Bubble nebula: Why image an object again?

The Bubble nebula

Steven Bellavia in Mattituck, New York, is a long-time contributor to EarthSky Community Photos. He shares images of everything from the moon to Mercury’s tail to gorgeous deep-sky delights. This week, he shared with us images of the Bubble nebula that he took in 2018 and more recently in 2023. In the process, Steven explained the answer to a question people often ask:

People often ask me why I image an object again, if I have already taken a photo of it. It’s a fair question. My answer: Things change … equipment, technology, software and skills.

I was happy with my image of the Bubble nebula in 2018, using the best equipment, technology and software I had at the time. But things changed. I got a beefier mount, slightly bigger telescope and a different camera. I also have more filters with a narrower bandwidth. The guide software now uses multiple stars, and the image capture software has automation, to improve efficiency and prevent me from making mistakes. I now have an electronic focuser that the image capture software instructs to refocus … And the processing software now has weighted integration, AI deconvolution, AI noise reduction, AI star removal.

2018 vs 2023

Check out the differences in the 2018 and 2023 images below:

Steven said:

When I got into astronomy around 1970, I never would have imagined this was possible, from my own backyard, with equipment I could afford to own.

We live in amazing times.

We sure do! Thank you, Steven.

Bottom line: Steven Bellavia captured images of the Bubble nebula in 2018 and 2023. Here, he explains why astrophotographers target the same object twice and how equipment and more have improved.