iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Ever since I got this scope I wanted to do a close up on M31. Unfortunately ran out of time to add Oiii and had to throw out a lot of frames due to bad seeing. In total 14 hrs on Ha and 1 hour on each RGB. 📷 - #zwo ASI2600MM Pro 🔭 - Askar 130PHQ Processed in @siril.org @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

My recent take on NGC281 the Pacman Nebula. This emission nebula is located ~9500 light years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. Taken over the course of a night from my backyard (awhile ago). 📷 - 2600MM Pro 🔭 - Askar 130PHQ Processed in @siril.org @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Been a busy year but getting back into it with the Elephants Trunk Nebula IC1396. 🔭 - Askar 130PHQ at 1000mm 📷 - ZWO 2600MM Pro 🕓 - 9 hours SHO Processed with @siril.org @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Haven't had a ton of clear nights with good seeing lately but here's one project I've managed to do the last few months. The reflection nebulae VdB 14 & 15 in Camelopardalis. 🔭 - Askar 130PHQ 📷 - ZWO 2600MM-Pro 🕓 - 27 hrs of LRGB @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

My last wide field image for the time being is IC405 and IC410 in SHO (as well as quite a few other open star clusters and nebulae). Located ~1,500 and ~12,400 light-years away in the constellation Auriga, this is a young star forming region. #astrophotography @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Added a bit more Oiii and SII data to NGC2264 at the beginning of the month which is going to finish off this project for now. Messed around editing with the Foraxx palette for this version. Planning to do one more wide field target before setting up both mounts for galaxies. #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

This isn't NGC3324 but looks like features of the Soul Nebula (IC1848) match pretty well. May be be a poor AI generation or a unique editing style. Here's a photo I took of the Soul Nebula to compare.

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

After working through processing M33 I think I've come up with a workflow I am fairly happy with. Will share processing details below. 🔭 - Askar 130PHQ 📷 - ASI2600MM Pro Planning to add more time to this after the full moon. #astrophotography @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Had to go back and bump up the saturation. Really makes quite a difference in comparison. #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

First attempt at learning to edit NB + RGB with a mono setup. This is M33 with 75 mins on each Hα/R/G/B filter. Still working out some kinks with the new setup. 🔭 - Askar 130PHQ 📷 - ASI2600MM Pro #astrophotography @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Both rigs are up and running hoping to have some initial edits done this weekend to share! #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

First clear night in a few weeks had some highs and lows on M33 -Askar 130PHQ optics are perfect -OAG mirror is causing the bad vignetting -guide camera on OAG could achieve correct back focus -EFW failed to set repeatedly Hopefully I can resolve all these issues tomorrow #astrophotography

Stack of 12x300s on red filter with the ASI2600MM Pro

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Finally got the first bit of Sii in on NGC2264 so could put together this initial SHO edit. Planning to add more time to improve SNR in Oiii and Sii. 🔭 - RC51 📷 - 2600MM Pro 🕓 - 12h Ha, 4h Oiii, 8h SII #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Between traveling for the holidays and cloudy skies haven't been imaging. In the meantime, I have been putting together a second imaging rig with some parts I got used. 2024 got me back into this hobby so super excited to see what I complete in 2025! - details in alt-text. #astrophotography

Scopes
William Optics Redcat 51
Askar 130 PHQ (w/ optional 0.7x reducer)
Celestron 9.25" Edge HD (w/ optional 0.7x reducer)

Cameras
2x ZWO 2600MM Pro

Guiding
ZWO 120MM
ZWO 290MM
ZWO OAG-L
Askar 32mm F/4

Mounts
iOptron GEM45 EC
Skywatcher EQ6R-PRO

Control
ASIAIR Pro
ASIAIR Plus

Filters
ZWO EFW 36mm w/ unmounted ZWO LRGB and Antlia 3nm SHO filters
ZWO EFW 2" w/ mounted Baader LRGB and Chroma 5nm Hα

Focusing
2x ZWO EAF

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Gonna test this out with some Sii data from a few nights ago @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social Just a couple of hours with the Redcat and 2600MM #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Trying to finish up some projects is difficult when there's a new 🔭 watching you

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

No astro to share today but have some things in the works coming soon so for now here's some canyons. #canyonlands #landscape #photography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Managed to get about 20 hrs so far on NGC1499. Planning to still add more this week but did some quick processing tonight since it's cloudy in HSO and SHO. Which one do you prefer? #astrophotography #nebula #space

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Got some clear skies for now so starting some S2 and hopefully more O3 later on NGC1499 #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

For reference here is a ~3 hour stack of 10 minute exposures with meh seeing. #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Ok so the clouds didn't even let me get 3 hours on O3 and nothing in S2 but here's a quick and dirty HOO edit of NGC1499. Seeing wasn't great as evident by the halos. Really liked the structures I was getting so definitely going to spend more time on this. #astrophotography #nebula #space

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Finally have a few hours of clear-ish skies so getting in some Oiii on NGC1499 - The California Nebula The Oiii emission is pretty faint compared to the Hα and Sii but I promise it's there. This is just a single 10min exposure and stacking will ring out more detail #astrophotography #space #nebula

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Another cloudy night so here's a sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands NP #photography #sunrise

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Here's a quick edit of NGC2264 in HOO with what I have so far. Hoping to get more Oiii and Sii when the clouds allow it. #astrophotography #space

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Well cloudy skies for the foreseeable future and still working on some edits so here's a Mexican Jay from Big Bend NP #birds #nature #photography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Wasn't happy with how the initial edit came out so was going to scrap 90+ hours I had on Sh2-126, but after this re-edit on the Ha I think I'm going to revisit it. #astrophotography #space

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

This will probably be my last update on Sh2-129 & OU4 for the year. Maybe I'll revisit next year for more Oiii and Sii. Definitely a challenge to edit and took a couple tries until I was happy with it. 🔭 - WO Redcat 51 📷 - ASI 2600 MM Pro #astrophotography #astronomy #space

A red emission nebula with thin filaments expanding outwards from a central point. A blue bipolar emission nebula is located in the center with a lopsided shape reminiscent of a squid's head.

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Transparency could be better tho

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

First clear night in a while so starting a new project on NGC1499 while I wait for other works in progress to rise. This is a single 10 minute expsoure of the California Nebula through an Hα (energized hydrogen gas) filter #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Here are some higher resolution cropped pics of the soul nebula edit I shared yesterday. I think the first one is my favorite. #astrophotography #astronomy #space

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Re-edit of IC1848 - The Soul Nebula in SHO since it's been cloudy out. For reference original edit is on the right. 🔭 - WO Redcat 51 📷 - ZWO 2600MM Pro #astronomy #astrophotography #space

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

A shot of the Sadr region in Cygnus from over the summer. 🔭 - Redcat 51 📷 - modified Canon T1i #astrophotography

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Lmao love this feed look at them spores go #fungifriends

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Gonna try a landscape today so here's the view I woke up to while camping in Oldevatnet, Norway. #nature #photography #landscape

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Looking through some older edits has been fun so wanted to share my first attempt on M31 - the Andromeda Galaxy - which I took with a star tracker and modified DSLR before upgrading to my current set-up #astrophotography #astronomy

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Been lazy but finally got some pics off my camera from a camping trip in October, so here's some aurora #photography #astronomy

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Nathaniel @nrutkowski.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Started a new project so wanted to share a quick edit of about 12 hours of Ha on NGC 2264 aka The Cone Nebula & Christmas Tree Cluster. 📷 ZWO ASI 2600MM Pro 🔭 WO Redcat 51 #astrophotography #astronomy