Messier 57 (Ring Nebula)

Over the years, I have imaged the Ring Nebula (Messier 57, M57) multiple times, documenting both my technical development and the evolution of my equipment. My first images were captured in 2005 from my backyard in Krefeld, using my very first astrophotography setup. Later that same year, I had the opportunity to image the same object again under the pristine skies of Hakos, Namibia, using a larger telescope but the same camera. The improvement in seeing conditions and aperture size produced a far more detailed and contrast-rich image, clearly revealing the nebula’s elliptical structure.

In 2009, I returned to M57 from my backyard, refining exposure techniques and calibration methods that yielded improved color balance and noise control. A further session in 2011, conducted during a holiday in Banon, France, employed a newer DSLR camera, resulting in higher resolution and cleaner signal quality.

Finally, in 2012, I captured M57 once more—again from Banon—but this time using my first CCD camera. The increased quantum efficiency and cooling stability of the CCD provided significantly enhanced depth and fine structural detail within the nebula.

Together, these five imaging sessions illustrate not only the enduring fascination of M57 but also a clear progression in imaging capability and methodological precision over nearly a decade.

The 2012 Hα and [OIII] data was combined with the 2011 OSC data. The result was as follows: