Antares Area Images - Prime Focus
 Copyright © 2006, 2009, 2010 by Dick Locke.  All Rights Reserved.  Contact and Image Use Information

 Antares: Wider Field Pictures and Area Index

This page features telescope pictures of objects in and around Scorpius and Ophiuchus.  I'm adding 2010 images from West Texas.  There are some outstanding reflection (blue) nebulae in this region.

Blue Reflection Nebula IC4592

Above:  2011 Spring Davis Mountains Trip.  23*5 minutes or about 2 hours total exposure through the Takahashi FSQ-85 Telescope with reducer, AP 900GTO mount, QHY8 CCD Camera.

Blue Reflection Nebula IC4592

IC 4592  is one of many excellent reflection nebulae in the Antares area, such as IC 4603 and IC 4604.  Image Info:  25*4 = 100 minutes total exposure.  The two sets had different orientations and # of exposures, so the above is a blend.  Normal stretching turned the two bright stars in the center into one, so I blended in a little definition of those two. Note some of a corners are a little rough where only one set of exposures could be used.   Acquired in April, 2010 from the Davis Mountains.   Takahashi TOA 130 Telescope (a 5" APO refractor) with reducer,  AP 900GTO mount, and QHY8 CCD Camera & normal workflow.

Scroll down for the 2009 images.

Antares area, M4, and NGC 6144

This picture shows an area around Antares.  More information on this colorful area of the sky is available at this APOD link.   Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius.  Given star's red-yellow color, and the fact that Mars is a similar color, Antares was given a name that means "The Rival of Mars."  Antares is surrounded a rare yellowish nebula.  NGC6144 is the small globular cluster above center, while M4 is the large globular cluster on the lower right.  Image Details: 8x4 minute exposures on 3/25/2006 at HAS site near Columbus, TX, USA.  Canon EOS 20Da (unmodified), Takahashi TOA 130 (a 5" APO refractor), Losmandy G-11 mount.    My current image processing workflow is here.  

IC 4605 in Scorpius

19 * 5 (85 total) minutes, Takahashi TOA 130  Telescope (a 5" APO refractor telescope) with the reducer, AP 900GTO mount, QHY8 CCD Camera.  Other pictures from the camera are are here.  Images processed using my Astronomy Image Processing Workflow.  Other March 2009 Astronomy Images

IC 4603

More on IC4603 from the APOD.  Above: 50 minutes exposure, Takahashi TOA 130  Telescope (a 5" APO refractor telescope) with the reducer, AP 900GTO mount, QHY8 CCD Camera.  Other pictures from the camera are are here.  Images processed using my Astronomy Image Processing Workflow.  Other March 2009 Astronomy Images

IC 4604

Above: 80 minutes exposure, Takahashi TOA 130  Telescope (a 5" APO refractor telescope) with the reducer, AP 900GTO mount, QHY8 CCD Camera.  Other pictures from the camera are are here.  Images processed using my Astronomy Image Processing Workflow.  Other March 2009 Astronomy Images

See above two images combined: Rho Ophiuchi Nebula, IC 4603, IC 4604.

IC 4601

Somewhere around 100 minutes exposure on the above.  More info on this area at is these two APOD's, one here and another here (they're focused on nearby IC 4592.)  Be sure to see the wide-field version of this area here.  Takahashi TOA 130  Telescope (a 5" APO refractor telescope) with the reducer, AP 900GTO mount, QHY8 CCD Camera.  Other pictures from the camera are are here.  Images processed using my Astronomy Image Processing Workflow.  Other March 2009 Astronomy Images
 

Antares: Wide Field Picture, See them blended into a wide-angle mosaic	Southern Scorpius: Cat's Paw Nebula, NGC 6334	Rho Ophiuchi Nebula, IC 4603, IC 4604
IC 4628, lower Scorpius	NGC 6188: two views	NGC 6357 (scroll down)
NGC 6231		Close-up of globular cluster M4.  May be about 7,200 light years away, making it the closes.  SEDS has more info.
Other March 2009 Astronomy Images	Wide Angle Astrophotos

Here's a Guide I made to framing the prime focus shots

Above: 6x4 = 24 minute exposure from 2006.