What is DSO in astrophotography?
DSO is the abbreviation for Deep Sky Object. Deep Sky Objects are celestial bodies that lie beyond our solar system. Nebulae, galaxies and star clusters are considered as Deep Sky Objects (DSOs).
Individual stars are not seen as DSO. An individual star for example is Vega. See the astrophoto of the star Vega and also the part “What Types of Astrophotography are there? – Deep Space/ Deep Sky Astrophotography” in my blog post https://beatriceheinze.com/wisdom-wednesday-1-what-is-astrophotography/.
Amateur astronomers or astrophotographers mostly use DSO or Deep sky object to classify a faint astronomical object that is almost not or not visible to the naked eye.
Some DSOs, like M42 The Orion Nebula, are bright enough to observe with binoculars or a small telescope.
If you want to photograph or observe a very faint object, you’ll need a telescope with a large aperture to collect as much light as possible. Popular examples of such telescopes among astrophotographers are Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes like the Celestron Edge HD series and the Celestron RASA series. These are telescopes with a large aperture and long focal length but in a compact form.
Deep sky astrophotography is taking images of deep sky objects. More about deep sky astrophotography => https://beatriceheinze.com/wisdom-wednesday-1-what-is-astrophotography/.
Nebulae:
- Nebulae are immense vast clouds of dust and gas in space.
- These nebulae are often called “stellar nurseries” because they are the birthplace of stars.
- They are divided into different types such as emission, reflection and dark nebulae:
- Emission nebulae are illuminated mostly due to the ionization of gas by nearby stars. M42 The Orion Nebula is an example of an emission nebula.
- Reflection nebulae shine because they reflect the light of stars that are nearby. The reflection nebulae around the brightest stars in M45 The Pleiades is an example.
- Dark nebulae block out the light from background stars. B33/IC434 The Horsehead Nebula is an example of a dark nebula => https://noirlab.edu/public/images/noao0126a/
Galaxies:
- Galaxies are immense structures composed of billions of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter held together by gravity.
- There are various types of galaxies, including spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, irregular galaxies, and barred spiral galaxies. Each type has unique characteristics and structures.
- Our Milky Way is the most well-known galaxy.
- The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest complete barred spiral galaxy to the Milky Way (astronomers have found several dwarf galaxies that lie closer to our Milky Way).
Star Clusters:
- Star clusters are groups of stars that are gravitationally bound together.
- The two main types of star clusters are open clusters and globular clusters.
- Open clusters contain young stars, often formed from the same molecular cloud:
- Open clusters are nurturing young stellar populations
- Open clusters provide valuable insights into star formation and evolution.
- M45 The Pleiades and M44 The Beehive Cluster are well-known open clusters.
- Globular clusters are densely packed, spherical clusters consisting of older stars:
- Globular clusters are ancient treasures of the night sky
- These clusters are composed of tightly packed, old stars.
- M13 The Hercules Globular Cluster and M92 Globular Cluster (also in the Hercules Constellation) are popular globular clusters.
What is the most visible DSO?
M42 The Orion Nebula is the most visible DSO or Deep sky object. Although it’s visible from October to February, it is best to photograph or observe the Orion Nebula in December when it’s high in the sky.
Wisdom Wednesday: each Wednesday, I will highlight a concept in astrophotography.
I will keep it as short as possible and clarify it well with images and/or videos.
Last Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, it was not possible for me to post because of certain circumstances. Hence, I posted Wisdom Wednesday #2 on Jan. 17, 2024.
