December 7, 2025: Starfront Images and LIVESTREAM
It has been 3 months since my astrophotography system became operational at Starfront Observatories. It has been a whirlwind imaging adventure in Texas!
The skies of the past two months were graced with two comets in my initial weeks and that became the imaging focus for the start of most evening sessions. It had been a while since I captured a comet with a telescope. Most of my comet outings have been with comets in the landscape with DSLR and lens.
So, I had to learn all of the latest imaging techniques for telescopic capture of comets with a monochrome camera and RGB filters. I spent many hours with Adam Block’s “Comet Academy” and improved my image capture and image processing techniques for monochrome RGB photography of these two comets.
The highlight for the first comet was a visual conjunction with the Eagle Nebula (M16) by C/2025 R2 SWAN on October 17, 2025. For me, the striking colors of the nebula and the comet were critical to a delicious composition. The video below highlights the orbital path of the comet through the inner solar system with some other information.
While R2 was a nice comet treat, the real star of the fall season was C/2025 A6 (LEMMON). The comet’s ion tail proved to be totally entertaining with variations visible from minute to minute and evening to evening. The video below presents one evening where I captured the solar wind impacting the ion tail in a disruptive manner that can be seen over the course of just a few minutes.
The Eagle Nebula (M16) is graced with a visual close encounter with C/2025 R2 (SWAN) on October 7, 2025.
C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) on October 26, 2025. Link to image details at Astrobin.
C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) on November 7, 2025. Link to image details on Astrobin
The video posted below pays tribute to C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN)
There are so many advantages to imaging from Starfront. I mentioned the restricted southern sky in Part 1 of the Starfront Obervatories Series. So, my focus at Starfront is on southern objects I have never had a chance to image in my entire 20+ year career.
The Helix nebula was the first southern object that was accessible.
Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) in HOORGB Blend from Starfront Observatories. Link to image details at Astrobin.
Join me for a live stream from Storefront Observatories where we will discuss the equipment and techniques used to capture images from the beautiful skies of central Texas.
LIVE Stream will begin Sunday December 7 at 6:45 p.m. EST at this link.
Almost Heaven Series: Blackwater Falls/Canaan Valley
You will likely find me in the Blackwater Falls,/Canaan Valley area of West Virginia during the September new Moon. The Blackwater Falls star party is held at that time and this area is one of my favorites in the state. This year we had pleasant weather during the day, but we lost our skies at night. I took in some of the wonderful scenery in the two parks and put together my latest "Almost Heaven Series" video.
Spruce Knob during Almost Heaven Star Party 2025
Astronomy in beautiful locations is a highlight of my year. Going to Spruce Knob for the Almost Heaven Star Party every year is a premier event for me, regardless of weather. Well…almost regardless. I guess in torrential rains I may not be happy. But this year the weather was great…for landscape photography. Not so great for astronomy. We had a few windows of clear skies that gave us a glimpse into the glorious night sky. I snuck in a composition I have wanted to do for a while with the bare tree and Milky Way. This is now a featured Milky Way landscape photo on the website.
I did leave on Monday and I believe the forecast was going to be pretty decent for Monday night. I will let others share that story. But for me, it ended up being a landscape photography trip. A great exercise in landscape compositions that always gets the brain cells burning. The summit of Spruce Knob always provides a stunning setting with weather nearly always playing a role in determining the character of the moment. Gandy Creek is a drainage to the west of the summit and provides endless compositions for the landscape photographer. Here is the video and still images from the 3 days on the mountain. I had a conversation with Jackie about having a landscape photography outing during Almost Heaven Star Party next year. We will see if this happens. Drop me a line if you are interested in such an outing. Here is the next edition of my “Almost Heaven” video series from Spruce Knob. Clear skies.
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) Disruptive Event
This morning I continued my daily imaging of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). My first test images this morning revealed a break/clump in the comet’s tail and that put me on alert to capture a time-lapse of the comet for the first time.
The comet is in the northeast in the mornings right now. I believe it will be transitioning to the evening sky as October progresses. I really need to get outside and take a look through my binoculars at this thing. It is really putting on a nice show.
So, I began capturing a sequence of 130 images to give approximately 4 seconds of video movement of the comet and follow this clump/break/disruptive event. I can’t imagine that the actual cause of the clump in the tail would have happened much earlier than when I started imaging around 5:00 a.m. CDT. I waited for the Moon to set for best conditions.
I have now been operational at Starfront Observatories for about 3 weeks and it has been incredible. I would never have imaged this comet from West Virginia. I would have to travel to a site with low horizons and that can be a challenge around here. To have my equipment setup 24/7 and so easy to operate, well, I have been imaging this comet every morning. I simply haven’t had time to process the still images yet. But I wanted to get this time-lapse out ASAP because I thought it had some interesting impact that may even be able to be seen visually.
Stay tuned for much more to come on this comet and about 6 deep sky projects in various stages of completion. Thanks for stopping by and clear skies.
Almost Heaven: Monongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest holds a very special place in my heart. It has to be one of the most unique areas in the U.S. From nature’s grandeur to scientific pursuits, the area is full of hope and wonder. This past June was the Green Bank Star Quest held at the Green Bank Observatory, smack dab in the middle of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). I have documented the GBSQ with multiple videos on my YouTube channel for more background. The weather for the week wasn’t ideal for night astronomy. But it was very nice for landscape photography. This is the portfolio from the week where I visited the Gaudineer Knob area of the MNF. This area is home to spectacular vistas and old growth Appalachian forest. It is a photography treasure trove. I hope to revisit again soon.
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