it should be, got a small, faint orange blob. More exposure just got ruined by light pollution. Need a totally haze free night I suppose.

[Red Badger]

Globular cluster?.......................

[SunkenCiv]

“and here they are, Dolly Parton”.