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Look Up & Enjoy the Night Sky – Visit Local Astronomy Clubs – Go to Star Parties, Observatories

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Sharing the Wonders of the Night Skies, an Amateur Astronomers endeavors to capture and share the Night Skies on Film and Digital Media.

Astronomy Clubs

Temecula Valley Astronomers (TVA)

Orange County Astronomers (OCA)    

Riverside Astronomical Society (RAS)

The Astronomical League   (Search for Clubs)

Mount Palomar Observatory – A private facility owned and operated by California Institute of Technology (Caltech).  The Facility has a great Visitors Center, and amenities.  It is one of the only Working Observatories  to offer Guided Tours .  If you live in or visit Southern California you must see The 200″ Hale Telescope .

Copyright: Non-profit use OK if credited to : Sam Pitts & samsastro.com

Comets: Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd); Comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner and Comet C/2023 A3

08-27-04:47:16 UT Latitude: 44° 2’ 07.73” North Longitude: 120° 50’ 43.21” West; 3855 ft. Juniper Acres, 30 miles East of Bend, OR Seeing: E Transparency: 6 ; Bortle-2 SQM: 21.74 Telescopes / Optics: TEC 140mm f/7 980mm Mount: AP1200 Camera: SBIG ST10xme CCD & CFW10 FOV: 48’ x 32’ FWHM: 2.85” Filter: Astrodon LRGB series E Gen. 2 (Ha 9nm used for Luminance) LRGB 15min. Information: Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) passing near Globular Star Cluster M 71 (NGC 6838); processed CCDStack2, Photoshop CS6
9/11/2018 09:51:36 UT Latitude: 33° 29′ 01.48″ North Longitude: 116° 43′ 19.24″ West Elevation: 4321 ft. Jupiter Ridge #4 Observatory, OCA site, near Anza, CA. Seeing: E Transparency: 6 Bortle: 4 SQM: 20.85 Telescopes / Optics: TMB f/4.8 fl/384mm Mount: AP1200 Camera: SBIG ST10xme CFW10 Total exposure FOV: 133.4′ x 89.5′ Filter: Astrodon LRGB series E Gen. 2 FWHM: 2.1 Information: Comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, Captured with CCDSoft; RGB= 60″ea LRGB= 12 min. total exposureCS6
Comet C/2023 A3 10-14-2024 7:37 PM
Comet C/2023 A3, 10-14-2024 7:37 PM; taken form Camino De La Torre, Temecula, CA Bortle 6 skies Canon 7D II Tripod 2sec. f/2.8 100mm ISO 320

Rosette Nebula NGC 2244

Rosette Nebula NGC 2244 9/21/2009 2:30 AM Latitude: 43° 31′ 21″ North: Longitude: 122˚ 52’ 35” West: Location: Snow Peak S/E of Cottage Grove. OR. 4658 ft: Seeing: E Transparency: 7; Bortle:2: SQM: 21.93 Telescopes / Optics: TMB 80mm f/ 4.8 384mm Mount : AP1200 Camera: SBIG ST10XME 120 min.; LRGB; L=30min(6x5min) RGB 60 min (4x5min ea.) Ha 9nm 30min (3×10) FOV 133.4′ x 89.5′ Information: Rosette Nebula NGC 2244 from a 3.1” refractor. Image captured with CCDSoft, processed with CCDStack and Photoshop

Rosette Nebula NGC 2244 / Caldwell 49 located in the constellation Monoceros. This is an Open Cluster surrounded by nebulosity that formed the stars in the cluster.  This nebula-Star Cluster shines at an apparent brightness of magnitude 9 and the nebulosity is like a red wreath when vied by RGB..   The Rosette Nebula is 65 light years across and lies 5,200 light years away.  This Nebula has several regions, NGC 2237, 2238, 2239,2246.  The entire Nebula is 130 light years in diameter.  Over 2500 young stars lie within this star forming nebula over 10,000 solar masses. The Rosette Nebula is rather large in the night sky at 1.3 degrees in diameter.  The full moon is ½ of a degree.  Imaging with 3-4 inch refractors reveal much detail.  Larger scopes are need for more detailed views through the eyepiece.

M78 Nebula NGC 2068

M78 Nebula NGC 2068, is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion.
03-03-2002 10:34 PM Latitude: 44º 5’ N Longitude: 123º 8’ W 800 ft. Eugene OR. Seeing: VG Transparency: 5 Telescopes / Optics: Takahashi FS 78 f/4.76 Mount : Std. G11 Camera: SBIG ST237a 6 minutes FOV: 43.8’ x 33’ Filter: LRGB Custom Scientific 30 sec subs
Information: Imaged from Back Yard in Eugene, Or, early attempt of CCD images with manual guiding, Using early versions of ST237a with CCDOPS and Richard Berry’s AIPWIN; later processed in Photoshop CS2. Definitely can see reflective illumination of nebulous clouds by surrounding stars.

Palomar Observatory

Draft updates in Progress

Hale Telescope
Palomar Observatory 200″ In the Moon Light September 11, 2019 Imaging Exoplanet H189___b
Canon 7D Mark II, Tokina 11mm f/2.8 32 sec. ISO 400 on a Tripod ; Moon 12.9 days Waxing Gibbous

Inside Caltech Astronomers, are having a successful run testing a prototype CCD camera. Imaging exoplanets and isolating the planets atmosphere for study.  Nearing its 75th year anniversary. Palomar Observatory is at the forefront of testing new ideas, equipment and theories. Palomar and Caltech continue collecting data that contributes to present day cosmology.  This image was taken from a tripod with a Canon 7D Mark II and Tokina 11-16mm lens at 11mm f/2.8 for 32 seconds ISO 400 at 2149 hours on September 11, 2019 by Sam Pitts.

Hale 200″ Telescope Dedicated in June 3, 1948

200″ (5.1 meter) Telescope Dedicated in June 3, 1948 as the Hale Telescope 1/ 26/1949 1st official photos taken by Edwin Hubble  Hubble’s Variable Nebula   NGC 22612. View from WINTER project Telescope, PW1000 PlanWave 1 meter f/6 telescope installed 2022.

View of Hale 200″ telescope from Catwalk May 23, 2018

Image of the Hale 200″ Mirror Cell and Scientific Instrument at Cassigrain focus inside a cage. Taken April 15, 2023 1417 hrs,

The 60-inch (1.5-meter) Telescope was dedicated in 1970 and resides inside the Oscar G. Mayer Memorial Building. Image taken May 13, 2023.

Palomar Observatory’s 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope – Zwicky Transit Facility  48” Schmidt Camera   Image Taken May 2018 also called P48 May 1937 and construction on the 48-inch Schmidt telescope began.