Astrophotography
Wikipedia describes Astrophotography as "a specialized type of photography that entails recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky. The first photograph of an astronomical object (the Moon) was taken in 1840, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for detailed stellar photography. Besides being able to record the details of extended objects such as the Moon, Sun, and Planets, astrophotography has the ability to image objects invisible to the human eye such as dim stars, nebulae, and galaxies]. This is done by long time exposure since both film and digital cameras can accumulate and sum light photons over these long periods of time. In professional astronomical research, photography revolutionized the field, with long time exposures recording hundreds of thousands of new stars and nebulae that were invisible to the human eye, leading to specialized and ever larger optical telescopes that were essentially big "cameras" designed to collect light to be recorded on film. Direct astrophotography had an early role in sky surveys and star classification but over time it has given way to more sophisticated equipment and techniques designed for specific fields of scientific research, with film (and later CCD cameras) becoming just one of many forms of sensor."
I personally conduct most of my astrophotography by leveraging the telescopes available to me via iTelescop.net. I started taking my first pictures using my own telescope in my teens, but as my professional career had me move over different parts of the country, it became difficult to impractical to continue shooting direct. In addition, the proper mounts and camera equipment can be very costly, and the trade-off of leveraging an IP based array of telescopes allows me the capability of shooting far more objects throughout the year.
Currently, I am building out my portfolio of images.
I am also shooting the entire Messier Catalog leveraging these telescopes. With still more than 1/2 the year left, I have captured about 70% of the Messier objects.
Gallery
Here a few samples. Visit portfolio of images for more!
Messier1.jpg
Messier 1: A Supernova remnant, 8.4 magnitudeMessier2.jpg
Messier 2: A Cluster, globular, 6.3 magnitudeMessier3.jpg
Messier 3: A Cluster, globular, 6.2 magnitudeMessier4.jpg
Messier 4: A Cluster, globular, 5.9 magnitudeMessier5.jpg
Messier 5: A Cluster, globular, 6.7 magnitudeMessier6.jpg
Messier 6: A Cluster, open, 4.2 magnitudeMessier7.jpg
Messier 7: A Cluster, open, 3.3 magnitudeMessier8.jpg
Messier 8: A Nebula with cluster, 6 magnitudeMessier9.jpg
Messier 9: A Cluster, globular, 8.4 magnitudeMessier10.jpg
Messier 10: A Cluster, globular, 6.4 magnitudeMessier11.jpg
Messier 11: A Cluster, open, 6.3 magnitudeMessier12.jpg
Messier 12: A Cluster, globular, 7.7 magnitudeMessier13.jpg
Messier 13: A Cluster, globular, 5.8 magnitudeMessier14.jpg
Messier 14: A Cluster, globular, 8.3 magnitudeMessier15.jpg
Messier 15: A Cluster, globular, 6.2 magnitudeMessier16.jpg
Messier 16: A Nebula, H II region with cluster, 6 magnitudeMessier17.jpg
Messier 17: A Nebula, H II region with cluster, 6 magnitudeMessier18.jpg
Messier 18: A Cluster, open, 7.5 magnitudeMessier19.jpg
Messier 19: A Cluster, globular, 7.5 magnitudeMessier20.jpg
Messier 20: A Nebula, H II region with cluster, 6.3 magnitudeMessier21.jpg
Messier 21: A Cluster, open, 6.5 magnitudeMessier22.jpg
Messier 22: A Cluster, globular, 5.1 magnitudeMessier23.jpg
Messier 23: A Cluster, open, 6.9 magnitudeMessier24.jpg
Messier 24: A Milky Way star cloud, 4.6 magnitudeMessier25.jpg
Messier 25: A Cluster, open, 4.6 magnitudeMessier26.jpg
Messier 26: A Cluster, open, 8 magnitudeMessier27.jpg
Messier 27: A Nebula, planetary, 7.5 magnitudeMessier28.jpg
Messier 28: A Cluster, globular, 7.7 magnitudeMessier29.jpg
Messier 29: A Cluster, open, 7.1 magnitudeMessier30.jpg
Messier 30: A Cluster, globular, 7.7 magnitudeMessier31.jpg
Messier 31: A Galaxy, spiral, 3.4 magnitudeMessier32.jpg
Messier 32: A Galaxy, dwarf elliptical, 8.1 magnitudeMessier33.jpg
Messier 33: A Galaxy, spiral, 5.7 magnitudeMessier34.jpg
Messier 34: A Cluster, open, 5.5 magnitudeMessier35.jpg
Messier 35: A Cluster, open, 5.3 magnitudeMessier36.jpg
Messier 36: A Cluster, open, 6.3 magnitudeMessier37.jpg
Messier 37: A Cluster, open, 6.2 magnitudeMessier38.jpg
Messier 38: A Cluster, open, 7.4 magnitudeMessier39.jpg
Messier 39: A Cluster, open, 5.5 magnitudeMessier40.jpg
Messier 40: A Double star WNC4, 9.7 magnitudeMessier41.jpg
Messier 41: A Cluster, open, 4.5 magnitudeMessier42.jpg
Messier 42: A Nebula, H II region, 4 magnitudeMessier43.jpg
Messier 43: A Nebula, H II region, 0 magnitude- Messier44.jpg
Messier44.jpg
Messier 44: A Cluster, open, 3.7 magnitude Messier45.jpg
Messier 45: A Cluster, open, 1.6 magnitudeMessier46.jpg
Messier 46: A Cluster, open, 6.1 magnitudeMessier47.jpg
Messier 47: A Cluster, open, 4.2 magnitudeMessier48.jpg
Messier 48: A Cluster, open, 5.5 magnitudeMessier49.jpg
Messier 49: A Galaxy, elliptical, 9.4 magnitudeMessier50.jpg
Messier 50: A Cluster, open, 5.9 magnitudeMessier51.jpg
Messier 51: A Galaxy, spiral, 8.4 magnitudeMessier52.jpg
Messier 52: A Cluster, open, 5 magnitudeMessier53.jpg
Messier 53: A Cluster, globular, 8.3 magnitudeMessier54.jpg
Messier 54: A Cluster, globular, 8.4 magnitudeMessier55.jpg
Messier 55: A Cluster, globular, 7.4 magnitudeMessier56.jpg
Messier 56: A Cluster, globular, 8.3 magnitudeMessier57.jpg
Messier 57: A Nebula, planetary, 8.8 magnitudeMessier58.jpg
Messier 58: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 10.5 magnitudeMessier59.jpg
Messier 59: A Galaxy, elliptical, 10.6 magnitudeMessier60.jpg
Messier 60: A Galaxy, elliptical, 9.8 magnitudeMessier61.jpg
Messier 61: A Galaxy, spiral, 10.2 magnitudeMessier62.jpg
Messier 62: A Cluster, globular, 7.4 magnitudeMessier63.jpg
Messier 63: A Galaxy, spiral, 9.3 magnitudeMessier64.jpg
Messier 64: A Galaxy, spiral, 9.4 magnitudeMessier65.jpg
Messier 65: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 10.3 magnitudeMessier66.jpg
Messier 66: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 8.9 magnitudeMessier67.jpg
Messier 67: A Cluster, open, 6.1 magnitudeMessier68.jpg
Messier 68: A Cluster, globular, 9.7 magnitudeMessier69.jpg
Messier 69: A Cluster, globular, 8.3 magnitudeMessier70.jpg
Messier 70: A Cluster, globular, 9.1 magnitudeMessier71.jpg
Messier 71: A Cluster, globular, 6.1 magnitudeMessier72.jpg
Messier 72: A Cluster, globular, 9.4 magnitudeMessier73.jpg
Messier 73: A Asterism, 9 magnitudeMessier74.jpg
Messier 74: A Galaxy, spiral, 10 magnitudeMessier75.jpg
Messier 75: A Cluster, globular, 9.2 magnitudeMessier76.jpg
Messier 76: A Nebula, planetary, 10.1 magnitudeMessier77.jpg
Messier 77: A Galaxy, spiral, 9.6 magnitudeMessier78.jpg
Messier 78: A Nebula, diffuse, 8.3 magnitudeMessier79.jpg
Messier 79: A Cluster, globular, 8.6 magnitudeMessier80.jpg
Messier 80: A Cluster, globular, 7.9 magnitudeMessier81.jpg
Messier 81: A Galaxy, spiral, 6.9 magnitudeMessier82.jpg
Messier 82: A Galaxy, starburst, 8.4 magnitudeMessier83.jpg
Messier 83: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 7.5 magnitudeMessier84.jpg
Messier 84: A Galaxy, lenticular, 10.1 magnitudeMessier85.jpg
Messier 85: A Galaxy, lenticular, 10 magnitudeMessier86.jpg
Messier 86: A Galaxy, lenticular, 9.8 magnitudeMessier87.jpg
Messier 87: A Galaxy, elliptical, 9.6 magnitudeMessier88.jpg
Messier 88: A Galaxy, spiral, 10.4 magnitudeMessier89.jpg
Messier 89: A Galaxy, elliptical, 10.7 magnitudeMessier90.jpg
Messier 90: A Galaxy, spiral, 10.3 magnitudeMessier91.jpg
Messier 91: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 11 magnitudeMessier92.jpg
Messier 92: A Cluster, globular, 6.3 magnitudeMessier93.jpg
Messier 93: A Cluster, open, 6 magnitudeMessier94.jpg
Messier 94: A Galaxy, spiral, 9 magnitudeMessier95.jpg
Messier 95: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 11.4 magnitudeMessier96.jpg
Messier 96: A Galaxy, spiral, 10.1 magnitudeMessier97.jpg
Messier 97: A Nebula, planetary, 9.9 magnitudeMessier98.jpg
Messier 98: A Galaxy, spiral, 11 magnitudeMessier99.jpg
Messier 99: A Galaxy, spiral, 10.4 magnitudeMessier100.jpg
Messier 100: A Galaxy, spiral, 10.1 magnitudeMessier101.jpg
Messier 101: A Galaxy, spiral, 7.9 magnitudeMessier102.jpg
Messier 102: A , magnitudeMessier103.jpg
Messier 103: A Cluster, open, 7.4 magnitudeMessier104.jpg
Messier 104: A Galaxy, spiral, 9 magnitudeMessier105.jpg
Messier 105: A Galaxy, elliptical, 10.2 magnitudeMessier106.jpg
Messier 106: A Galaxy, spiral, 9.1 magnitudeMessier107.jpg
Messier 107: A Cluster, globular, 8.9 magnitudeMessier108.jpg
Messier 108: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 10.7 magnitudeMessier109.jpg
Messier 109: A Galaxy, barred spiral, 10.6 magnitudeMessier110.jpg
Messier 110: A Galaxy, dwarf elliptical, 9 magnitude