Are you curious about astrophotography but not sure where to start? Or maybe you’ve wanted to explore what’s possible with professional-grade observatory data. At Sadr Astro, we’re thrilled to introduce a unique opportunity: free imaging requests during the full moon!
This is your chance to have us image your favorite northern hemisphere object using our wide-field rig. We’ll capture your request in either LRGB (color) or SHO (narrowband) and provide both a beautifully processed image and access to the stacked data for you to work on yourself.
Why Offer Free Imaging Requests During the Full Moon?
The full moon isn’t just about bright lunar nights—it’s also an excellent time to focus on imaging bright stellar objects like emission nebulae or other luminous targets that shine through the moonlit skies. While many astrophotographers avoid deep-sky imaging during this phase, our observatory’s narrowband filters excel at cutting through moonlight, making it possible to capture stunning details even under bright conditions.
This initiative is designed to:
- Help enthusiasts and beginners experience the thrill of astrophotography without the technical hurdles.
- Showcase the incredible data quality of our remote observatory.
- Offer a creative, engaging way to connect with the night sky.
How It Works
- Submit Your Request: At the bottom of this blog, you’ll find a request form. Share your preferred target—anything visible in the northern hemisphere.
- Clear Full Moon Nights: On full moon nights with clear skies, we’ll select requests to image.
- Receive Your Data: After imaging, we’ll send you a processed image of your target and the stacked data for your personal use. You can edit it using your preferred tools, like PixInsight, Photoshop, or Siril.
- No Cost: This is completely free! It’s our way of giving back to the community and sharing the wonder of the night sky.
Suggested Targets for Full Moon Imaging
During the full moon, brighter objects are best. Here are some suggestions:
- Emission Nebulae: Targets like the California Nebula or the Rosette Nebula are great choices.
- Bright Sky Objects: Star clusters, large galaxies, emission nebulae can also be excellent options. Orion and Horsehead are bright enough we can usually capture some great images.
If you’re unsure what to request, don’t worry—feel free to ask for guidance in your submission! The only requests that we won’t be able to do would be dark nebula requests as they’re just not possible with bright moon.
What You’ll Get
- A professionally processed image of your selected target.
- Access to the stacked data, allowing you to explore and process the data yourself.
Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned astrophotographer, this is a fantastic way to dive into the world of imaging. You can do as you wish with this data – it’s for you to enjoy and use! We generally limit these observations to 1hr or less depending on availability of target as well as requests. If we don’t have many requests, we’ll expand your observation time.
Click on our guide to Remote Imaging or our blog about our Texas Observatory to learn more about SadrAstro Observatory.
Terms and Limitations
- Location: Targets must be in the northern hemisphere.
- Wide-Field Imaging: We’re currently using our wide-field rig for these requests, so large objects or large field of views are ideal.
- Clear Skies Only: Imaging will only occur on clear nights during the full moon phase. If we don’t achieve the imaging run this moon cycle, we’ll keep them queued up for next moon cycle.
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Submit Your Imaging Request Below
Ready to make your request? Fill out the form below, and we’ll do our best to image your target during the next full moon with clear skies. Don’t miss this chance to experience remote astrophotography firsthand! We need your name, email address and your request.
