This is an image of the elusive binary companion of Sirius A (the brightest star in the sky), which is very hard to see and to image for being so dramatically outshined (10,000x). Informally known as "The Pup", it is a heavy white dwarf that sat at about 9.5 arc seconds from Sirius A at the time of this shot. For more information, click
here.
To see an animation that provides some perspective to Sirius starry surroundings and its relative brightness, click
here.
IMAGING DATA
Optical train: AP130 EDF GT + AP 2x advanced barlow (f/11.2)
Mount: Losmandy G11
Guiding: unguided
Camera: Canon 1000D (modded and peltier cooled)
Frames: 20 lights, 2 seconds ea. @iso100, calibrated with 50 bias.
Processing: PI + Photoshop + Canon DPP
Date: 2013-03-27
Place: General Pacheco, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Seeing & transparency: good(2")/good (suburban skies)
