Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

NGC7000 BW


I have continued experimenting from my light-polluted backyard with the Canon 350D (modified) and the Lumicon H-alpha filter and the 200mm f2.8 lens. The latest is a 2 hour exposure of the North America and Pelican nebula area. This is also my first exposure with the new Astro-Physics 400 GTO mount. The mount performed beautifully as expected and I am excited about the data gathered. I have more work to come, so please stay tuned.

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

An Experiment

More details to come, but I am experimenting with some new gear and techniques. Stay tuned.

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

Hidden Universe Podcast

While surfing my HDTV with the Apple TV I ran across the NASA series of HD Podcasts. Wow, these podcasts are amazing on my Samsung HD TV. I had not found video podcasts to be very satifying on smaller laptops and computer screens, but the Hidden Universe Podcast from NASA is extraordinary. I highly encourage you to check out the HD podcasts from NASA including "The Hidden Universe." While I am sure they are fine when viewed on laptops and moderate size computer monitors, the experience on a large HD TV is irreplaceable in my opinion.

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

Prancing Pony of the Milky Way

The dark nebula in the center of the Milky Way is a fascinating visual object and one that indicates a wonderful night of viewing and photography is on tap. The dark nebula is commonly referred to as the "prancing pony" for obvious reasons. This is a stack of 10 two minute exposures with the Canon 350D at ISO 1600 and an Olympus 21mm lens. I hope you enjoy the image and there is more to come.

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

M5 Globular Cluster


The other night I had the opportunity to experiment with the C14 and AP mount at the Donald C. Martin Observatory in Huntington. I imaged the globular cluster M5. The results and a bit more information are at the link below. I look forward to imaging the heavens through this setup over the next few months.

M5 Globular Cluster

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Jeff's Blog

Join me on photography journeys from desert landscapes to deep sky wonders.