Byron Bay Observatory

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Byron Bay Observatory (BBO) is a private astronomical outpost for deep space imaging. It is the easternmost observatory in Australia.

Latest Observations

What's Up?

Listen to ABC North Coast radio every Tuesday morning at 6:45am for Space Updates by Dylan O’Donnell

Visible ISS Passes

Date	Brightness	Start			Highest point			End
Date	(mag)	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.
No visible ISS passes during this time period

Astronomical Times for Byron Bay (-28.6, 153.6) Starting 24 Apr 2025, for the next 7 days
Date	Morning	Sunrise	Sunset	Evening	Moonrise	Moonset	Moon Phase
Date	Twilight	Sunrise	Sunset	Twilight	Moonrise	Moonset	Moon Phase
24 Apr 2025	04:37	06:07	17:20	18:50	01:49	14:54
25 Apr 2025	04:37	06:07	17:19	18:49	02:54	15:27
26 Apr 2025	04:38	06:08	17:18	18:48	04:00	16:01
27 Apr 2025	04:39	06:09	17:17	18:47	05:09	16:38
28 Apr 2025	04:39	06:09	17:16	18:46	06:21	17:19
29 Apr 2025	04:40	06:10	17:15	18:45	07:35	18:07
30 Apr 2025	04:40	06:10	17:14	18:44	08:48	19:03

Planetary Data for today

	Mercury	Venus	Mars	Jupiter	Saturn	Uranus	Neptune	Pluto
Rises	04:06	03:20	12:46	09:41	03:19	07:49	03:36	23:08
Meridian	10:05	09:18	17:55	14:51	09:24	13:09	09:37	05:59
Sets	16:04	15:18	23:05	19:57	15:34	18:25	15:42	12:56
Constellation	Cetus	Pisces	Cancer	Taurus	Pisces	Taurus	Pisces	Capricornus

Latest Images & Observations

dylan_odonnell_

Scanning the sun with a spectroheliograph gives yo

Scanning the sun with a spectroheliograph gives you a lot of different bits of data to choose from in a single shot! If you want to know how this works see my latest YT video demo of the SHG700 (sold out, waiting list until June!) taken with SGH700 on Skywatcher EQ8rh Mount and SkyWatcher Ecolux 82ED / QHY678M #astrophotography #skywatcher #qhyccd #solar #sgh700 #spectroheliograph

The sun, about 30 mins ago. Sunspot region 4060 is

The sun, about 30 mins ago. Sunspot region 4060 is super flary (dark patch) in this inverted image. It measures 120,000kms end to end. Captured with the ML Astro SHG700 spectroheliograph, QHY678M and SkyWatcher 82ED, Processed in Jsol’Ex 3 and AS3. #solar #astrophotography #mlastro #shg700 #skywatcher #qhyccd #thesun

This very long photo is the result of the QHY Mini

This very long photo is the result of the QHY Minicam8’s quite long sensor that I decided to leave mostly uncropped! Everyone is looking at these images on their phones these days anyway right? 😆 The Carina nebula is too big to even fit onto the sensor, but looks great even with this modest focal length of the Apertura 75Q Petzval quintuplet telescope. My last shot with my bigger telescope was the keyhole nebula in the centre, but the surrounding area is a southern hemisphere favourite. It’s so bright and so big, it’s almost impossible to get a bad photo.
Apertura 75Q Itty Bitty Frac 405mm / F5.4
QHY Minicam 8 Camera
SkyWatcher GTI Mount
HaGO-RGB
30 x 1m Ha
30 x 1m O[III]
24 x 1m Red
27 x 1m Green
24 x 1m Blue
Total : 2.25 hours #astrophotography #qhyccd #apertura75q #carina #byronbay

Keyhole Nebula with Eta Carinae [PUBLIC DOMAIN] 7

Keyhole Nebula with Eta Carinae
[PUBLIC DOMAIN] 7 APR 2025

Can you find God’s middle finger?? :)

My goal for this photo was to resolve Carina’s famous star, Eta Carinae in a way to show its binary shell (Homunculous Nebula) that surrounds the star, but also the hydrogen ring that surround the outburst itself. This is very hard to do since the whole emission is hydrogen and the outer region and the star itself need to be separately exposed. Zoom into the bright star to see what I mean. I have a bit of a behind the scenes about capturing on my YouTube if anyone is interested!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK3pbxDm_fE

Keyhole Nebula / Eta Car
Celestron 14” Edge HD SCT
QHY268M Camera
SkyWatcher EQ8-Rh Pro Mount
HOO Bicolour
32 x 3m Ha
38 x 3m O[III]
Total : 3.5 hours #astrophotography #carina #celestron #celestronrocks #qhyccd #skywatcher #testar

As we finally get back to normal after Cyclone Alf

As we finally get back to normal after Cyclone Alfred I just wanted to share this photo of the cyclone from the International Space Station that Robert Reeves found for me. Astronaut Don Pettit couldn’t get a good pass for a photo out the windows as it was happening but this early one from the external cams is a cracker! Bundaberg and K'gari on the left, Noosa just right of centre. #internationalspacestationphotos #iss #cyclonealfred #noosa

Getting a little better at “scanning” the sun

Getting a little better at “scanning” the sun with the ML Astro spectroheliograph SHG700 .. still not perfect but the results are still spectacular :) #astronomy #solarastrophotography #astrophotography #shg700

Haven’t posted a nebula on here for a while as I

Haven’t posted a nebula on here for a while as I’ve been enjoying the planet season but it’s time to get back to space clouds :) This Rosette Nebula shot is a mere 42 minutes of data with a new portable telescope I bought (a Petzval Quintuplet!) and the QHY minicam8 and q-focuser. It actually wild how well this combination performs! Perfect sampling, sharp stars, flat field. Behind the scenes video on my YouTube. Deets : Apertura 75Q Petzval Quintuplet, QHY minicam8 16x1m Ha, 16x1m O[iii], 10x1m Sii SHO-HOO #astrophotography #apertura #qhyccd #rosette #minicam8 #byronbay

This image of the Sun is a little different from m

This image of the Sun is a little different from my others as it was captured with a spectroheliograph that “scans” across the Sun’s hydrogen-alpha spectral line in a single 20 second pass to produce an excellent image of the surface details and outer activity at the same time. It’s a first attempt so I should be able to improve this with some more learning! To see how this image was captured see this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12i19HO1CIc

Thanks to Minh Minh Truong Nguyen from MLAstro for letting me demo the SHG700!

~ 600 frames in 20 seconds / SHG700 + SW ED82 * 0.9 / 477mm
QHY678M
SW EQ8Rh-Pro

Processing and annotations via the excellent JSol'Ex software. #astrophotography #shg700 #mlastro #solarastronomy #solarimaging

Seeing was decent enough last night, so I gave the

Seeing was decent enough last night, so I gave the C14 a spin on the two biggest players of the “planetary parade” this year. Mars is much smaller in 2025 and was twice this size in 2018! Ice cap and clouds still resolvable though. Io is also visible hiding in the GRS’s wake. (These are two separate photos, they are nowhere near each other) Celestron 14” EHD and QHY678m #astronomy #astrophotography

Comet Atlas G3 (2024) on Jan 27th from Coolamon Sc

Comet Atlas G3 (2024) on Jan 27th from Coolamon Scenic Drive Lookout looking towards Lismore – Still naked eye (just)! Happy to get more detail, including the two main tails (dust, and gas). 8 x 30s with Move Shoot Move rotator / F4.5 / ISO 2000 / 47mm Canon 6D MK II + kit lens. @canonaus #cometatlas #astrophotography #byronbay #canonaustralia

Another wide one just because that was so much fun

Another wide one just because that was so much fun :) View of Comet G3 (ATLAS) 2024 from Cape Byron looking back over the town (and the crane!). 25 x 5s ISO 1600 / f5.6 / 95mm Canon 6D mk II - Easily visible naked eye, but superb in the binos! #astrophotography #byronbay #canonaustralia

C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) over Byron Bay Monday 20th Janua

C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) over Byron Bay Monday 20th January. 10 x 5s, tracking Move-Shoot-Move rotator / ISO 3200 @ 95mm, cropped. Canon 6D Mk II. Thanks for hanging out at the cape @truenorthspirits and @theoutsiderphotos ! #astrophotography #canonaustralia #byronbay #cometatlas

I’m returning to an old favourite of the souther

I’m returning to an old favourite of the southern summer nights, M42 Orion. But this time, I’ve come back with a itty bitty little telescope and a new camera from @qhyccd_astrophotography (miniCAM8) which they sent me for testing. I’m very lucky to get to use this camera before most people can even buy one (thank you!). It’s now my current recommendation for any beginner wanting to get into astrophotography with a small telescope. I’ve got a whole video about it here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11HNh_n5JrI

I can’t believe this is only 1 hour of data from a complete rig worth $2.8k USD!

Sky-Watcher 82ED /w reducer
Sky-Watcher GTI Mount
QHY Minicam8
20 x 60s Ha
27 s 30s Red
30 x 30s Green
28 x 30s Blue
Total 62 minutes

For those who are interested in the gear:

Star Adventurer Tripod $95.00
Sky-Watcher GTI Mount $640.00 https://bit.ly/3sUFOXZ
Sky-Watcher Evolux 82ED $599.00 https://bit.ly/36henwd
Flattener Reducer $385.00
ZWO 30F4 Guidescope $99.00 https://bit.ly/425z6NQ
QHY200M Guide Cam $263.00 https://bit.ly/4152EbY
QHY minicam8 $799.00 https://bit.ly/3W8If4i

TOTAL $2,880.00 USD. #astrophotography #orion #qhyccd #skywatcher #minicam8 #qhy #byronbay

Last night’s Jupiter! C14, QHY678m, EQ8Rh-Pro, E

Last night’s Jupiter! C14, QHY678m, EQ8Rh-Pro, Esatto Robotic Focuser. Stacked in AS!3, Wavelets in Astrosurface, Derotated with WinJupos. No Barlow, just native! Behind the scenes video on the capture on YouTube. Sorry for Jupiter spam, just in the zone while it’s close to opposition and nice and bright and highish at 40 degrees.

#astrophotography #astronomy

Colour version of Jupiter from a few nights ago wi

Colour version of Jupiter from a few nights ago with its 2nd largest moon, Callisto and the GRS slowly rotating into view. C14 / QHY678M .. excited to get this detail with no barlow.. Still learning though! #astrophotography #celestron #qhyccd

I can’t believe this worked! This is the highest

I can’t believe this worked! This is the highest focal length / zoom I’ve ever imaged a deep space object that isn’t a planet. There is a behind the scenes video on some of the interesting features but in the main star cluster is the largest star we know about, surrounded by a dense group of blue supergiants and wolf-raylet stars. This nebula is not in the Milky Way, it’s in a neighbouring galaxy!

First deep space photo from my shiny new Celestron 14” Edge HD telescope, pushed to its maximum native focal length of 3,910mm!! I’m shocked.

Behind the scenes : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuO4ZOc9HY

TARANTULA NEBULA CORE
Celestron 14” Edge HD Telescope
3910mm @ F11
QHY 268M Camera
SW-EQ8Rh Pro Mount
Baader Filters
H/O/O
54 x 1 Minute - Hydrogen Alpha
66 x 1 Minute - Oxygen[III]
Total - 2 hours Integration #astrophotography #celestron #qhyccd #skywatcher #baader #byronbay #tarantula

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Star Stuff – Video Series

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Image the sun with your retina? lol #astrophotography

The SGH700 Spectroheliograph is HOT 🔥

Telescopes, Tariffs, Leaked Email Drama ...

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Protect Your Astronomy Gear - Feat. Cloudwatcher

Astrophotography tariffs explained

Break in transmission.

What is a PETZVAL Quintuplet Telescope? Feat. Apertura 75Q 🔭

Scanning the Sun like a FAX - Spectroheliographs

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NGC300 – 11/10/2016

9 years ago

Grus Triplet 5/10/2016

9 years ago

Gru

Sculptor Galaxy – 04/10/2016

9 years ago

The Sun – 29/09/2016

9 years ago

Coronado PST / Powermate 2.5x / ZWO 174mm

Hedgerow Prominence – 29/09/2016

9 years ago

Coronado PST / Powermate 2.5x / ZWO 174mm

BBO Images Messier Catalog

M24, M25 Sagittarius Star Cloud Region – 21/09/2016

9 years ago

Canon 70D / Canon 18-135mm F5.6 / EQ6

BBO Images Messier Catalog

M20 Triffid Nebula – 5/09/2016

9 years ago

Celestron 9.25″ Edge HD / Lepus 6.3 Reducer / QHY12 (Ha Data by John Mills, Sydney)

Helix Nebula – 4/09/2016

9 years ago

Celestron 9.25″ Edge HD / Lepus 6.3 Reducer / QHY9M / QHY12