Messier Log

Messier Log

Documenting capturing the Messier Catalog of 110 Astronomical Objects EAA Style. Many (really most) of these I have observed or imaged before, but starting over in December 2021.

How many can I get before the end of 2022? We shall see…

All these EAA images were capture with my SV305 Camera through my Astro-Tech AT66ED and live stacked using SharpCap Pro. The mount and cameras are remotely controlled with KStars/Ekos/INDI running on an Astroberry Raspberry Pi.

Current progress: 32 of 110 Messier Objects Captured
M1, M15, M31, M32, M33, M34, M35, M36, M37, M38, M39, M41, M42, M43, M44, M45, M46, M47, M50, M52, M74, M76, M77, M78, M79, M81, M82, M97, M103, M108, M109, M110

Messier Object EAA Image Date Notes
M1, The Crab Nebula M1 - The Crab Nebula 12/26/2021 Live stack of 45 x 20 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M15, Globular Cluster M15 Globular Cluster 12/22/2021 Live stack of 23 x 4 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M31, The Andromeda Galaxy

M32, Dwarf Galaxy

 M31 - Andromeda Galaxy - 47 x 8 Second Live Stack 12/23/2021 Live stack of 47 x 8 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M33, The Triangulum Galaxy M33 - Triangulum Galaxy- 76 x 8 Second Live Stack 12/23/2021 Live stack 76 x 8 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M34, Open Cluster M34, Messier 34 Open Cluster - 01/08/2022 01/08/2022 Live stack 30 x 30 second exposures with gain set to 350

AT66ED with SV305
M35, Open Cluster M35, Messier 35 - Open Cluster - Taken 01/08/2022 01/08/2022 Live stack 30 x 30 second exposures with gain set to 350

AT66ED with SV305
M36, Open Cluster M36, Messier 36 - Open Cluster - Taken 01/08/2022 01/08/2022 Live stack 30 x 30 second exposures with gain set to 350

AT66ED with SV305
M37, Open Cluster M37 12/22/2021 Live stack 91 x 1 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M38, Open Cluster M38, Messier 38, Open Cluster 01/11/2022 Live stack of 30 x 20 second exposures with 350 gain

AT66ED with SV305
M39, Open Cluster M39, Messier 39, Open Cluster 01/11/2022 Live stack of 30 x 20 second exposures with 350 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M41, Open Cluster M41 - Open Cluster - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack 28 x 10 second exposures at 400 gain. Stack was of 30 exposures, but 2 were ignored due to movement in the images (caused by wind I think).

AT66ED with SV305
M42, The Orion Nebula M42 - Orion Nebula 12/22/2021 Live stack of 160 x 1 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M43, De Mairan’s Nebula M43, Messier 43, Nebula in Orion 01/11/2022  Live stack of 30 x 10 second exposures with 350 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M44, The Beehive Cluster M44 - The Beehive Cluster - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack of 50 x 10 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M45, Pleiades – Open Cluster M45, Messier 45 - Open Cluster - Pleiades - Taken 01/08/2022 01/08/2022 The bright star in the center is Maia.
Live stack 30 x 30 second exposures with gain set to 350.

AT66ED with SV305
M46, Open Cluster M46 - Open Cluster - Planetary Nebula NGC 2438 - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Planetary Nebula NGC 2438

Live stack of 30 x 10 second an 15 x 20 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M47, Open Cluster M47 - Open Cluster - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack of 30 x 10 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M50, Open Cluster M50 - Open Cluster - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack of 30 x 20 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M52, Open Cluster M52, Messier 52, Open Cluster 01/11/2022 Live stack of 30 x 20 second exposures with 350 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M74, The Phantom Galaxy M74 - The Phantom Galaxy - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack of 50 x 15 seconds and 10 x 20 seconds at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M76, The Little Dumbbell Nebula M76 - The Little Dumbbell Nebula - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack of 30 x 20 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M77, Squid Galaxy M77 and NGC 1055 - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 M77 is in the left of the FOV, NGC 1055 is to the right.

Live stack of 50 x 15 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M78, Reflection Nebula in Orion M78 - A reflection nebula in the constellation Orion.

12/26/2021

 Live stack of 40 x 15 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M79, Globular Cluster M79 - Globular Cluster - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack 30 x 10 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M81, Bode’s Galaxy

M82, The Cigar Galaxy

 M81 Bodie's Galaxy and M82 Cigar Galaxy 12/26/2021 Can just get both of these in the FOV of the SV305 on the AT66ED.

M81 is in the upper left, M82 is in the lower right.  Live stack of 77 x 8 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M97, The Owl Nebula M97 - The Owl Nebula - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Planetary Nebula

Live stack of 45 x 20 second exposures.

AT66ED with SV305
M103, Open Cluster M103, Messier 103 - Open Cluster - Taken 01/08/2022 01/08/2022 Live stack 30 x 30 second exposures with gain set to 350

AT66ED with SV305
M108, Galaxy M108 - Galaxy - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 Live stack of 45 x 20 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M109, Galaxy M109 - Galaxy - Taken on 01/14/2022 01/14/2022 There is a another small (more distant???) galaxy in the upper right of the FOV which I have not been able to find the identity of yet.

Live stack of 60 x 20 second exposures at 400 gain.

AT66ED with SV305
M110, Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy M110, Messier 110, Galaxy 01/11/2022 Live stack of 30 x 30 second exposures with 350 gain.

AT66ED with SV305

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