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Night Sky Photography
Capturing the Heavens
On Film
Bella Luna
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
Earth's Moon
Earth's Moon is a singular unique satellite wholly created by the debris
of a massive impact millions of years ago. Since man has occupied
this planet he has looked in the night sky and marveled at the ever
changing appearance of its surface. The Moon orbits at roughly
380,000 km. distance with a diameter of 3475 km., compared to Earth it
is 27% smaller with a reflection magnitude at opposition of -12.7. The
best views through a telescope are between the crescent and quarter
phases when angled light from the sun makes the elevations appear
sharp in relief. The two photos that follow were taken at different times
to help illustrate the shadow line (terminator) and the change in view
that can be seen on the surface along that edge. In the Moons early life
the entire surface had been struck by thousands of giant meteors that
created the many features of huge craters, and volcanism to fill in the
large open plains (Mare-seas). These two features are the reason for
the lighter (younger) and darker (older) soil reflection properties of the
visible surface.
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
Capturing The Heavens
On Film
S
E
EARTH'S MOON
DAY 6.5 AFTER NEW
1
2
2- Azophi crater – 48km/ dia.
W
3
4
1- Stofler crater – 126km/ dia
3- Mare Serenitatis – 600km/ dia.
4- Eudoxus crater – 67km/ dia.
5
N
5- Aristoteles crater- 87km/ dia.
Photo taken on 400TX B/W 35mm film. Prime focus W/ 8” SchmidtCassegrain. w/SLR camera- f/stop= 2.8 – Exposure time 1/125 sec.
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
Capturing the Heavens
On Film
S
EARTH'S MOON
1
DAY 3 AFTER FIRST QUARTER
1.Blancanus 110km.dia.
2
2.Tycho 85km.dia.
3.Mare Nubium 650km. dia.
3
4.Bullialdus 59km. dia.
4
5.Mare Tranquillitatis
E
W
5
549X780km.
6.Copernicus 93km./ dia.
6
7.Mare Serenitatis
7
660X600km.
8
8.Mare Imbrium 1150km. dia.
9
9.Montes Jura 450km.High
N
Photo taken on 400TX B/W 35mm film. Prime Focus W/ 8”SchmidtCassegrain. w/SLR camera- f/stop = 2.8, Exposure time 1/250 sec.
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
Orion's Wonders
RA. 5h 40m 00s – Dec. -00d 18' 00”
Belt – Sword - Nebula
Belt:
1)Lower = Zeta Ori,
1100 ly distant, Blue-white, Mag 2.0.
N
2) Center = Epsilon Ori
1200 ly distant, blue S.giant, mag 1.7.
3) Upper = Delta Ori
2300 ly distant , blue-white, mag. 2.2.
Sword:
4) Top = NGC 1981
Open cluster, 1500 ly, Mag 8.
E
W
5) Middle = Theta Ori
1300 ly distant, Trapezium, mag 6.6.
6) Lower = Iota Ori
2000 ly distant, double star, mag 6.
Extra:
7) Below Belt – east – Sigma Ori, mag 4,
1800 ly distant, triple star.
8) Below Belt – west – Eta Ori – mag 5,
S
750 ly distant, bright double.
9)Low - south/west – Tau Ori, mag 4,
Photo taken on 400TX film, w/SLR camera,
Tri-pod camera mount Exposure time = B 15 sec. 555 ly distant.
f/stop 2.8 Age of negative caused center fogging
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
Orion's Wonders
N
The constellation Orion has a number of
double and a very impressive triple deep sky
treasures.
3
1)The brightest star in Orion β Ori is Rigel,
(giants leg) at mag 0.1 and has a 7 mag
companion. 910 ly, radius 7.8๏, temp 11,000K.
2)  Ori a 3.5 mag binary with >10”separation,
560 ly, radius 8.6๏, temp 11,900K.
4
E
5
W 3) η Ori, Algiebba: multiple-variable, mag 3-5,
750 ly, binary<10” sep., radius 6.2๏, T=21,000K.
4) σ Ori multiple-variable <10” sep., mag 3-7,
1,165 ly, T=16,300 K, radius 9.8๏.
5) β Eri, Cursa (the Footstool)- Orion neighbormag, 2.8- 91 ly.
2
1
SS
Photo taken on 400TX film, w/SLR camera,
Tri-pod mount used for camera.
Exposure time = B 20 sec. f/stop 2.8
This photo shows a slight blurring of the
stars because the time exposure was too
long B-20 seconds. This time does not allow
for the rotation of the Earth, thus star trails
are shown.
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
The Pleiades – Open Cluster
Ra. 03h 47m 00s– Dec. +24d 07' 00”
The Pleiades star cluster is
contained in the constellation
Taurus. The entire cluster contains
N
about 250 stars. The brightest and
youngest of these formed about
two million years ago, early in
astronomical time. Also known as
M 45, named after the daughters of
E
Atlas and Pleione. With a clear sky
W
about 7 stars are visible with the
naked eye, covering 1°of sky, and
are 415 Ly. away. The brightest of
these seven is ŋ Tauri at mag. 2.9.
Other members are 16 tau/ 5.5, 17
Tau/ 3.7, 19 Tau/4.3, 20 Tau/ 3.9, 21
Tau/5.8, 23 Tau/4.2, and 27 Tau/3.6
S
Photo taken on 400 TX 35mm film. Tri-pod mount mag.
The Seven Sisters
w/SLR camera, f/stop 2.8 - Exposure time=B/8sec.
Photo fogged at right due to enlargement process.
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
Capturing the Heavens
On Film
Credits:
All Moon photos were taken from the roof of the
observatory at Bowling Green State University on
clear nights during the months of December,
January and February.
All photos were taken with a K1000 Pentax SLR
camera with a standard lens.
The Moon photos were exposed on standard Kodak
photo paper using Polycontrast III RC paper. Film
negatives were focused through #11/2 and #2
Polycontrast filters, for 6-8 seconds depending on
negative quality.
Constellation photos were taken at BGSU and at sights
that could be used quickly when skies were clear. The same
print process used for the Moon were used for the
constellation shots, but #3 and #4 filters were used to focus
the negatives for 7-9 seconds on the paper, depending on
negative quality.
©Charles Dorn
Night Sky Photography
Capturing the Heavens
On Film
References:
Burnam, Robert , Jr. Burnham's Celestial Handbook; An Observer's Guide to the
Universe Beyond the Solar System. Constable and Company, Toronto,Canada,
1978. Vol.'s 1,2,3.
Norton, Arthur P. Norton's Star Atlas and Reference Handbook; Epoch 2000.0.
Pi Press, Pearson Education Inc., New York, 2004.
Price, Fred W. The Moon Observers Handbook. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, New York, 1988.
Ridpath, Ian. Universe guide to stars and planets. Universe Books, New York, 1985.
Menzel, Donald H. A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets. Houghton Mifflin Co.,
Boston, Mass. 1988.
Kitt, Michael T. The Moon; An observing guide for backyard telescopes.
Kalmbach Publishing Co., Waukesha, Wisconsin, 1992.