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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · 1d

Your photo is wonderful. My very first Bluesky post was a photo I took of this same area. Very fun object. :)

bsky.app/profile/kris...

Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Jan 24

This is of the center portion of a larger region of nebulosity commonly known as the Heart Nebula. This is about 7500 light years away.

This image was made from over 30 hours of exposures taken from home in Minnesota last winter.

This is one of my favorite images... fitting for a first post.

an astronomy photo showing the central area of Heart Nebula

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · 5d

This is the Seahorse Nebula (B150) in Cepheus. It is about 1200 light years away. I took this image last weekend from Minnesota Astronomical Society's Cherry Grove Observatory.

There's no mysterious name to explain. This dark nebula really does look like a Seahorse.

#astrophotography

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · 24d

This is the Dark Shark Nebula (LDN 1235). This is another great object in Beverly Turner Lynd's Catalogue of Dark Nebulae.

This was made with 6 hours, 23 minutes, and 20 seconds of exposure time taken a few weeks ago at Northern Nights Star Fest in Minnesota.

#astrophotography

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Aug 29

This is the Ghost Nebula in Cepheus. (Sh2-136)

I took this image at Northern Nights Star Fest in Minnesota last weekend.

The little dancing ghost on the edge of the nebula makes me smile. 👻

#astrophotography

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Aug 7

Here is the star trails image that appears at the end of the time-lapse video.

I used RawTherapee, Sequator, and GIMP to create this image... all free tools.

Star trails image created from part of the time-lapse video.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Aug 6

The campfire flickered out as the stars passed over a small window in the tree canopy.

This was from campsite #76 at Father Hennepin State Park in Isle, MN.

August 2nd, 2025

#astrophotography

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Jul 30

QHY533M camera with RGB filters
130mm Stellarvue refractor
EQ6R-Pro mount
100 second subs

CCDCiel capture software
PHD2 guiding software (OAG)

Processing with Siril, GraXpert, RawTherapee, and GIMP

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Jul 30

I finally got to take my gear away from home last weekend! The clouds, smoke, and calendar all worked together... for one night only.

This is part of dark nebula LDN1251. LDN stands for Lynd's Catalogue of Dark Nebula. The catalog was published in 1962 by Beverly Turner Lynds.

#astrophotography

Image of part of the dark nebula, LDN1251.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · May 18

There are varying distance estimates. Here's a reference for the 24.5 Mly number.

www.aanda.org/articles/aa/...

Reeling in the Whirlpool galaxy: Distance to M 51 clarified through Cepheids and the type IIP supernova 2005cs | Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)Mendeley

Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) is an international journal which publishes papers on all aspects of astronomy and astrophysics

www.aanda.org

Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · May 18

This is the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51a & M51b). This lies under the end of the handle of the Big Dipper.

The two galaxies are interacting. They are about 24.5 million light-years away.

This image was made from 19h and 20m of exposure time... lazily taken over three years.

#astrophotography

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · May 12

Messier 94

This was made with just 5 hours of images from a dark location in Minnesota.

This galaxy has an interesting inner and outer structure. There was also a study that suggested this galaxy has a lower amount of dark matter than other galaxies. Is this still accurate?

#astrophotography

image of the Cat's Eye or Croc's Eye Galaxy (Messier 94)

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · May 5

Minnesota Astronomical Society events can be found on our website. www.mnastro.org

Look for the star parties labeled "public." They are a great way to be introduced to the club. We also have monthly meetings in-person and online.

Home - Minnesota Astronomical Society

Minnesota Astronomical Society - Minnesota's amateur astronomical society

www.mnastro.org

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · May 5

The Minnesota Astronomical Society hosts star parties at the University of Minnesota's Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve.

This time-lapse is from the star party on May 3rd, 2025. We had fun.

#astrophotography

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Apr 29

The Milky Way is back in the morning hours. Here it is rising over a lake in Minnesota.

#astrophotography #milkyway

Milky Way rising over lake in Minnesota.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 22

We were completely unprepared for aurora on our drive tonight. I had to hold the camera against the car roof for the first shot. The second shot is a self portrait using the side mirror.

#astrophotography #aurora

Self portrait with aurora using side mirror of car.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 17

The mispeling goes with the beer nicely. I can't get over the flashlight mounted on a tripod though.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 17

Am I too late? Can I still post my lunar eclipse photos from last week? Have you seen too many yet? 🙂

It was very hazy with high clouds in Minnesota, but I made do. The low clouds rolled in right as totality was ending. We lucked out.

#astrophotography #moon #eclipse

The moon partially covered by Earth's shadow.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 14

Go outside. Look at the moon!

#astrophotography

Astrophotography software capturing total lunar eclipse.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 13

Here’s our progress. Our first batch was too dense (edible, but crystallizes). This one tastes and looks really good.

Maple syrup after some filtering, but before finishing to the correct density.

Finished maple syrup in jars after boiling and collecting for several days.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 11

It was very lucky, but I wasn't alone. There were others, even in our astronomy club, who also caught the impact. I have always wanted to go back and see if LRO ever found the crater.

Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 11

I was one of the many lucky people to have captured a meteoroid impacting the moon during the Jan 20, 2019 eclipse. My setup back then was crude compared to now. Instead of video, I was capturing still images in short bursts to stack later.

Don't miss the next lunar eclipse!

#astrophotography

This is an averaged stack of 40, 1/8 second exposures all taken within about 8 seconds of each other. Within those 40 frames is the frame that caught the meteoroid impact. In order to show that frame within the image, I applied it as a layer on top of the stacked images.

This is a crop of the single frame that captured the impact... in all its noisy glory.

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Mar 4

The Zelensky shirt would have sent a stronger message than everyone just wearing pink.

damirli.com/products/lon...

Long-Sleeve Polo Shirt with embroidery "Ukrainian Trident"

The polo shirt has a classic fit, a turn-down collar, and long sleeves. It is decorated with an embroidered Ukrainian trident on the left side. The polo shirt with the "Ukrainian Trident" embroidery i...

damirli.com

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Feb 27

The ACLU website has actions defined that make mailing your representatives and senators about various issues very easy. Pick an issue, personalize some text, click a button… done.

www.aclu.org/action

Actions Archive | American Civil Liberties Union

www.aclu.org

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Reposted by Kristopher Setnes

Leif Pettersen @leifpettersen.bsky.social · Feb 26

If you're in Minneapolis/St Paul this weekend and want to forget about $hitty things for a while, this is what you need. These family-friendly shows are always outstanding.

Racket @racketmn.com · Feb 26

We're giving away FIVE pairs of tickets to Saturday's MONDO Spectacular variety show at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium. Hit repost for a chance to win!

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Kristopher Setnes @kristopher.setnes.net · Feb 26

They Mean Well. ;)