Welcome To RemoteAstrophotography.com

A blog about how to do astrophotography from anywhere using remote telescope services like MicroObservatory, Slooh.com, iTelecope.net, Telescope.Live, and even the JWST. I’m Erik Westermann, an amateur astronomer and author, and I want to help others learn how to capture and process incredible images of the night sky.

On my blog, you’ll find lots of helpful articles and tutorials that are completely free. I cover everything from how to capture images using remote services to how to process those images using tools like FITS Liberator, JS9, and Siril. I also talk about some of the paid tools out there, like PixInsight, that can help take your astrophotography to the next level.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced astrophotographer, my blog has something for everyone. So check it out and start exploring the wonders of the universe from the comfort of wherever you are.

This site is also home to my free book, Remote Astrophotography Using Slooh.com.

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Lost in the cosmic dust clouds of the Cepheus cons

Lost in the cosmic dust clouds of the Cepheus constellation, LBN 145 glows mysteriously in this narrowband image. This faint nebula, often overlooked due to its low surface brightness, is a testament to the hidden wonders of our universe.

Did you know? LBN 145 is an integrated flux nebula (IFN), meaning it shines due to the combined light of all the stars within it, rather than being illuminated by a single, dominant star. Its distinctive red hue is due to the emission of hydrogen-alpha light, a wavelength characteristic of star-forming regions.

#LBN145 #nebula #astrophotography #astronomy #space #universe #cosmos #nightsky #nightscapes #telescope #astronomylover #astronomyphotography #nightskyphotography #spacephotography #universephotography #cosmosphotography #deepsky #deepspace #astrophysics #science #outerspace #outerspacephotography #spacegeek

Comet C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS) makes a stunning cameo

Comet C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS) makes a stunning cameo appearance against the backdrop of the vibrant Gamma Cygni Nebula (IC 1318)! 💫🌌 This celestial wanderer, a visitor from the outer reaches of our solar system, streaks across the sky, its tail glowing with ethereal light. The nebula's wispy clouds of gas and dust, sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, provide a dramatic backdrop for this cosmic traveler. ☄️

This breathtaking image is a testament to the wonders of our universe and the beauty that lies hidden in the depths of space. ✨🔭

#CometC2021S3 #PANSTARRS #GammaCygniNebula #IC1318 #Comet #Nebula #Astrophotography #Space #Cosmos #Universe #CelestialWonders #DeepSky #Stargazing #NightSky #CosmicArt #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Science #StarStuff #Stellar #CosmicClouds #Interstellar #NebulaPhotography #SpaceExploration #AstronomyPhotography #Hubble #NASA #SpaceTelescope #NightPhotography #SpaceGeeks

On May 10, 2024, there was a lot of solar and geom

On May 10, 2024, there was a lot of solar and geomagnetic activity due to several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares from an active sunspot, AR3664, shown in this image. This activity caused severe geomagnetic storms, reaching up to G4 level on May 10 and an extreme G5 level the following day.

These storms produced incredible auroras visible far south in places like Florida and Puerto Rico. The solar activity also led to various levels of radio blackouts impacting communication across different regions. This kind of solar behavior is typical of the peak periods in the solar cycle, and we're currently experiencing one of those active phases in Solar Cycle 25.

#astronomy #space #universe #stars #galaxy #science #stargazing #nasa #sky #longexposure_shots #astrophotography #nature #supernova #milkyway #astrophysics #photography #night #earth #telescope #long_expo #sun #planets #star #cosmology #solarsystem #longexposure #cosmos #amateurastrophotography #photographingspace #stem

This region is called the Wolf’s Cave Nebula, or

This region is called the Wolf’s Cave Nebula, or Barnard 175. It is a Bok Globule, which is a dense, isolated cloud of dust and gas that can potentially form new stars.
The blue region near the top of the frame is vbB 152, a reflection nebula. vdB 152 appears blue because the dust grains in the cloud preferentially scatter the blue wavelengths of light from the illuminating star.
The whole region is 1,400 light years away in the Cepheus constellation.
#astronomy #space #universe #stars #galaxy #science #stargazing #nasa #sky #longexposure_shots #astrophotography #nature #supernova #milkyway #astrophysics #photography #night #earth #telescope #long_expo #sun #planets #star #cosmology #solarsystem #longexposure #cosmos #amateurastrophotography #photographingspace #stem

IC 1284, also known as the Pink and Blue Nebula, i

IC 1284, also known as the Pink and Blue Nebula, is a stunning and unusual object in the night sky. Located in the constellation of Sagittarius, this nebula displays a striking combination of colors that make it stand out from other nebulae. The pink hues come from glowing hydrogen gas, while the blue tones originate from oxygen atoms energized by the intense ultraviolet radiation of nearby hot stars.

What makes IC 1284 particularly interesting is its unusual shape. Unlike many nebulae with a more symmetrical or spherical appearance, the Pink and Blue Nebula has an irregular, almost chaotic structure. This is likely due to the complex interplay of stellar winds and radiation pressure from the massive stars embedded within the nebula.

#astronomy #space #universe #stars #galaxy #science #stargazing #nasa #sky #longexposure_shots #astrophotography #nature #supernova #milkyway #astrophysics #photography #night #earth #telescope #long_expo #sun #planets #star #cosmology #solarsystem #longexposure #cosmos #amateurastrophotography #photographingspace #stem

This is comet C/2021 S3 as it passes by IC 1318. I

This is comet C/2021 S3 as it passes by IC 1318. IC 1318 is a large, diffuse emission nebula in the Cygnus constellation, surrounding the bright star Sadr (Gamma Cygni), 3 degrees south of this image. The nebula spans over 100 light years in size and is approximately 5,000 light years away from Earth. When this was captured, comet C/2021 S3 was 1.5 AU away from us, or 232 million kilometers (144m miles).

#astronomy #space #universe #stars #galaxy #science #stargazing #nasa #sky #longexposure_shots #astrophotography #nature #supernova #milkyway #astrophysics #photography #night #earth #telescope #long_expo #sun #planets #star #cosmology #solarsystem #longexposure #cosmos #amateurastrophotography #photographingspace #stem

This is the Horsehead Nebula, or Barnard 33. The d

This is the Horsehead Nebula, or Barnard 33. The dark nebula is Barnard 33, and the red nebula behind it is IC 434. Barnard 33 was actually discovered by Williamina Fleming in 1888, but E. E. Barnard added it to his catalog. The Horsehead Nebula is located in the constellation Orion, approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth.

The distinctive shape of the Horsehead Nebula is formed by intense stellar winds and radiation from nearby stars, carving out the dark silhouette against the brighter backdrop of IC 434. These forces also compress the dust and gas within Barnard 33, forming new stars within the dark nebula itself.

#astronomy #space #universe #stars #galaxy #science #stargazing #nasa #sky #longexposure_shots #astrophotography #nature #supernova #milkyway #astrophysics #photography #night #earth #telescope #long_expo #sun #planets #star #cosmology #solarsystem #longexposure #cosmos #amateurastrophotography #photographingspace #stem

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, a periodic comet that orbit

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, a periodic comet that orbits the Sun every 70 years or so, put on a good show in early April 2024. On April 3rd, when this was captured, the comet was estimated to be around magnitude 4.1, bright enough to be visible through binoculars or a small telescope from areas with clear dark skies. The comet makes its closest approach to us in June; however, it'll only be visible from the southern hemisphere.

#astronomy #space #universe #stars #galaxy #science #stargazing #nasa #sky #longexposure_shots #astrophotography #nature #supernova #milkyway #astrophysics #photography #night #earth #telescope #long_expo #hubble #planets #star #cosmology #solarsystem #longexposure #cosmos #amateurastrophotography #photographingspace #stem

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My Latest Posts

Blog Image Processing

Creating A Negative B&W Image

By Erik / December 31, 2019

Sometimes an RGB color or monochrome image contains too much information to make the image usable. A negative image can...

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Blog Image Processing

Quickly Reduce Noise, Boost Contrast

By Erik / December 30, 2019

Sometimes you’re in a hurry, want to produce a good quality image, yet don’t have a lot of tools at...

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Composing Images Using Aladin

By Erik / December 30, 2019

Aladin is a free, interactive sky atlas that draws data from a broad range of sources, giving you access to...

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Blog GIMP Image Processing

Toning Down The Core Of A Bright Galaxy Using GIMP

By Erik / December 27, 2019

Some galaxies have bright cores and we often publish images with the bright core intact, however, you can apply an...

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Blog Image Processing

Quickly Boosting Details of Nebula, Dust, and Contrast

By Erik / December 24, 2019

I’m all about speed and quality when it comes to image processing. While I like to publish nice images, I...

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Blog Image Processing

Quickly Boosting Details and Contrast

By Erik / December 24, 2019

I’m all about speed and quality when it comes to image processing. While I like to publish nice images, I...

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Blog Image Processing

Adding A Star Diffraction Effect To Your Images – Alternate Method

By Erik / December 24, 2019

In another article, I showed you how to add a star diffraction effect to your images using some Photopea actions....

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Blog Image Processing

Adding False Color to a Monochrome Image

By Erik / December 22, 2019

When publishing images online for general consumption, images that have color tend to get better feedback than images that do...

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Blog Image Processing

Adding A Star Diffraction Effect To Your Images

By Erik / December 21, 2019

A star diffraction effect is a spiking effect from bright sources of light, such as stars. The diffraction effect is...

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Blog Image Processing

Using Various Processing Approaches On The Same Image

By Erik / December 20, 2019

I have written extensively about using image processing applications like JS9, Fits Liberator, SAOImage DS9, and MaxIM DL. The questions...

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Blog Image Processing

Processing An Image Using MaxIM DL and Photoshop

By Erik / December 15, 2019

Although I often write about using free tools like JS9, SAO Image DS9, DeepSkyStacker, Photopea, and GIMP, I use another...

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Blog Image Processing

Creating an RGB Image Using DeepSkyStacker and GIMP

By Erik / December 13, 2019

Update: If you are looking for information about combining three monochrome images into one using GIMP, visit this article: Using...

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Starless Orion Nebula (M42)

Blog Image Processing Photos

Starless Orion Nebula (M42)

By Erik / December 10, 2019

This is a starless version of the Orion Nebula, or Messier 42. I created this image based on a large...

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Messier 57 – Ring Nebula

Messier 57 – Ring Nebula

By Erik / December 9, 2019

This is about 75 minutes of exposure on Messier 57 - the Ring Nebula. I captured this image using a...

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Blog Image Processing

Generating Starless Images Using StarNet++

By Erik / December 8, 2019

Creating starless images is useful for a variety of reasons including making it possible to process just the subject of...

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Astronomy Beginner Blog Book Slooh

Slooh Review

By Erik / December 8, 2019

I wrote a whole book about Slooh.com but it dawned on me that I never actually describe Slooh and how...

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Blog Image Processing

Adding Luminance Images to SAOImage DS9-Processed RGB Images

By Erik / December 6, 2019

In the tutorial Creating An RGB Image Using SAOImage DS9 I showed you how to create an RGB image from...

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Blog Image Processing

Creating An RGB Image Using SAOImage DS9

By Erik / December 6, 2019

SAOImage DS9 is a FITS file viewing and manipulation application from the Chandra X-ray Science Center (CXC) and the High...

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Blog Image Processing

Selecting Stars In Your Image And Editing Them

By Erik / December 5, 2019

A common problem in astronomical image processing is dealing with stars. Sometimes you need to adjust the stars in your...

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Blog Image Processing

Protected: Differences between processing approaches

By Erik / December 5, 2019

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password:

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