Spencer Collins Astrophotography

Spencer Collins Astrophotography Deep space astrophotography and astronomy from the light polluted skies of Fort Myers, Florida. Follow here or on IG !

24hrs of the Eagle Nebula 🦅 This is the first combined dataset from my Esprit 150 & Vixen 8” Newtonian. Each scope bring...
05/08/2026

24hrs of the Eagle Nebula 🦅

This is the first combined dataset from my Esprit 150 & Vixen 8” Newtonian. Each scope brings something special to the table and I couldn't be happier with how well they've paired together. I must say, being able to double data each night really feels like a cheat code.

Also, huge shoutout to for repairing my CQ350 recently - he was an absolute life saver and the Esprit 150 is happy to be back on its throne. Hope everyone is doing well 🤘
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🔭 Esprit 150 (f5.4) & Vixen R200SS (f4.6)
⚙️ CQ350 & EQ6 mounts
📷 533mm Pro
🎨 Antlia 3nm Ha

Here's the Moon shining bright yesterday morning while was on the final leg of its trip home. Can't wait to see what th...
04/11/2026

Here's the Moon shining bright yesterday morning while was on the final leg of its trip home. Can't wait to see what the next few years hold for space travel 🚀
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🔭 Esprit 150
📷 533mm Pro
⚙️ CQ350

Managed to grab a quick shot of the Moon before we got clouded out last night. Looks like clouds and rain for the next f...
03/25/2026

Managed to grab a quick shot of the Moon before we got clouded out last night. Looks like clouds and rain for the next few days - see you on the other side 👋
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🔭 Vixen R200SS
📷 533MM Pro
⚙️ EQ6-R Pro
📈 Best 20% of 20k frames

Here’s the first lunar shot from the new scope. The extra bit of aperture makes a pretty noticeable difference in the de...
03/24/2026

Here’s the first lunar shot from the new scope. The extra bit of aperture makes a pretty noticeable difference in the details 🌒
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🔭 Vixen R200SS
📷 533MM Pro
⚙️ EQ6-R Pro
📈 Best 20% of 20k frames

50 minutes of hydrogen with the Vixen 8"! Got things pretty well dialed in last night and this scope is now officially i...
03/22/2026

50 minutes of hydrogen with the Vixen 8"!

Got things pretty well dialed in last night and this scope is now officially in the lineup. 3D printed primary mirror mask resolved the flares nicely, backfocus is spot on now, and collimation is looking much better. Should have a full color image with this in the next couple days 👍
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🔭 R200SS
📷 533mm Pro
⚙️ EQ6-R
🎨 Antlia 3nm Ha
🔎 Paracorr 2

Here's a little project that's finally come to fruition 👍This is a 1998 Vixen R200SS and it's a truly excellent scope - ...
03/21/2026

Here's a little project that's finally come to fruition 👍

This is a 1998 Vixen R200SS and it's a truly excellent scope - super solid tube and cells and high quality mirrors. I found it late last year on FB Marketplace in pretty rough shape - someone had it sitting in a storage unit for years and years. I stripped and restored it inside out, and just this week got the final parts to complete it. New Steeltrack focuser, EAF focus motor, Paracorr 2 corrector (making this an 8" 920mm f/4.6), Askar OAG and guide camera were installed last night and it's officially seen its first view of the sky in an estimated 15 years. Here's a few samples and a couple "before" shots.

Still need to add a few mm's of back focus and 3D print the mirror mask and dew shield, but otherwise it is fully operational 👏

Science and book nerds - check out this crazy lucky $15 FB Marketplace find. 1 of only 820 printed in 1926.This is the f...
03/19/2026

Science and book nerds - check out this crazy lucky $15 FB Marketplace find. 1 of only 820 printed in 1926.

This is the first edition, first print of the Amateur Telescope Making book, published in 1926. This was the very first book published outside of academic and professional arenas to teach the common person how to make their own telescopes, helping to spur the amateur and DIY telescope movement 100 years ago. Likely one of few original 1926 prints left in existence 👏

~ Seagull Nebula ~Here's the Seagull Nebula in Canis Major, highlighting the hydrogen and sulfur emissions. This field o...
03/18/2026

~ Seagull Nebula ~

Here's the Seagull Nebula in Canis Major, highlighting the hydrogen and sulfur emissions. This field of view just missed the oxygen nebulosity that would be left of this frame, so not as much color variety as you might see elsewhere.

45hrs of data between Ha & Sii.
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🔭 Esprit 120
📷 533MM Pro
⚙️ EQ6-R Pro
🎨 Antlia 3nm Ha/Sii filters (45hrs)

Surprisingly crisp skies at 5am made for some sharp details - even with the Moon sitting at only about 15°. ____________...
03/12/2026

Surprisingly crisp skies at 5am made for some sharp details - even with the Moon sitting at only about 15°.
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🔭 Esprit 120
📷 533MM Pro
⚙️ EQ6-R Pro
🎨 L filter

Here's an early morning Moon from yesterday. Surface details come from 4k frames stacked, and a single .5sec exposure fo...
03/11/2026

Here's an early morning Moon from yesterday. Surface details come from 4k frames stacked, and a single .5sec exposure for the background. My usual recipe 👨‍🍳
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🔭 Esprit 120
📷 533MM Pro
⚙️ EQ6-R Pro
🎨 L filter

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