Joshua Copen Astrophotography

Joshua Copen Astrophotography Joshua has been fascinated by the stars and the science since finding an astronomy book in 3rd grade.

As an astrophotographer, he captures the universe’s beauty with precision, showcasing galaxies, nebulas, and other wonders.

Have you ever looked at a cloud and seen a swan? 🦢This is the Omega Nebula, also known as the Swan Nebula (M17), glowing...
06/10/2026

Have you ever looked at a cloud and seen a swan? 🦢

This is the Omega Nebula, also known as the Swan Nebula (M17), glowing deep within the constellation Sagittarius.

Located about 5,500 light-years away, M17 is one of the Milky Way's brightest stellar nurseries.
Hidden inside are thousands of young stars carving out the surrounding gas and dust with intense radiation.

Another fun fact:
M17 contains enough gas and dust to create thousands of Sun-sized stars.
Astronomers estimate the nebula spans about 15 light-years across, while the larger surrounding molecular cloud stretches much farther.

What do you see first—the swan shape, the omega symbol, or something completely different? 🔭



==== Imaging Data ====

Target - Omega Nebula - Swan Nebula - M17

Date - 6 - 7 - 2026

Scope-OTA - Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain 945 mm FL F6.3 with Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer + Insulation Wrapped

Mount - Vixen Great Polaris GEM Mount Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 Pro Go To Kit Equipped

Camera - ZWO ASI 294 MC with DIY Cooling Mod With Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut (1.25")

Guidescope - SVBony SV165

Guidecamera - ZWO ASI 120 MM-Mini

Broadband Data

Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds

Gain-ISO - 270

Light-Frames - 44

Dark-Frames - 95

Flat-Frames - 99

Dark-Flat-Frames - 99

Camera Sensor Temp - 10.9 C

Capture Area=4144x2822

Colour Space=RGB24

Output Format=FITS files (*.fits)

Total Frames - 44

Integration-Time - Hours 2 - Minutes 12 - Seconds 0

Software-Processing - Adobe Photoshop - Starnet ++ - Siril - GraXpert - ASTAP - Deepskystacker

Software-Acquisition - SharpCap - Cartes Du Ciel - Stellarium - PHD2 - ASCOM - EQMOD - NINA

What happens when a massive star starts tearing itself apart? 🌌This is the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), a giant cosmic bu...
06/05/2026

What happens when a massive star starts tearing itself apart? 🌌

This is the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), a giant cosmic bubble in the constellation Cygnus.

At its heart is a rare Wolf-Rayet star called WR 136.
It is blasting material into space at over 1,700 km/s (about 1 million mph).

The glowing shell formed when those powerful stellar winds slammed into older gas the star shed earlier in its life.

Another fun fact:
The Crescent Nebula spans about 25 light-years across, making it nearly six times wider than the distance between our Sun and Alpha Centauri.

What stands out most to you in this image—the glowing oxygen shell, the hydrogen filaments, or the sea of stars surrounding it? 🔭



==== Imaging Data ====

Target - Crescent Nebula - NGC 6888

Date - 5 - 31 - 2026 - 6 - 1 - 2026 - 6 - 2 - 2026 - 6 - 5 - 2026

Scope-OTA - Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain 945 mm FL F6.3 with Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer + Insulation Wrapped

Mount - Vixen Great Polaris GEM Mount Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 Pro Go To Kit Equipped

Camera - ZWO ASI 294 MC with DIY Cooling Mod With Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut (1.25") - Optolong L-eXtreme Dual Bandpass Light Pollution Reduction Imaging Filter - 1.25"

Guidescope - SVBony SV165

Guidecamera - ZWO ASI 120 MM-Mini

Broadband Data

Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds

Gain-ISO - 270

Light-Frames - 54

Dark-Frames - 95

Flat-Frames - 99

Dark-Flat-Frames - 99

Narrowband Data

Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds

Gain-ISO - 340

Light-Frames - 153

Dark-Frames - 100

Flat-Frames - 98

Dark-Flat-Frames - 99

Camera Sensor Temp - 9.00 C

Capture Area=4144x2822

Colour Space=RGB24

Output Format=FITS files (*.fits)

Total Frames - 207

Integration-Time - Hours 10 - Minutes 21 - Seconds 0

Software-Processing - Adobe Photoshop - Starnet ++ - Siril - GraXpert - ASTAP - Deepskystacker

Software-Acquisition - SharpCap - Cartes Du Ciel - Stellarium - PHD2 - ASCOM - EQMOD - NINA

A black hole is hiding in this frame. 🌌M106, also called NGC 4258, sits about 23.5 million light-years away in the const...
05/26/2026

A black hole is hiding in this frame. 🌌

M106, also called NGC 4258, sits about 23.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici.
What makes this galaxy special is its active supermassive black hole blasting energy from its core.

The faint red glow near the center comes from hydrogen regions where new stars are forming.
Those blue spiral arms are packed with younger, hotter stars.

Fun fact:
Astronomers used water v***r “masers” inside M106 to measure its distance with incredible accuracy.
It became one of the key galaxies for helping calculate the expansion rate of the universe.

What grabs your eye first here — the glowing core or the sweeping blue arms? 🔭



==== Imaging Data ====

Target - M106 - NGC 4258
Date - 5 - 22 - 2026 - 5 - 23 - 2026

Scope-OTA - Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain 945 mm FL F6.3 with Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer
Mount - Vixen Great Polaris GEM Mount Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 Pro Go To Kit Equipped

Camera - ZWO ASI 294 MC with DIY Cooling Mod With Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut (1.25")

Guidescope - SVBony SV165
Guidecamera - ZWO ASI 120 MM-Mini

Broadband Data

Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds
Gain-ISO - 270

Light-Frames - 90
Dark-Frames - 95
Flat-Frames - 99
Dark-Flat-Frames - 99

Camera Sensor Temp - 15.1 C

Capture Area=4144x2822
Colour Space=RGB24
Output Format=FITS files (*.fits)

Total Frames - 90

Integration-Time - Hours 4 - Minutes 30 - Seconds 0

Software-Processing - Adobe Photoshop - Starnet ++ - Siril - GraXpert - ASTAP - Deepskystacker

A cosmic pinwheel spinning 21 million light-years away. 🌌This is the Pinwheel Galaxy, also called Messier 101.Its giant ...
05/21/2026

A cosmic pinwheel spinning 21 million light-years away. 🌌

This is the Pinwheel Galaxy, also called Messier 101.
Its giant spiral arms are filled with glowing nebulae where new stars are actively forming.

Another incredible fact:
The Pinwheel Galaxy is enormous.
It spans roughly 170,000 light-years across — much larger than our own Milky Way galaxy.

Astronomers have also observed several supernova explosions inside this galaxy over the last century.

Captured with over 4 hours of integration using my C6 SCT setup.

Do you prefer face-on spiral galaxies like this, or edge-on galaxies that slice across space?



==== Imaging Data ====

Target - Pinwheel Galaxy - M101

Date - 5 - 19 - 2026

Scope-OTA - Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain 945 mm FL F6.3 with Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer

Mount - Vixen Great Polaris GEM Mount Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 Pro Go To Kit Equipped

Camera - ZWO ASI 294 MC with DIY Cooling Mod With Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut (1.25")

Guidescope - SVBony SV165

Guidecamera - ZWO ASI 120 MM-Mini

Broadband Data
Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds
Gain-ISO - 270
Light-Frames - 83
Dark-Frames - 95
Flat-Frames - 99
Dark-Flat-Frames - 99

Camera Sensor Temp - 9.80 C

Capture Area=4144x2822
Colour Space=RGB24
Output Format=FITS files (*.fits)

Total Frames - 83

Integration-Time - Hours 4 - Minutes 9 - Seconds 0

Software-Processing - Adobe Photoshop - Starnet ++ - Siril - GraXpert - ASTAP - Deepskystacker

Software-Acquisition - SharpCap - Cartes Du Ciel - Stellarium - PHD2 - ASCOM - EQMOD - NINA

A glowing island universe floating 27 million light-years away. 🌻This is the Sunflower Galaxy, also known as Messier 63....
05/19/2026

A glowing island universe floating 27 million light-years away. 🌻

This is the Sunflower Galaxy, also known as Messier 63.
Its twisted spiral arms are packed with glowing star-forming regions and dark dust lanes.

Another amazing fact:
The Sunflower Galaxy may have a warped shape from gravitational interactions with smaller nearby galaxies long ago.

This galaxy is also part of the same galaxy group as the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51).

Captured across multiple nights with over 7 hours of total integration using my C6 SCT setup.

Would you rather visit a nebula filled with newborn stars or a giant spiral galaxy like this one?



==== Imaging Data ====

Target - Sunflower Galaxy - M63

Date - 5 - 14 - 2026 - 5 - 17 - 2026

Scope-OTA - Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain 945 mm FL F6.3 with Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer

Mount - Vixen Great Polaris GEM Mount Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 Pro Go To Kit Equipped

Camera - ZWO ASI 294 MC with DIY Cooling Mod With Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut (1.25")

Guidescope - SVBony SV165

Guidecamera - ZWO ASI 120 MM-Mini

Broadband Data
Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds
Gain-ISO - 270
Light-Frames - 145
Dark-Frames - 95
Flat-Frames - 99
Dark-Flat-Frames - 99

Camera Sensor Temp - 7.80 C

Capture Area=4144x2822
Colour Space=RGB24
Output Format=FITS files (*.fits)

Total Frames - 145

Integration-Time - Hours 7 - Minutes 15 - Seconds 0

Software-Processing - Adobe Photoshop - Starnet ++ - Siril - GraXpert - Seti Astro's Suite - Cosmic Clarity - ASTAP - Deepskystacker

Software-Acquisition - SharpCap - Cartes Du Ciel - Stellarium - PHD2 - ASCOM - EQMOD - NINA

A giant stellar nursery glowing across 4,000 light-years of space. 🌌This is the Lagoon Nebula, also called Messier 8.Tha...
05/15/2026

A giant stellar nursery glowing across 4,000 light-years of space. 🌌

This is the Lagoon Nebula, also called Messier 8.
That bright core is packed with newborn stars shaping the gas around them.

The glowing hydrogen gas inside M8 reaches temperatures around 10,000 K
(about 17,500°F / 9,700°C). 🔥

Another wild fact:
The dark lanes cutting through the nebula are dense dust clouds where future stars may still be forming.

Captured over one night with just 1 hour 21 minutes of integration using my C6 SCT setup.

What catches your eye first in this image — the glowing core or the dark dust rivers?



==== Imaging Data ====

Target - Lagoon Nebula - M8
Date - 5 - 14 - 2026

Scope-OTA - Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain 945 mm FL F6.3 with Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer

Mount - Vixen Great Polaris GEM Mount Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 Pro Go To Kit Equipped

Camera - ZWO ASI 294 MC with DIY Cooling Mod With Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut (1.25")

Guidescope - SVBony SV165

Guidecamera - ZWO ASI 120 MM-Mini

Broadband Data
Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds
Gain-ISO - 270
Light-Frames - 27
Dark-Frames - 95
Flat-Frames - 99
Dark-Flat-Frames - 99

Camera Sensor Temp - 10.5 C

Capture Area=4144x2822
Colour Space=RGB24
Output Format=FITS files (*.fits)

Total Frames - 27

Integration-Time - Hours 1 - Minutes 21 - Seconds 0

Software-Processing - Adobe Photoshop - Starnet ++ - Siril - GraXpert - Seti Astro's Suite - Cosmic Clarity - ASTAP - Deepskystacker - Astrosurface

Software-Acquisition - SharpCap - Cartes Du Ciel - Stellarium - PHD2 - ASCOM - EQMOD - NINA

A river of stars stretching across the night sky. ✨This is our home galaxy — the Milky Way.Every bright point here is a ...
05/15/2026

A river of stars stretching across the night sky. ✨

This is our home galaxy — the Milky Way.
Every bright point here is a star, and there are billions more hidden in the dust.

The center of the Milky Way contains a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A*.
It has a mass about 4 million times greater than our Sun.

Another wild fact:
The glowing band you see is only a tiny slice of our galaxy’s full spiral shape.
If we could fly above it, the Milky Way would look like a giant cosmic pinwheel.

Captured with a vintage Pentax 28mm lens piggybacked on my C6 SCT tracking setup. 🌌

What’s your favorite part of the Milky Way — the star clouds or the dark dust lanes?



==== Imaging Data ====

Target - Milkyway

Camera was piggybacked off of the C6 SCT Telescope for tracking.

Date - 5 - 14 - 2026

Lens - Pentax 28mm F/2.8 SMC M K Mount Manual Focus Lens stopped down to F/5.6

Mount - Vixen Great Polaris GEM Mount Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 Pro Go To Kit Equipped

Camera - Sony A6300 APS-C Mirrorless Camera

Guidescope - SVBony SV165

Guidecamera - ZWO ASI 120 MM-Mini

Broadband Data
Exposure-Time - 180 Seconds - 3 Minutes
Gain-ISO - 800
Light-Frames - 16
Dark-Frames - 30
Flat-Frames - 40

Capture Area=4024x6024

Output Format=ARW files (*.ARW)

Total Frames - 16

Integration-Time - Hours 0 - Minutes 48 - Seconds 16

Software-Processing - Adobe Photoshop - Starnet ++ - Siril - GraXpert - Seti Astro's Suite - Cosmic Clarity - ASTAP - Sequator

Software-Acquisition - Cartes Du Ciel - Stellarium - PHD2 - ASCOM - EQMOD - NINA

Three nebulae in one target. 🌌The Trifid Nebula is a mix of glowing hydrogen, blue reflection dust, and dark cosmic lane...
05/13/2026

Three nebulae in one target. 🌌

The Trifid Nebula is a mix of glowing hydrogen, blue reflection dust, and dark cosmic lanes.
That’s why M20 looks almost painted across the sky.

The red emission region glows at temperatures near 10,000 Kelvin.
That intense energy comes from young hot stars ionizing the surrounding gas.

Another wild fact:
The blue section is a reflection nebula.
It shines because dust is scattering nearby starlight, similar to how Earth’s sky appears blue.

The dark cracks slicing through the center are dense dust clouds hiding newborn stars.
Some of those stars may still have forming planetary systems around them.

Which part stands out most to you?
The glowing red gas or the icy blue reflection clouds?



==== Imaging Data ====

Target: Trifid Nebula (M20)
Date: 2026-05-11

Scope/OTA: Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain
Focal Length: 945mm
F-Ratio: f/6.3
Reducer: Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer

Mount: Vixen Great Polaris GEM
Drive System: SkyWatcher SynScan EQ5 Pro GoTo Kit

Camera: ZWO ASI294MC with DIY Cooling Mod
Filter: Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut 1.25"

Guide Scope: SVBony SV165
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini

Exposure: 180s
Gain: 270
Light Frames: 31
Dark Frames: 95
Flat Frames: 99
Dark Flats: 99

Total Integration: 1h 33m 00s

Sensor Temp: 13.0°C

Capture Area: 4144×2822
Color Space: RGB24
Output Format: FITS files

Processing Software:
Adobe Photoshop
StarNet++
Siril
GraXpert
Seti Astro Suite
Cosmic Clarity
ASTAP
DeepSkyStacker
Astrosurface

Acquisition Software:
SharpCap
Cartes du Ciel
Stellarium
PHD2
ASCOM
EQMOD
NINA

The Pillars of Creation never get old. 🌌This is the heart of the Eagle Nebula,where giant columns of gas and dust are fo...
05/13/2026

The Pillars of Creation never get old. 🌌

This is the heart of the Eagle Nebula,
where giant columns of gas and dust are forming new stars.

Those dark “pillars” are light-years tall.
Inside them, gravity is building future solar systems right now.

The wild part?
The light in this image started its journey around 7,000 years ago.

Captured over two nights with my C6 SCT setup,
this target always feels like looking into a cosmic storm frozen in time.

What’s your favorite nebula shape?
Pillars, bubbles, or giant clouds?



==== Imaging Data ====

Target: Eagle Nebula — Pillars of Creation (M16)
Date: 2026-05-11 to 2026-05-12

Scope/OTA: Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain
Focal Length: 945mm
F-Ratio: f/6.3
Reducer: Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer

Mount: Vixen Great Polaris GEM
Drive System: SkyWatcher SynScan EQ5 Pro GoTo Kit

Camera: ZWO ASI294MC with DIY Cooling Mod
Filter: Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut 1.25"

Guide Scope: SVBony SV165
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini

Exposure: 180s
Gain: 270
Light Frames: 52
Dark Frames: 95
Flat Frames: 99
Dark Flats: 99

Total Integration: 2h 36m 00s

Sensor Temp: 14.8°C

Capture Area: 4144×2822
Color Space: RGB24
Output Format: FITS

Processing Software:
Adobe Photoshop
StarNet++
Siril
GraXpert
Seti Astro Suite
Cosmic Clarity
ASTAP
DeepSkyStacker
Astrosurface

Acquisition Software:
SharpCap
Cartes du Ciel
Stellarium
PHD2
ASCOM
EQMOD
NINA

Some star clusters look scattered.M5 looks engineered. ✨This ancient globular cluster packs hundreds of thousands of sta...
05/13/2026

Some star clusters look scattered.
M5 looks engineered. ✨

This ancient globular cluster packs hundreds of thousands of stars into one tight sphere.
It’s one of the oldest objects orbiting our Milky Way.

Captured here is Messier 5, also called the Rose Cluster.
Even at nearly 25,000 light-years away, the core still blazes through the darkness.

Fun fact:
Astronomer William Herschel once described M5 as a “beautiful cluster of compressed stars.”
Modern studies estimate its age at over 12 billion years.

What’s your favorite type of deep-sky target?
Galaxies, nebulae, or star clusters?



==== Imaging Data ====

Target: Rose Cluster (M5)
Date: 2026-05-11

Scope/OTA: Celestron C6 SCT Schmidt Cassegrain
Focal Length: 945mm
F-Ratio: f/6.3
Reducer: Celestron 0.63x Corrector-Reducer

Mount: Vixen Great Polaris GEM
Drive System: SkyWatcher SynScan EQ5 Pro GoTo Kit

Camera: ZWO ASI294MC with DIY Cooling Mod
Filter: Baader CMOS-Optimized UV/IR Cut 1.25"

Guide Scope: SVBony SV165
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini

Exposure: 180s
Gain: 270
Light Frames: 41
Dark Frames: 95
Flat Frames: 99
Dark Flats: 99

Total Integration: 2h 03m 00s

Sensor Temp: 14.8°C

Processing Software:
Adobe Photoshop
StarNet++
Siril
GraXpert
Seti Astro Suite
Cosmic Clarity
ASTAP
DeepSkyStacker
Astrosurface

Acquisition Software:
SharpCap
Cartes du Ciel
Stellarium
PHD2
ASCOM
EQMOD
NINA

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