
“Can we do deep sky astrophotography in bright light pollution area ?” many people asked me this question , For deep sky objects imaging you would need patience and study . You may check here about things to check before going for DSO astrophotography.
Deep Sky astrophotography without light pollution filter ? Possible !!!
Challenge accepted !!! My first attempt to do deep sky object without any light pollution filters , I just wanted to give some try how bad I can get the image. I stay in bright light pollution area Class 8 bortle , so it is very extraordinary challenge for me.
For this challenge I choose Bright cluster NGC 5139 – Omega Centauri
Lets do our DSO Pre checklist – Items to checks before going for Deep Sky Object astrophotography
- Check Cloudy sky details with clear outside APP
- Check Location , time with sky safari app so that you would get idea where to see , when to see

- Check FOV based on your imaging scope and camera from website astronomy tools
NGC 5139 – Omega Centauri
Omgea Centauri is the brightest global cluster in the sky which is in the constellation of Centaurus and one of the nearest global cluster to us.
Type | Global Cluster |
Distance from earth | 15600 light years |
Right ascension | 13h 27m |
Declination | -47° 35′ |
Magnitude | 3.9 |
Below is my final processed image .I am still learning and improving my skill on image processing.
Please check my Astrophotography tips for beginners post for more details.
while processing this image i was shocked and amazed , i bet that this will be amazed you as well . If you concentrate at the center of this cluster you may see “OM” symbol. This is not photo-shopped or modified just stacked in DDS and changed exposure setup in pixInsight.

Date Photographed | April 2019 |
Total Exposure time | 30 mins |
Sub | 60 * 10” – Light frames 3 * 10” – dark frames |
Mount | Skywatcher Az Gti |
Camera | ZWO ASI224 |
Telescope | SVBony SV 48 500/90 mm Refractor |
ASIAIR | Yes |
This photography has taken with very short duration , but the image i have got is having very rich raw data.
I have written my review on SVBony SV48 500/90 mm refractor , which i have brought from Aliexpress APP and I am very much happy while using it. It has very much rich look and really good for deep sky object imaging.
I will be trying to capture same with L-Pro Optolong filter and UHC SVBony filter ,will share my review soon.
Blog Comments
George
April 22, 2019 at 11:36 am
I have go through your blog, it is very useful for astro lovers…
Vaibhav Mayee
April 22, 2019 at 6:08 pm
Thanks George.