C2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) – Setup: Canon EOS R5, no tracking. Image top left: EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM, Exp 0.5s, f/3.2, ISO 4000, 200mm, October 13, 2024, 17:54 UTC. Top right: EF 135mm f/2 L USM, Exp 2.5s, f/3.2, ISO 5000, October 14, 2024, 18:25 UTC. The chimney of Mrs Tritten & Mr Gerber's farmhouse looked strange on the evening of October 14th…
Bottom left: EF 135mm f/2 L USM, Exp 1.3s, f/2.8, ISO 6400, October 17, 2024, 17:52 UTC. Bottom center: EF 135mm f/2 L USM, Exp 20x1.6s, f/2.5, ISO 3200, October 18, 2024, 17:58-18:32 UTC. The comet's anti-tail is clearly visible. Bottom right: EF 135mm f/2 L USM, Exp 1.6s, f/2.8, ISO 3200, October 18, 2024, 18:38 UTC.

Red Auroras – Canon EOS R5 + RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, at 24mm, ISO 12800. First image: Exp 10s, f/5.6, 21:19 UTC. Second: Exp 10s, f/5.6, 21:20 UTC. Third: Exp 13s, f/6.3, 22:30 UTC. Notice that the red light in the house is due to a red LED display in stand-by mode.

Northern Lights – Canon EOS R5 + RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, ISO 10000, exp 3.2 to 4s, f/5 to f/6.3, 20:34‐22:54 UTC, May 10, 2024. Sunspots – Canon EOS R5 + EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM + Extender 1.4x III + Marumi filter (ND-100000), ISO 800, exp 238x 0.25ms, f/11, 12:18 UTC, May 10, 2024. Solar prominences in Hα – Lunt LS80THa/PT/B1800FT + Camera ZWO ASI294MM Pro (uncooled), gain 170, exp 50x 0.5ms, 13:43 UTC, May 11, 2024.

Extended Solar Corona at 18:39:00 UTC – Click on the image to discover more suns than the hidden one! – During this eclipse, the apparent diameter of the sun was 1915″, while that of the moon 2003″, or 4.6% more, allowing the totality.

The Eclipse, from Beginning to End – The phenomenon lasts in total 2 hours and 40 minutes. The totality occurs only during 3 minutes and 47 seconds in Hamilton, TX.
Start of partial eclipse (C1): 17:19 UTC, start of total eclispse (C2): 18:36:52 UTC, maximum eclipse: 18:38:45 UTC, end of total eclipse (C3): 18:40:39 UTC, end of partial eclipse (C4): 19:59 UTC.
Setup: Canon EOS R5 + EF 400mm f/5.6L USM + Extender 1.4x III. For all images: f/11, ISO 400. During the partial phases of the eclipse: Marumi EXUS ND100000 (5.0) and AstroSolar foil.

The Eclipse Totality – Between the second contact (C2) and the third (C3), the chromosphere of the sun becomes visible. With a little luck, depending on the solar activity, some prominences also become visible.
Short exposures of the order of 0.2ms to 1ms are recommended for catching the chomosphere and the prominences. For immortalizing the corona, larger exposures up to 1s are needed. The corona is only visible during totality.

Site Selection – The city of Hamilton, TX was chosen to maximize the chances of seeing the eclipse. The sky was fairly cloudy before and after the eclipse over the entire Texas area.

The Maksutov telescope SkyWatcher SkyMax150 is a good compromize for solar, lunar and planetary photography. The new Marumi EXUS ND100000 (5.0) provides a safe solution for solar imaging.
Setup: SkyWatcher SkyMax150 (1800mm, f/12) on HEQ5 Pro mount for all astro images. Image stacking with AutoStakkert! v3.1.4. First solar image: Canon EOS R5, Marumi EXUS ND100000, Exp 4x 1/250s, ISO 400. Time: 14:40 UTC. Second solar image: ZWO ASI678MC, Marumi EXUS ND100000, Exp 120x 1ms, Gain 240. Time: 14:10 UTC. First lunar image: Mare Crisium. ZWO ASI678MC, Exp 500x 2.5ms, Gain 240. Time: 17:39 UTC. Second lunar image: Lunar terminator close to the north pole. ZWO ASI678MC, Exp 290x 2.5ms, Gain 240. Time: 17:37 UTC. Jupiter image: ZWO ASI678MC, Exp 490x 1.7ms, Gain 324. Time: 18:18 UTC. February 13, 2024.

This year, after Christmas, the weather conditions were particularly interesting to observe the sunrise. No less than 5 mornings, the colors of a blazing sky offered a particularly aesthetic spectacle. On some images, sunspots are even visible, and also a shy green flash. During those days, the sunrise occurs behind the famous Schreckhorn (4078m). The only morning too cloudy without sun was December 29, a sad gray.
Setup: Canon EOS R5 + RF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM + RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM. For some pictures a neutral-density filter (grey filter) was very useful for reducing the sun light intensity. Hoya ND16 (4 f-stop reduction) and Hoya ND400 (8.7 f-stop reduction) are optimal for sunrise and sunset photography.

The long-period comet discovered by the Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura on August 12, 2023 was immortalized from Chasseral (Switzerland) on September 9, 2023. Perihelion on September 17, 2023. Previous perihelion on July 1588. At that time, the English fleet was beating the Spanish fleet.
Setup: Canon EOS R5 + RF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM + EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM + EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM. First image: Transmitter of Chasseral with the Moon, Exp 5s, 24mm, f/4.5, ISO 6400. Time: 2:52 UTC. Second image: Comet Nishimura, Exp 4s, 70mm, f/2.8, ISO 6400. Time: 3:33 UTC. Main source of light pollution: The town of Solothurn, located at a distance of 37km. Third image: Comet Nishimura, Exp 1.6s, 135mm, f/2.2, ISO 4000. Time: 3:40 UTC. Fourth image: Sunrise, Exp 1/250s, 200mm, f/8, ISO 400. Time: 5:00 UTC. Few sunspots are visible on a high-resolution image taken few seconds before.

From left to right: The Cone Nebula (NGC 2264) and the Hubble's Variable Nebula (NGC 2261) in Monoceros. The Dark Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) positioned in front of the Emissive Nebula IC434 in Orion. The Sombrero Galaxy (NGC 4594 or M104) in Virgo.
Images taken from Prêles (Switzerland) during the clear night of February 14 to 15, 2023. Setup: ZWO ASI294MM Pro (imager cooled down to -20°C) + SkyWatcher Esprit 80ED Super APO + Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Mount + ZWO ASI462MC on SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED for autoguiding. For nebulae images, a 6nm bandwidth Astronomik Hα filter was used.

This long-period comet has been discovered at the Zwicky Transient Facility on March 2, 2022. The orbital period is about 50,000 years. The previous perihelion was observed by the Neanderthals, as long as the comet was bright enough, which is far from certain.
Images taken from Prêles (Switzerland) on January 21, 2023. Setup: Canon EOS R + RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM + Skywatcher Star Adventurer Mount. Main image (center): Exp 20s, 200mm, f/2.8, ISO 2000. Time: 3:17 UTC. The green color is likely due to the presence of diatomic carbon. Source of the SKY MAP corresponding to that moment: Software Bisque, The Sky V. Source of the 3D simulation: The Sky LIVE.

All three pictures were taken from Prêles at an altitude of 820m in July 2022 with a minimal setup based on an SkyWatcher Adventurer mount, without autoguiding by Antoine & Michel Willemin. First image (M31): Cooled camera ZWO ASI294MM Pro + Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. Exp 15x 10s, 200mm, f/2.8, Gain 390, -19°C, July 25, 2022, UTC 0:00. At least two other galaxies are also visible: M110 & UGC394 of magnitude 8.92 & 15.12 respectively. Limit stellar magnitude is 16.0. Second image (Milkyway at Moonrise): Canon EOS R5 + Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM. Exp 10s, f/4.0, ISO 6400, July. 18, 2022, UTC 22:48. Single shot despite the presence of the Moon, without tracking. Third image (NGC 7000): Cooled camera ZWO ASI294MM Pro + Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM + Filter Astronomik Hα, 12nm bandwidth. Exp 17x 30s, 70mm, f/2.8, Gain 390, -19°C, July 25, 2022, UTC 0:39. Field of view: 15.3°x10.6°. Click here for a better-resolution and logo-free image.

Pictures taken from Prêles (Switzerland) on June 12, 2022. On a single exposure and without using extreme image processing, it is challenge to immortalized simultaneously bright and faint planets. Venus has a apparent magnitude of -3.9, Mars +0.6, Jupiter -2.4, Saturn 0.7 and Neptune +7.9. According to the Pogson's law, the brightness ratio between Venus and Neptune is exceeding 50'000x. At that time, Venus was only 1.3° above the horizon. Click here for a label-free image.

Pictures taken from Prêles (Switzerland) on May 16, 2022. Setup: Canon EOS R + Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. First image: Exp 1/1250s, 200mm, f/5.6. Second: Exp 0.5s, 200mm, f/6.3. Third: Exp 4s, 145mm, f/8. Fourth: Exp 2s, 200mm, f/8. Fifth: Exp 2s, 200mm, f/8, about 10 minutes before totality, which was rendered invisible from Prêles due to the sunrise. All at ISO 2000. This event has been referred to by some media as a « super flower blood moon », but this is not a scientifically-recognized term.
Press clipping: Journal du Jura, edition of May 17, 2022.

All three pictures were taken from Prêles at an altitude of 820m on February 27-28, 2022. Setup: Cooled camera ZWO ASI294MM Pro + Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM + Filter Astronomik Hα, 12nm bandwidth for nebulae images. First image (M51): Exp 20x 5s, 200mm, f/2.8, Feb. 28, UTC 22:08. Second image (NGC2237): Exp 10x 60s, 200mm, f/2.8, Feb. 28, UTC 21:52. Third image (IC434): Exp 5x 120s, 200mm, f/2.8, Feb. 27, UTC 19:33. Wide-field image of the Orion region including the emission nebula Barnard's loop.
How to properly fit a conventional cooled camera to a Canon optics or other photo lens: Document written in French

All three pictures were immortalized on November 20, 2021 from Chasseral at an altitude of 1607m. The Moon illuminates the stratus of the Swiss Plateau and the Alps. Setup: Canon EOS R + Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. First image: Exp 5s, 24mm, f/5.6, ISO 5000, UTC 22:26. Second image: Exp 6s, 24mm, f/6.3, ISO 5000, UTC 22:52. Third image: Exp 5s, 24mm, f/6.3, ISO 5000, UTC 23:32.
Press clipping: Journal du Jura of November 23, 2021. The pictures could perfectly fit your PC desktop. Fell free to download them.

Our Sun and the two giant planets were immortalized on October 24, 2021 from Prêles (BE), Switzerland. In comparison, the small dot representing Earth has been added. Basic setup: Vixen 80M (910mm, f/11) + ZWO ASI462MC camera. For the solar image with zoom on the sunspot group AR 2887 taken at UTC 13:50: Herschel Wedge Baader, ND 0.9 ‐ Exp 30x 32µs, Gain 90 ‐ AutoStakkert! 3.1.4 for image stacking. For Jupiter (UTC 17:50 ‐ Exp 50x 80ms, Gain 106) and Saturn (UTC 20:03 ‐ Exp 500x 100ms, Gain 270): Barlow lens TeleVue 2.5x Powermate ‐ RegiStax 6.0 for image stacking and processing.

All these photographs were taken on the night of July 11 to 12, 2021 from Prêles (BE), Switzerland. The two main disturbances limiting image quality are the light pollution and the growing number of artificial satellites. The relatively small city of Biel was illuminating the sky in the east till an altitude of about 45° (top right). Satellites on low Earth orbits (LEO, i.e. below 2000km) are almost everywhere in the dark sky. On a wide field image (bottom left), it becomes almost impossible to get rid of traces of satellites. Taken into account those disturbances, getting a clean wide field photograph of the center of our Galaxy remains a challenge from Switzerland. Click here for a better-resolution and logo-free image.

Setup: Canon EOS R + 135mm f/2.0 L USM, Settings: Exp 1.6 s, f/2.2, ISO 6400, Time: July 11, 2020, UTC 21:21 The largest source of light pollution is emitted by the cities of Montbéliard and Audincourt (France), located at 45km. On the bottom right corner, the village of Saignelégier (JU), Switzerland, is clearly visible at a distance of 15km. As foreground, the multiple red dots at the bottom of the image are wind turbine beacons.
Press clipping: Journal du Jura of July 14, 2020. Le Franc-Montagnard and Le Matin of July 15, 2020.

Setup: Canon EOS R + 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM on Skywatcher Star Adventurer travel mount. Settings: Exp 13 s, 200mm f/2.8, ISO 5000. Time: July 18, 2020, UTC 21:04. The dust tail (the brightest) and the gas tail (faint and opposite to the Sun) are clearly visible. Please click here for getting the image with the highest resolution.

Setup: Canon EOS R + 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM on Skywatcher Star Adventurer travel mount. Settings: Exp 13 s, 200mm f/2.8, ISO 6400. Time: July 20, 2020, UTC 21:29. Notice that the unbarred spiral galaxy NGC 2841 is also visible.

Setup: Canon EOS 100D + 400mm f/5.6 L, Settings: Exp 1/8 s, f/11, ISO 400, Time: August 21, 2017, UTC 17:45 One hidden star on this picture? Yes, but there are much more than only one. Please click here to identify more suns!

Setup: Canon EOS 100D + 400mm f/5.6 L, Settings: Exp 1/4 s, f/11, ISO 1600, Time: August 21, 2017, UTC 17:46 The lunar maria become visible. (Reference image: Wikipedia)