HOTSHOTS
Your best astrophotos.
The Soul Nebula DUAN YUSEF, ESSEX, 23 SEPTEMBER-9 OCTOBER 2018
Duan says: “I started shooting this part of the nebula after seeing other photographers’ images. There are a lot of wide-field images of this target but this part looked really interesting so I thought I’d try a close-up of the area. I was blessed with over two weeks of clear skies at the end of September so the data just kept rolling in. This is the most exposure time I have ever put into an image and it’s ended up being one of the best I’ve ever taken.” Equipment: ZWO ASI1600 mono camera, Altair Wave 130 EDT apo refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro equatorial mount Exposure: 140x10’ Ha, 140x10’ OIII; 90x10’ SII Software: PixInsight, Photoshop
BBC Sky at Night Magazine says: “Duan’s image really leapt out at us when we were looking through the submissions. There’s so much going on: glowing nebulosity and thick dark dust; crisp stars and a beautiful blend of colours across the field of view.”
About Duan: “I first got into astrophotography about four years ago when I bought a small Go-To telescope, and one night I held my smartphone up to the eyepiece to try to capture a photo of the Moon. I was so impressed with the resulting image that I purchased a DSLR and hooked it up to the scope. The hobby has spiralled out of control since then and I now have a permanent setup in the garden. I love astrophotography because it combines some of my favourite subjects: science, technology and art.”