ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
BY CHAD LEADER
Welcome to Ancient Photons Astrophotography. This site was created to share my images and experiences with other appreciators of astronomy and astrophotographers. I will continue to update the website with my latest astrophotos and add blog posts focused on image processing and equipment reviews.
Most of the images on the site were acquired from my light-polluted backyard using amateur astronomy equipment just outside of Washington, DC.
FEATURED IMAGES
Sh2-275 "The Rosette Nebula" in the constellation Monoceros
≈5,000 light-years from Earth
This image was captured in January of 2022 using a Celestron Edge HD 8" SCT telescope. This is a SHO palette with RGB stars. The camera used was a ZWO ASI294MM Pro with Antlia SHO and RGB filters. This is 19.25 hours of integration.
M45 "The Pleiades" in the constellation Taurus
≈444 light-years from Earth
This image was captured in October of 2021 from a dark sky location in Joshua Tree National Park. The telescope used was a TS-Optics EDPH 94 triplet refractor with a ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera. Because the skies were excellent, no filter was used. This is 60 minutes of integration.
M51 "The Whirlpool Galaxy" in the constellation Canes Venatici
≈31 million light-years from Earth
This image was captured in March of 2021 from my backyard just outside of Washington, D.C.. The telescope used was a Celestron Edge HD 8 with a ZWO ASI294MM Pro camera. This image is nearly 35 hours of integration combining Ha, L, R, G and B filters.
