On this page is my collection of pretty astronomical images taken with Case's Burrell Schmidt telescope at Kitt Peak. I have been involved with a project using the Schmidt to do ultra-deep imaging of the Virgo cluster of galaxies in order to detect intra-cluster light (ICL). You can look here for more info on the science aspects of the project . Many of these pictures come directly from that project and our rough at-the-telescope image reductions. Others I have taken during down time while I was observing (twilight, moonlight, thin cloud, etc.). Anyway, I kind of like them.
In most cases, the images are oriented approximately such that North is up and East is to the left, unless I made a stupid mistake (quite possible in one or two).
BVR ImagesTo get these images, I took images in three different filters (rVB, or red, green, blue) and stacked them to get pseudo-color images. I wouldn't exactly call these "real" colors, in that this is what they would look like if you actuall saw them with your eye, but it is an approximation to that and the standard way in which color images of astronomical objects are made. I forgot to rotate these properly, so North is right and East is up.
M31,M32,M110
The enormous galaxy which takes up the whole image, or over 2
sq. degrees on the sky, is M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. It's sort of
the Milky Way's big brother, and our nearest neighbor of any
significance. The dwarf galaxy to the left is M32, and to the lower
right is M110. Both are companions to M31.
M33
This is M33, also a member of the Local Group, sort of the Milky Way's
little brother. It's a brilliant little spiral, and this image is
over half a degree on a side.
These are huge extended emission nebulae, which are glowing clouds of gas nearby in our galaxy, generally areas where stars are being formed. I think these are all Washington M (basically V) filter; pixel scale of 3 arcsec/pixel,
The Great Orion Nebula, M42 and M43
The Lagoon Nebula, M8
The Pleiades, M45
M16, The Eagle Nebula; home of the famous Hubble "Pillars of Creation"
image.
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M20, The Trifid Nebula
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These are all images of galaxies I have taken with the Schmidt. I find galaxies the most interesting astronomical objects, that's why I study them and that's why I take lots of pictures of them. These images come from several different observing runs spanning 2005-2007; most are in the Washington M (basically V) filter, but a few are in r. All images have a pixel scale of 1.5 arcsec/pixel.
M101, The Pinwheel Galaxy
M81, Bode's Galaxy
IC342
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M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy
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M106
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M58
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NGC3109
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M59
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M84 and M86, at the core of the Virgo Cluster
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M60
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M61
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M63, Sunflower Galaxy
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M64, Blackeye Galaxy
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M65
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M66
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M74
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M77
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M82, Cigar Galaxy
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M85
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M83, Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
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M87, Virgo A
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M88
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M89
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M90
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M91
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M94
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M95
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M96
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M98
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M99
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M100
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M102
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M104, The Sombrero Galaxy
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M105, with companions
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M108
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M109, One of my favorites!
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NGC1232
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NGC1253
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NGC2403
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NGC2613
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NGC2683
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NGC2835
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NGC2841
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NGC2903
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NGC2976
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NGC3079
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NGC3115
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NGC3169 (left)
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NGC3184
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NGC3628
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NGC3718
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NGC4038 and NGC 4039, The Antennae
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NGC4212
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NGC4388
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NGC4438
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NGC4459
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NGC4531
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NGC4565, another favorite
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NGC4754 and NGC4762
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NGC936
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Leo I
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IC2531
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IC2574
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Galaxy Clusters These are nearby clusters of galaxies. Each of these clusters
containes hundreds of galaxies, although only the few dozen brightest
are easily discrenable in these images. Washington M filter,
pixel scalse is 3 arcsec/pixel.
Abell 1656, the Coma Cluster, with NGC4874 and NGC4889
Abell 426, the Perseus Cluster, with NGC1275
These are globular clusters, very dense concentrations of stars in our own galaxy. They make absolutely superb small-telescope objects, but I find that in large telescope images like these, they tend to all look basically the same, and not have nearly as much individual character as galaxies. Mostly I took these to try and complete the Messier list. Mostly are in the Washington M fitler, with a couple in r; pixel scale of 1.5 arcsec/pixel.
M3
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M4
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M5
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M9
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M15
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M19
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M22
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M53
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M56
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M68
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M80
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M107
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NGC6642
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Open Clusters are smaller groups of stars in our galaxy, usually fairly young stars that all formed together. They tend to be decent binocular and small telescope objects, but really make pretty boring images from a big telescope like the Schmidt. Oh well, I am trying to complete the Messier list. Washington M; 3 arcsec/pixel.
M25
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M29
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M39
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These are a few other types of objects, mostly from the Messier list, that I took for a little variety and to try to complete the list. Again, these are mostly in the Washington M fitler, with a couple in r; pixel scale of 1.5 arcsec/pixel.
M1, The Crab Nebula, supernova remnant
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M27, The Dumbell Nebula, planetary nebula
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M97, The Owl Nebula, planetary nebula
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NGC6543, Cat's Eye Nebula, planetary nebula
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M40, double star. That's right, Messier actually has a stupid boring
double star on his list. But I took it for completion's sake.
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While at the Schmidt in May of 2008, one of the Case undergrads, Steven Janowiecki, told me about and interesting event, where a relatively large asteroid, Iris, was passing right next to the galaxy M104. So each night for three consecutive nights, I took an image so we could track the asteroid's movement.
Created by Craig Rudick, 2006.
Last modified 09/02/08.