Messier Object Images by Tim Hunter and James McGaha

Tim Hunter and James McGaha own three fine amateur observatories near Tucson, and operate them in close cooperation: Grasslands Observatory, 3towers Observatory, and Sabino Canyon Observatory. The Grassland Observatory has a 24-inch f/5 equatorially mounted Newton (f/5) - classical Cassegrain (f/20) telescope, with an Apogee AP 7 CCD camera. 3towers Observatory is equipped with a 12-inch Meade LX-200 computerized telescope and Apogee KX260 CCD camera, connected to a PC, and able to be run semi-automatized via remote control. Sabino Canyon Observatory houses a 12-inch Meade LX 200 telescope with a Spectra Source HPC-1 CCD camera.

M6: Color film image of M6, 24.5-inch Grassland reflector [caption]
M7: Color film image of M7, 24.5-inch Grassland reflector [caption]; AP-7 color CCD image, 24.5-inch Grassland reflector [caption]
M9: AP-7 color CCD image of M9, 24.5-inch Grassland reflector [caption]
M18: Color film image of M18, 24.5-inch Grassland reflector [caption]
M39: Color film image of M39, 24.5-inch Grassland reflector [caption]
M40: AP7 color CCD image of M40, 24.5-inch Grassland reflector [caption], KX 260 CCD pic, 12-inch 3towers LX-20 [caption]
M41: Color film image of M41, 24.5-inch Grassland Newtonian, from their photographic Messier Marathon 1988 [caption]
M54: Color CCD image of M54, 24.5-inch Grassland Newtonian with AP7 CCD camera [caption]; b/w CCD image, 12-inch LX-200 with KX260 CCD camera [caption]
M57: Color CCD image of M57, 24.5-inch Grassland Newtonian with AP7 CCD camera [caption]
M64: Color CCD image of M64, 24.5-inch Grassland Newtonian with AP7 CCD camera [caption]; b/w CCD image of M64, 12-inch 3towers LX-20 with KX 260 [caption]
M80: Color CCD image of M80, 24.5 inch Grassland reflector / AP7 CCD camera [caption]
M88: Color CCD image with SN 1999cl, 24.5 inch Grassland reflector / AP7 CCD camera [caption]
M94: Color CCD image of M94 [caption]
M96: Color CCD image with SN 1998bu, 24.5 inch Grassland reflector / AP7 CCD camera [caption]
M102/NGC 5866: AP7 color CCD image of M102/NGC 5866 [caption]; KX 260 CCD pic, 12-inch 3towers LX-20 [caption]

Many more astronomical images are available on Tim Hunter's website, notably a gallery of all Messier Objects in Color, and a Photographic Messier Marathon Album, the results of the first-ever reported photographic Messier Marathon of March 19/20, 1988.

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
[contact]

Last Modification: May 17, 2001