For many years I designed CCD cameras for a living. But there is a large gap between designing them and using these cameras. Getting the images is sometimes the easy part. Taking the photos and creating a finished product is where the science ends and the art begins...

Veil Nebula

Beside one of the wings of Cygnus are the remains of a cataclysmic explosion, the Veil supernova remnant.

Photometrics CoolSNAP HQ2 camera with a Nikon 105mm lens at f/2.8 and a Hydrogen alpha filter, 15x5minute exposure.

Flaming Star Complex

The east side of Auriga is a beautiful area with open clusters interspersed with vast nebula. The shot shows some of the best of the fascinating area of the sky.

The photo includes IC405, IC410, IC417, M38 and NGC1907.

Photometrics CoolSNAP HQ2 camera with a Nikon 105mm lens at f/2.8 and a Hydrogen alpha filter, 10x5minute exposure.

Gamma Cygni Region

The center of Cygnus is a glorious profusion of nebula and clusters. The are typical of the large nebula complexes that dot the central plane of our galaxy.

Visible in this photo are NGC6888, NGC6910 and M29.

Photometrics CoolSNAP HQ2 camera with a Nikon 105mm lens at f/2.8 and a Hydrogen alpha filter, 10x5minute exposure.