AHSP presentation now available for download
I have now posted my presentation on DSLR Cameras and Lenses for Astrophotography for download in PDF format. You may access the slide presentation at the link below.
Veil Nebula Wide Field with Canon 350D
I have posted a wide field image of the Veil Nebula complex taken from the beautifully dark skies of Spruce Knob on August 12. For the composition I used the Canon 350D and the 135mmf2L lens. I hope you enjoy the image and the accompanying notes.
Veil Nebula Wide Field webpage
Canon announces next Pro and Prosumer cameras
Canon has officially announced their next camera offering to the Professional as well as the pro/amateur photographer. The 1DsMarkIII will offer a 21 mp chip in addition to 14 bit capture. The 40D will offer a 10.1 mp chip and 14 bit capture. Many features from the 400XTi are also found on these cameras in addition to a myriad of other new features including live preview. For more details on each please see the respective Canon links below.
Looking for an Astrophotography DSLR camera?
Alan Dyer has posted a nice review of 3 DLSR cameras and how they compare in astronomical imaging. If you are looking for a DSLR camera and hope to do some astrophotography, I encourage you to read Mr. Dyer's review as it may prove to be helpful in making your decision.
Cameras in Head to Head Showdown
by Alan Dyer
Luminous Landscape Print Tutorial
If you are seeking out resources that will improve your photography and particularly your digital printing...stop right now and purchase the Luminous Landscape Tutorial "From Camera to Print." The tutorial is available via download and contains over 6 hours of instruction on how to optimize a photograph for fine art printing. The tutorial features accomplished landscape photographer Michael Reichmann who is joined by digital photo guru Jeff Schewe. It is the best $35 value available in photography today. Highly recommended!
The Herschel 400 Astronomical League Project is underway
It’s not too late to join. We are about 30 objects into the Herschel 400. Hope to get another session in soon. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel so you get notifications on LIVE STREAMS.
Angels in Monoceros: The Monoceros M2 Complex
The Monoceros R2 molecular complex (often shortened to Mon R2) is a massive giant molecular cloud and one of the nearest active star-forming regions to Earth. It's a dynamic stellar nursery embedded in dense gas and dust, where new stars—particularly massive ones—are actively being born.
Key Facts
Location: Southwestern part of the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn), near the border with Orion. It's part of the larger Orion-Monoceros cloud complex.
Distance: Approximately 2,400–2,700 light-years (around 830 parsecs).
Size and Structure: The main dense core is relatively compact (a few light-years across), but the overall molecular cloud and associated nebulae span a wide area—reflection nebulae alone stretch up to about 2° in the sky. It's situated well below the galactic plane, which makes it stand out in certain observations.
Age and Activity: Star formation here began roughly 6–10 million years ago. It hosts an OB association (young, hot, massive B- and A-type stars) that illuminates surrounding dust, creating prominent reflection nebulae with bluish hues. There's also significant emission from ionized gas (red glows) and dark nebulae that appear as shadowy silhouettes blocking background light.
Notable Features:
A central hub of massive star formation with embedded clusters, molecular outflows, and HII regions.
Infrared observations (like those from VISTA or 2MASS) penetrate the dust to reveal hidden young stars and protoplanetary disks.
It's a key site for studying early stellar evolution, variability in young stellar objects (YSOs), and the interplay between massive stars and their natal clouds.
The most famous and photogenic part of Mon R2 is the region around NGC 2170 (the Angel Nebula), a striking reflection nebula with wing-like dust structures, glowing blue from scattered starlight, mixed with red emission and dark lanes. Wider views of the complex reveal a richer tapestry of colorful gas, dust filaments, and star clusters.
Credit: GROK 2/28/26
Click on image for larger view.
New Astro Camera: OM-3
Join me for a LIVE conversation about this new astro camera coming to the market. Is this the best option for you? How does it compare to other options? https://www.earthandskyphoto.com Correction: when discussing Bulb mode with Canon, I incorrectly said it had a limit of 30”. I meant to say manual exposure has a max of 30”. In bulb, you need to use a remote control or app for exposure time control. The problem is you can’t set exposure time for stills in the camera menu. I was made aware that Olympus no longer owns the OM system. It is owned by Japanese industrial Partners, a private equity firm. For content on the OM-3 for astrophotography, please see Ben Chapell’s Narrow Band channel. https://youtube.com/@TheNarrowbandChannel?si=GcWY-BM9skG9LPhY
Jeff's Blog
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