Desert Astronomer

26/07/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Luke Shepard

With the skies finally beginning to clear, Luke was able to get a few nights under the stars and start working through a fresh collection of data.

This first image features Sh2-54, an emission nebula rich in hydrogen-alpha, with fainter sulfur and oxygen emissions adding depth and colour throughout the field. Located just beside the famous Eagle Nebula, it's a region that's often overlooked despite the incredible detail it has to offer.

The accompanying starless version strips away the stars to reveal the intricate nebulosity hidden beneath, showcasing the delicate structure that makes this region well worth a closer look.

Sky-Watcher 10" f/4 Quattro CF @ f/3.62 (TS-Wynne 68)
QHY268M (Gain 56, Offset 50, HGM) | NEQ6 Hypertuned by Starpoint Australis
Antlia 4.5nm SHO | Antlia LRGB Pro 36mm Filters

SHO Narrowband with RGB stars

03/07/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Luke Shepherd | Desert Astronomer

The Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is one of the largest and brightest emission nebulae in our night sky. Spanning an area nearly four times the apparent size of the full Moon, it's visible to the naked eye from dark locations and is a spectacular target through binoculars or a telescope.

Captured over two nights using just over 4 hours of SHO narrowband data, Luke focused on revealing the intricate structure hidden within the nebula's hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen emissions. The result highlights the turbulent gas and dust surrounding one of the Milky Way's most active stellar nurseries.

This image was later selected as an AAPOD2 (Amateur Astronomy Picture of the Day 2).

Sky-Watcher 10" f/4 Quattro Newtonian
QHY268M (Gain 56, Offset 50, HGM) | NEQ6 Hypertuned by Starpoint Australis
TS-Wynne 68 Coma Corrector
ZWO 36mm SHO Filters

Total integration: 4h 15′
SII 300s × 22 | Ha 300s × 12 | OIII 300s × 17

24/05/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Luke Shepherd | Desert Astronomer

A little over 12 months has passed since Orion the Hunter last graced our night skies, and this year Luke decided to take a different approach to one of the most photographed regions in the sky.

Combining natural colour data captured last season with false-colour narrowband data captured this year, the image blends traditional RGB with Sulphur II, Hydrogen-Alpha and Oxygen III emissions. By isolating specific wavelengths of light, narrowband imaging reveals structures and detail that would otherwise remain hidden within the nebula.

Captured over two nights for a total of 9 hours, the dataset demonstrates just how much information can be gathered even during the short summer imaging season. While clear nights can be hard to come by at this time of year, the result is a unique interpretation of one of the southern sky's most iconic targets.

Sky-Watcher 10" f/4 Quattro CF
QHY268M | Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Hypertuned by Starpoint Australis
Antlia 4.5nm SHO | Antlia LRGB Pro 36mm Filters

SHO Narrowband blended with Natural RGB
Total integration: 9 hrs

26/04/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Brendan Mitchell | Processed by Luke Shepherd Desert Astronomer

M42, the Orion Nebula, is one of the most studied and recognisable regions in the night sky. Located roughly 1,350 light years away, it’s an active stellar nursery where new stars are forming within vast clouds of gas and dust.

At the core of the nebula sits the Trapezium Cluster, a group of young, massive stars whose intense radiation is energising the surrounding gas. The glowing reds trace hydrogen, while the blues and greens reveal oxygen-rich regions shaped by stellar winds and radiation pushing outward through the cloud.

In this widefield view, the surrounding dust becomes just as important as the bright core. Dark lanes of cold material weave through the field, while faint emission and reflection structures extend well beyond the central nebula highlighting the complexity of this region that often gets lost in tighter crops.

Captured using a fast widefield system and mapped in a Foraxx narrowband combination, this image balances the strong core with the surrounding structure, revealing both the intensity and the subtle detail across the Orion complex.

Rokinon 135mm f/2 (Starpoint Lens Carrier)
QHY268M | Sky-Watcher EQ6-R | Starpoint Focus Controller
Antlia 4.5nm Narrowband EDGE Filters
Foraxx Narrowband

Total integration: 8 hrs
SII 300s × 30 | Ha 300s × 36 | OIII 300s × 30

14/04/2026

NGC6188 Fighting Dragons of Ara
It’s wild to see what’s possible now that processing tools have come so far.

Reprocessed the Dragons of Ara from scratch to see what these newer tools could really pull out.

Most people go for the classic blue/gold look, but I’ve been leaning toward a workflow that keeps more of the natural colour variation in the dust. Harder to get right, but it feels more real than just slapping on a preset.

Which do you prefer — this wider spectrum or the classic Hubble look?

Equipment:
Telescope 🔭: Skywatcher 10” CF Newtonian
Corrector: TS-Wynne 68 coma corrector
Camera 📷: QHY268M
Filters: Antlia 4.5nm Narrowband filters
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 hypertuned

08/03/2026

08/03/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Brendan Mitchell | Processed by Luke Shepard Luke Shepherd Astrophotography

M45, the Pleiades, is one of the most recognisable star clusters in the night sky but beneath its brilliant blue stars lies an intricate web of faint interstellar dust.

That electric-blue glow isn’t emission, but reflection. The hot young stars of the cluster illuminate surrounding dust clouds, scattering shorter wavelengths of light and revealing delicate filaments that stretch far beyond the core.

With careful integration, the often-overlooked brown dust surrounding the cluster begins to emerge subtle, textured, and incredibly expansive. It’s a reminder that even familiar objects still hold depth when you take the time to look.

Rokinon 135mm f/2 in a Starpoint Lens carrier
QHY268M, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R, Starpoint Focus Controller
Antilia LRGB pro
LRGB combination

Total integration: 8 hrs
L 300s × 26 | R 300s × 24 | G 300s × 24 | B 300s × 22