Unveiling the Structure of the Universe (with a Budget Telescope)

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

The beauty of this hobby is that you can enjoy it anyway you want. I've been interested in astronomy since the early nineteen sixties but only took up astrophotography five years ago. I was hoping to image that target this galaxy season but I'm currently living in temporary accommodation which has only has a limited view of the sky, so I will be concentrating on the higher up galaxies in Coma Bernice and Ursa Major, The Leo Triplet is also currently accessible for a few hours. I shall be using the Altair Astro version of the Astro Tech 115 f7. There are plenty of channels giving excellent advice on how to image various targets so it is nice to find one that explains a bit more about the objects being imaged which I find as interesting as setting up the imaging rig.

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

Thank you for commenting - I am thrilled that there are so many of us out there that appreciate the Astronomy in Astrophotography... Cheers!

[@KevinONeill-w7x]

Looking forward to the upcoming image videos! The preview of the Rosette Nebula looked awesome!

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

Thanks - the video should be ready sometime next week. I printed it as well, looks good...

[@jimmosquera4546]

Very nice video. Thank you!

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

Many thanks! I happen to really enjoy Galaxy images - even these wide field shots... Thanks for the comment, much appreciated!

[@Piimenta]

Great video, as usual. I would be curious to know the source of the diagrams you have shown for the local group, local super group, etc., and also the software you use to annotate your pictures, identifying the objects within. I imagine it is some plate solver?

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

Thanks @Pimenta - I have the sources and links for the images in the description - crediting the original authors/creators. I just provided @larrychristianson2244 with a brief explanation of the annotation overlay - and you are correct - plate solving is required if the WCS data is not present in the image file. Maybe I should do a quick tutorial on how to annotate, it is a very cool feature. Best!

[@larrychristianson2244]

Love the science. Pretty pictures are fine but, I am hoping that as I renew myself in this hobby that I will find some niche where my data could be useful to research. You're going to love your Stellarvue; I have the SVX127D and it is outstanding even if it's a doublet. I'm sure this is a beginner question, but how do you get the object identification overlay on your photos?

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

I happen to use Pixinsight, though there may be online services that do it as well. The process requires what we call a "Plate Solved" image - meaning the world coordinate system (WCS) data is part of the image file. Most capture software programs save this WCS information as metadata in the file - a good example is the .FITS file format. That WCS data allows the annotation software to place the labels in the "right spots". Of course, depending on the sophistication of the annotation tool, you can specify object types and detail levels. I generally create the annotations as separate overlay PNGs so I can selectively apply them to my images. Cheers - and thanks for the Stellarvue encouragement. I once owned an 80mm Stellarvue (doublet) and regret selling it to the day!

[@ioanbota9397]

Realy I like this video its interestyng

[@pierrebridet]

Wonderfully well-presented video, I'm glad i came across your channel in my discovery feed ! There's a question that's been bugging me for a while regarding the visual representation of the visible universe, perhaps you can help me with it. I'll try to formulate it as clearly as I can : When we look at the sky with capable telescopes, we not only look far away in terms of distance, but also increasingly far back in time. We're able to see galaxies over 13 billion light years away from us, but that also means we are seeing them as they were 13 billion year ago. So my question is this : in the maps showing filaments/structures of the known universe, are we seeing the galaxies and custers as we observe them now (which would mean that the maps aren't a representation of the current state of the universe but rather a distorted version), or are we adjusting their positions taking into consideration their movement, to show them where they actually are now, rather than where we see them ? Sorry if my phrasing isn't very clear.

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

Love the question - and it is something I also ponder. As you point out, light (photons) that we gather in our telescopes are in fact a snapshot of time long ago. By the time the photons reach us, the objects themselves are no longer occupy their original space - nor do we BTW! So any image is a capture of the past and we can never know with certainty where these objects are now or how exactly they have traveled since that moment we captured. We can only continue to observe, see and record. We know that the view of the heavens changes over time due to all the relative motion - history demonstrates this dating back thousands of years. Our view is different from views even back then. As for the rendition of cosmic filaments - the representations shared in this video are simulations/visual models to help us frame the theories - as we do not have the ability to observe these super structures directly (for a ton of reasons). However, the model is plausible based on observations from the "inside out". We CAN observe stars, star clusters, galaxies, galaxy groupings and even galaxy clusters. Virgo, Fornax, Norma and Bullet are a few of the many observed galaxy clusters that scientists and amateurs have imaged. We can also detect and "calculate" the relative motion of these distant objects/structures based on measured wavelength shifts. Receding objects have "apparent" elongated wavelengths, resulting in "Red Shift" while approaching objects have "apparent" contracted wavelengths resulting in "Blue Shift". With that information we can "model/predict" where these objects came from and where they are headed. I would argue that despite all of our wonderful science, math and wisdom - we are a long, long, long way from understanding it all. Which brings us back to infinity... All we can do is enjoy the ride and accept we will likely never know anything for sure!

[@MountainFisher]

My astronomy club has a 16" Meade LX200 and on the nights I was taken to view through it we looked at some galaxies without long exposure photography and the view of M51 was just really spectacular compared to my 8" which also can see it, but not as detailed. We spent a couple of hours just looking at various objects like the Owl Nebula. Some galaxies we could see had structure and others were just a blur.

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

Observation is a skill onto itself - and a joy as well... Has your club considered the use of EAA (electronically assisted astronomy)? You get the benefits of both worlds - the fun of observing with the aid of modern CMOS cameras and live-stacking software... Cheers!

[@MountainFisher]

@@AstroDNAObservatory There are members of my club who have CDK700 Planewave scopes for searching for Near Earth Objects and have discovered several NEOs. We have three observatories and regular Clyde Tombaugh (founding member) Lecture Series. Like a physicist from the Very Large Array Radio Scope came down with slides and what they've done there. There are several monthly Outreaches with the 16", a 14" and whatever members may bring as well. There are professional astronomers in the club from NMSU and White Sands. Our telescope at the University is made from a 12" missile tube and has a gravity fed tracking system from the 19th Century. I myself am working at getting more teens interested in astronomy. If I were younger I'd probably do some double star research for the USNO on multiple star orbits and measurements as they always need more observational data, but that takes some long-term commitment I'm not sure I have time for. Need a special measuring eyepiece too. Edit; Club website. aslc-nm.org/

[@AstroDNAObservatory]

What an awesome club, membership and locations! Thanks for sharing the link. I think the outreach programs are awesome. One challenge we have today is to grab the attention of younger minds and engage them in the field. Sounds like your club has all the right resources - I would love to visit some day, hoping to get a dark sky retreat in this year. Best!

[@MountainFisher]

@@AstroDNAObservatory City of Rocks is Bortle two and is an interesting geological place itself with its granite rocks pointing up like fingers. Great place to camp, campsites have astronomical names. I like to camp where I get a clear view of the Southern Constellations.