Clouds for weeks, decided to work on a side project. I'm a heavy Linux user & I've always been frustrated w/ the astrophotography options for Linux. Currently I use N.I.N.A. which I love, I dislike relying on Windows. Started working on my own software for acquisition. - #astrophotography #astronomy

“that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain” - Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address

Been working on this since early Jan. 4 panel mosaic of the Rosette Nebula. Done w/ my 10", 1000m focal length @f4, ASI2600mm pro w/ HSO filters. 10hrs 45/panel/filter. 43hrs/all panels/filter. Total everything, 139hrs, or 5.4 days. My biggest project to date. Enjoy! - #astrophotography #astronomy

Recently installed and been testing the app for #N.I.N.A. I love it as an alternative to keeping an eye on my image sequence. Oh and loving that tracking RMS! - #astrophotography #astronomy

Been a while since I shared a photo. I give you M42, Orion Nebula. Not recent, from November, taken with my Player One, one shot color camera. Used several mask layers during to preserve the core. More images are in the works in-between gathering ExoPlanet data. - #astronomy #astrophotography

Awesome, Pandora lifted off this morning to help further our understanding of ExoPlanets. As amateurs we can help provide data on #ExoPlanet transits so professionals can better plan precious telescope time. Check out #NASA ExoPlanet Watch program. - #astronomy science.nasa.gov/universe/exo...

First results from the new Polar One Ares-C camera. M33, Triangulum galaxy. Since the Ares-C has a smaller sensor I did a two panel mosaic to get the majority of the galaxy. 7 hrs/panel w/ a total integration of 14 hrs. Very pleased w/ the results. - #astrophotography #astronomy

My primary camera is a ZWO ASI533mm Pro and it has been a work horse. I’ve read positive things about Player One and decided to give them a go. Just arrived their Ares-C. Their version of the ASI533 color. Sky looks decent tonight, should be able to give it a test. - #astrophotography #astronomy

Was away on a wonderful 3 week road trip to celebrate my bday. The telescope is back up and on to my latest projects. CTB1/Abell 85 (supernova remnant), started before I left. The newest is the ever popular and beautiful NGC7293, Helix Nebula. The progress thus far. - #astrophotography #astronomy

My latest, NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula. Another Wolf-Rayet star (WR 136) created Nebula. Total of 21hrs 45mins of Ha, OIII, and SII. A set of LRRG images to create properly colored stars. More on this amazing object via the link below. Enjoy! - tinyurl.com/47vwbcmy - #astrophotography #astronomy

Here it is! My take on NGC7635, Bubble Nebula. Total of 41 hrs exposure time with Ha/OIII/SII. I cropped the image to focus on the Bubble & nearby area. Find the details on NASA's site. It's more than I can share here & worth the read. science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble... - #astrophotography #astronomy

Clear nights have been sparse here in Colorado. A very active early fall with lots of moisture. Finally finished my Bubble Nebula & I’m working on processing it. Meanwhile started the next one, the Crescent Nebula. A rare clear night so making the most of it. - #astrophotography #astronomy

Two new projects. NGC 6888, Crescent Nebula, and NGC 7635, Bubble Nebula. Continuing the Wolf-Rayet star theme. Gathering data on both per night. 7635 isn’t visible for me until midnight, so I gather data on 6888 early in the evening until 7635 comes up. - #astrophotography #astronomy #wolf-rayet

Saddened to hear of the passing of Jim Lovell. His two Apollo missions brought the world together. Apollo 8, first time humans left Earth orbit, circled the Moon brought us the famous Earthrise photo. Apollo 13, showed what we could do when we come together. Godspeed Mr Lovell. - #NASA #Apollo #Moon

W/ no clear nights for a couple of weeks, I’ve been working on my Meade LX200. Added a CYCK focuser. Also purchased a Deep Sky Dad light panel that attaches to the front. Testing w/ N.I.N.A., it works wonderfully. Now for a clear night so I can test the setup. - #astrophotography #astronomy #LX200

Here it is! My take on WR134. Times per filter, OIII: 28h 30m, Ha: 15h 15m, SII: 15h 15m; for a total of 59h. OIII is the blue in the image, it's the bubble created by the star, WR134, in the center. My first project w/ my new Quattro 250P Telescope, I'm very pleased. - #astrophotography #astronomy

Humankind dared to dream big and on this night 56 years ago achieved that dream. - #moonlanding #apollo11 #nasa #dreambig

My WR134 project is coming along. I’ve gathered lots data. To change things up I got an adapter to attach my camera w/ filter wheel to a Nikon lens. Going to try some wide field with it. Never done it so should be a fun attempt. - #astrophotography #astronomy

Beyond stoked that I received an email today that I was able to order this!!! I grew up with Star Trek: TOS and I'm so excited that The Wand Company has painstakingly created this workable Tricorder from one of the last remaining hero props. - #startrek #startrektos #tricorder #thewandcompany

Update on my WR134 project. This is the progression of OIII images. Left image is 1h 30m, middle is 6h 30m and right is the latest at 10h 15m. That bubble is really starting to show. Going to focus on getting more OIII vs Ha and SII to bring out that detail. - #astronomy #astrophotography #WR134

For fun I processed the H-alpha data on my Eagle Nebula. It's only an hour so far but it already looks good. Will definitely get several more hours before it's done. I cropped in on the Pillars of Creation to see their detail. - #astronomy #astrophotography #EagleNebula #PillarsofCreation

Had a few more good nights on WR134. Here's the progress especially with the OIII layer, that's where this object really shines. Left is the first 1hr 30mins I captured. Right is after last night's run, puts it at 6hrs 30mins. The OIII detail is really popping. - #astronony #astrophotography #WR134

Had some time to kill before WR134 comes up so trained the scope on the Eagle Nebula. Never imaged it before. The new scope is amazing with the detail it brings with shorter exposures. - #astronomy #astrophotography #eaglenebula #pillarsofcreation

A week from today. Can’t wait to see the images this telescope will produce! - #astronomy #telescope

Update on my WR-134 image. Had a couple of good nights. So far 3hrs 30mins per filter, 10hrs 30mins total. Excited with the results. Here's what I've gotten so far for each filter. Thought I'd share with stars and without. Can see more detail without the stars. - #astronomy #astrophotography

Awesome new documentary about the James Web Telescope with some never before seen footage. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSMG... - #astronomy #NASA #telescope

Two nights under my belt with the new scope imaging WR-134. A total of 1h 30m of exposure per filter, SHO and so far it's looking really good. I removed the stars to see how the detail in the nebulosity is looking and I love it! - #astronomy #astrophotography #telescope

Official first light with new scope! Decided on WR (Wolf-Rayet) 134 as the first object. 15 min integrations x 3 per SHO filter. So far very happy with the results. All the mods/upgrades are paying off. - #astronomy #astrophotography

I am now on Astrobin if you’d like to connect there. - app.astrobin.com/u/wlsnyder#g... - #astronomy #astrophotography

New telescope update. The final upgrade arrived today, replacement focuser. Read good things about this one. Build quality is solid. Movement feels real smooth. Also working on back focus. Currently at 59mm, need to be at 55. New spacer arrives today. - #astronomy #astrophotography #telescope

I've been called many things, but this is a new one. 😆🤓 Thanks to Sahale Greenwood at Denver Life Magazine for the lovely profile! Also featuring @uofdenver.bsky.social, @chamberlin-obs.bsky.social, and @denverastro.bsky.social . 💖 www.denverlifemagazine.com/jennifer-hof...

Looking at the Clear Sky Chart I might be able to get first light with the new telescope Thursday or Friday night! - #astronomy #astrophotography #telescope

Upgrades for the new scope arrived yesterday. Installed last night. Before and after photos. Primary mirror mask added to help with star shapes. Secondary mirror spider vane upgrade along with mirror cover. New vane is solid and looks great! - #astronomy #astrophotography #telescope

Find Pluto... In 2008 I made a blink video using 2 images of the same area of sky taken 24 hrs apart. Switching between them quickly, you see Pluto’s movement relative to the other stars. Look top, left of center & you'll see a dot moving up and down. This is Pluto. - #astronomy #astrophotography

Did a balancing test with the new scope. Loaded it up with all the imaging tech, got it on the mount and was able to get an excellent balance. No clear skies until, maybe, next weekend. Some upgrades will arrive this week so gives me time to get them installed. - #astronomy #newtelescope #telescope

New telescope arrived! My son helping unpack and inspect. A Sky-Watcher Quattro 250P. A 10”, 1000mm f/4. Other pieces to mod it out will be arriving the next few days. When it’s done it’ll be an imaging monster. - #astronomy #astrophotography #telescope #newtelescope #skywatcher

Recent M51 image, 9h 37mins of total exposure, LRGB. Taken with the LX200 10" w/ a .63x focal reducer/coma corrector. It's the last image with this scope, I ordered a Newtonian that arrives tomorrow. If anyone is interested I'm selling my LX200 w/ lots of goodies. - #astronomy #astrophotography

Excited to see the first images come from this amazing project!! - #telescope #astronomy #nightsky

Very cool project! Amateur astronomers can collect data on variable stars. If you’re interested check out the AAVSO, aavso.org - #astronomy #variablestars #aavso

The ol’ Meade LX200 10” getting it done. Just finished the meridian flip and, a somewhat quick refocus (gotta love SCT’s and mirror shift), it’s back to work gathering LRGB data on M51. - #astrophotography #astronomy #M51 #galaxy #lookup #colorado

Storm clouds moving through and lovely light on the distant Indian Peaks. - #colorado #mountains #sunset #storms

Finally, after what has seemed like forever the weather cooperated so I could get the mirrors collimated on the LX200 OTA after cleaning them. Now to wait for the next weather break to hopefully get some galaxy imaging done. - #astrophotography #astronomy #telescope

Had some help opening up the ol’ LX200 OTA and cleaning the mirrors and corrector plate. After a week of bad weather it’s going to be clear enough tonight to get this beast setup and tuned for galaxy season. - #astrophotographt #astronomy

A couple of decent nights finally. Doing my first run at a 12 panel mosaic of Markarian’s Chain. A stretch of galaxies that are part of the Virgo Cluster. Starting off with the red filter, 4 images per panel at 5 mins each. - #astrophotography #astronomy

March 22, 2025 Happy Birthday William Shatner. Today, completing 94 trips around the Sun. Congratulations on your 55-billion mile journey.

Getting close to calling it for the season on my Rosette Mosaic project. To be continued next season. As it's Galaxy season was considering options for a project. Might do a 9 panel LRGB mosaic of Markarian's Chain. - #astrophotography #astronomy #galaxyseason

Watched the movie Elevation. Been wanting to see as it was filmed here in Colorado. Enjoyed it. Interesting concept. Then at the end this happened. They were looking through a telescope. I mean, no one caught the fact the telescope was backwards. - #moviemistake #elevationmovie #colorado #astronomy

Finally! Telescope is back up and running. Back to my Rosette mosaic project. Getting late in the season, may only get a few more runs then shelve until next season. It will be time to pull out the ol’ Meade LX200 10” OTA. Tune it up and enjoy galaxy season. - #astrophotography #astronomy #colorado

WOW! 21 days since my last post. Life's been busy & the weather here in Colorado has been crap. I did get a new dovetail plate for my telescope. Feeling better about it's placement in the saddle. Weather may improve the next few days, hoping I can back at it. - #astrophotography #astronomy #colorado

How the mosaic looks like after aligning the 4 panels. 11 hrs of data per panel; 44 hrs total Ha. Now time to do SII, or maybe OIII. Planning on same amount of exposure time for all filters, 132 hrs total. If the weather Gods cooperate I might get it done this season. - #astrophotography #astronomy