Hawthorne Deep Sky Observatory

18/06/2026

18/06/2026

A few weeks ago, I shared a teaser of two iconic targets I was collecting data on during Brisbane's all-too-brief clear spell. Today, I'm excited to reveal the first result: a **Beta version of the Statue of Liberty Nebula**.

This is the **full-size image** captured with an EdgeHD 11" and a **ZWO ASI2600MM Pro** in portrait orientation. Presented here as a **starless version**, it allows the intricate clouds of hydrogen, sulphur, and oxygen to take centre stage. Removing the stars reveals just how much structure, texture, and hidden detail are buried within this remarkable region of space.

This is still a work in progress, with more refinement and experimentation to come, but I wanted to share an early look at where this journey is heading.

**Acquisition Data:**
• Hα: 33 × 600s
• OIII: 31 × 600s
• SII: 22 × 600s
• RGB stars: 10s exposures

That's over **14 hours of narrowband integration** dedicated to revealing the nebula's hidden details.

I'm curious—do you prefer starless presentations that showcase the nebula itself, or images with the stars included? And what details stand out to you in this early beta version?

The Eagle Nebula is still waiting in the processing queue... 👀✨

14/06/2026

New composition of the Pullers of creation (Eagle Nebula) is in progress.

14/06/2026

Brisbane's weather has been testing the patience of astrophotographers lately! ☁️😅 With clear nights becoming a rare luxury, I decided to make the most of the last decent window a few weeks ago and take on two of the most iconic deep-sky targets in the night sky: the Eagle Nebula and the Statue of Liberty Nebula.

Captured with my EdgeHD 11" and ZWO2600mmPto (APS-C sensor) in portrait orientation, these are the raw cropped stacks in Hubble Palette (SHO) — just the starting point before the real processing begins. Each sub was a 600-second exposure using SHO and RGB filters.

The data is looking promising, and I'm hoping there's enough buried in these stacks to reveal some spectacular detail when the final images emerge.

For now, here's a sneak peek before the magic happens... 👀✨

Which of these iconic nebulae is your favourite? And which one would you be most excited to see fully processed?

11/06/2026

Eta Carina Nebula captured form a smart telescope✨
The Jewel of the Southern Skies.
Which version do you think reveals more detail?
And more importantly… which one is your favourite? 👀✨

Zoom in to see details.

11/06/2026

Eta Carina Nebula captured form a smart telescope✨
The Jewel of the Southern Skies.

The last image I processed from this little smart scope turned out to be surprisingly popular… so here’s another challenge for everyone 😄

This time, I captured the magnificent Eta Carina Nebula using the Seestar S30 Pro, processing the auto-stacked data in PixInsight and Photoshop. I created two versions — the default HA-OIII look and a more dramatic HOO palette.

207 x 60s exposures using a dual-band light pollution filter. Not bad for a compact smart scope!

Which version do you think reveals more detail?
And more importantly… which one is your favourite? 👀✨

Zoom in to see details.

SEQAS South East Queensland Astronomical Society
Sudath Wijeratne

09/06/2026

Deep sky astrophotography.

09/06/2026

Fighting Dragons of ERA- One-shot camera SHO

09/06/2026

Fighting Dragons of Eridanus — the legendary Rim Nebula — revealed here in an extraordinary Hubble Palette (SHO) interpretation captured with a one-shot colour camera. 🔥🐉✨

What makes this image especially fascinating is that this SHO-style result was created using only two narrowband filters with the ASI2600MC Pro:
🔹 L-Para (Ha-OIII)
🔹 Askar D2 (OIII-SII)

By carefully extracting and combining the narrowband signals, it became possible to reconstruct the dramatic Hubble-inspired palette usually associated with dedicated mono imaging systems.

This dark and turbulent region within the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex is shaped by intense stellar radiation and shockwaves, carving enormous glowing walls of ionised gas and dust across space over millions of years. The result is a chaotic cosmic battlefield that truly lives up to its “Fighting Dragons” nickname.

Captured over two crystal-clear nights with the ultra-fast HyperStar system and processed meticulously in APP, PixInsight, and Photoshop to reveal the hidden layers of structure, colour, and depth buried within the nebula.

📷 Technical Details:
Celestron EdgeHD 8" with HyperStar v4
ASI2600MC Pro
ZWO AM5 Mount

88 × 300s — L-Para
99 × 300s — Askar OIII-SII D2
55 × 5s — Antlia Tri-band (Stars)

08/06/2026

Fighting Dragons of Eridanus — the legendary Rim Nebula — captured in extraordinary depth and detail.

This haunting cosmic landscape lies within the vast Orion Molecular Cloud complex, where powerful radiation and stellar winds from massive young stars are violently sculpting enormous walls of hydrogen gas and dark dust. The glowing “rim” is literally the edge of an immense interstellar cavity, carved over millions of years by stellar energy and shockwaves. What we are witnessing here is a chaotic stellar nursery where new suns are still being born.

To reveal this dark and delicate structure, I collected data across two full crystal-clear nights using an ultra-fast HyperStar system, carefully processing every frame to preserve the subtle colour transitions, faint nebula wisps, and dramatic contrast hidden deep within this region.

This first presentation is a dual-band L-Para compilation showcasing the natural structure and depth of the nebula.

But this is only the beginning…

Next, I’ll be sharing an incredible Hubble palette version created entirely from a one-shot colour camera — transforming these cosmic clouds into a surreal landscape of gold, blue, and emerald detail rarely seen from OSC data.

Processed in APP, PixInsight, and Photoshop.

📷 Technical Details:
Celestron EdgeHD 8" with HyperStar v4
ASI2600MC Pro
ZWO AM5 Mount

88 × 300s — L-Para
99 × 300s — Askar OIII-SII D2
55 × 5s — Antlia Tri-band (Stars)