Nico Carver

Sneak Peek: The Flaming Star Diptych

AE Aurigae is a runaway star that was ejected out of the Orion Nebula two million years ago, and is now passing through IC405, the Flaming Star Nebula. It is lighting up part of the nebula to create a brilliant blue hue, but only in broadband light. When using 3nm narrowband filters, the distinct shape of the reflection nebula is lost in the more diffuse OIII emission. I wanted to show this effect clearly and so I created a diptych with the mapped color (SHO) version on the left and the natur...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #42 Recording

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #42 that took place on Sunday, January 5th. As always, thank you for coming and for sharing your questions and knowledge!

We now have a place on Discord to continue with these Sunday Chat discussions and provide relevant links. Todd Tucker has been kind enough to break down each chat with a syllabus over there (edit: and attached as a PDF to this post!) Check out the #sunday_chat_discussion channel if you are on the Nebula Photos Dis...

New in 2025: Mail me your astrophotos to see them on YouTube!

Excited to announce a new feature I'll be trying on my YouTube channel in 2024: astro mailbag! Anyone who sends me a print of their work will have it featured on my YouTube channel.

This will be open to everyone. I'm uploading this same video to YouTube right now. Please include a note that you are a Patreon member if you send a photo, so I can give you a special thank you!

Here's the guidelines for sending me your astrophotography:
1. Mail me at most ONE astrophoto per mon...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #42, Jan. 5, 19:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, January 5th at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm UK time, 19:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

Agenda:

-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there is usually plenty of time for more advanced questions and discussions.

Hope to see you there!

~Nico...

Flying Bat and Squid (2024) - Behind the Scenes and Sneak Peek

The Flying Bat (Sh2-129) and Squid (OU4) is one of my favorite scenes to photograph in the night sky. This is my third time capturing it, and probably not my last. The current rendition ended up being an 80 hour integration, and I'll release it publicly tomorrow. Technical details are already up on my astrobin here: https://app.astrobin.com/i/u8p79m

The 11 minute video above is a Patreon exclusive that covers some...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #41 Recording

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #41 that took place on Sunday, December 1st. Thanks all for coming and the nice discussion! We also now have a place on Discord to continue with these Sunday Chat discussions and provide relevant links. Check out the #sunday_chat_discussion channel if you are on the Nebula Photos Discord.

The next Sunday Chat will take place on January 5th, 2025 at 19:00 UTC at this link: 2024-12-03 15:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #41, Dec. 1, 19:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, December 1st at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm UK time, 19:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

Agenda:

-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there is usually plenty of time for more advanced questions and discussions.

Hope to see you there!
And Happ...

Sneak Peek: Wolf's Cave

Good evening! I usually post my personal images to Astrobin and Instagram with write-ups, but I haven't been in the habit of posting them here on Patreon. Toni M. suggested I at least give a heads-up here on Patreon when I post a new image, and I thought I'd do one better, I'm posting this image several days early for P...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #40 Recording

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #40 that took place on Sunday, October 6th. Thanks all for coming and the nice discussions! We also now have a place on Discord to continue with these Sunday Chat discussions and provide relevant links. Check out the #sunday_chat_disucssion channel if you are on the Nebula Photos Discord. Thank you to Todd Tucker for suggesting that.

There will be no Sunday Chat in November as I'll be busy with the Arizona workshop. So, the next Sunda...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #40, Oct. 6, 18:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, October 6th at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm UK time, 18:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

Agenda:

-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there is usually plenty of time for more advanced questions and discussions.

FYI: There will be no Sunday Chat in ...

Early and Ad-free: Sirilic and Siril - Multi-night ANDROMEDA Workflow for 2024

Normally my early and ad-free videos are only for Seagull Tier and higher, but I'm making this one early and ad-free for all Patreon members. I already covered multi-night pre-processing with Deep Sky Stacker in this exclusive patreon video when I hit 500 patrons and suggested there would be follow-up videos for other software. And now finally I have one of the follow-up ...

Gallery Opening, Thursday, Sept. 12, 7-8pm - Belmont, MA

As mentioned in my last video, I have a gallery show on now through October 4th at the Landau Gallery. This is a gallery for working artists located within the Belmont Hill School in Belmont, MA.

The opening reception for my show is a week from today on September 12th from 7-8pm. If you are in the Boston area, please feel free to stop by if you are available that evening. The photos will be for sale, but there is no pressure to buy anything. It's always fun to meet people in-person. L...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #39 Recording

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #39 that took place on Sunday, September 1.

The next Sunday Chat will take place on October 6th at 18:00 UTC at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88170464721?pwd=cppFaMkhkIJhEN4gjc9mNKtytZY796.1

I'll post a reminder a few days before, and all Nebula Photos events (online or in-person) are also posted to this calen...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #39, Sept. 1, 18:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, September 1st at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm UK time, 18:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

Agenda:

-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there is usually plenty of time for more advanced questions and discussions.

Hope to see you there! ~Nico

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #38 Recording

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #38 that took place on Sunday, August 4.

The next Sunday Chat will take place on September 1st at 18:00 UTC at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89415941625?pwd=gO9cxTIx8lsKhFrto7iF6btblipZXg.1

I'll post a reminder a few days before, and all Nebula Photos events (online or in-person) are also posted to this calend...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #38, August 4, 18:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, August 4th at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm UK time, 18:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

Agenda:

-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there is usually plenty of time for more advanced questions and discussions.

Hope to see you there! ~Nico

2024-08-01 17:55:09 +0000 UTC View Post

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #37 Recording

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #37 that took place on Sunday, July 7.

The next Sunday Chat will take place on August 4th at 18:00 UTC at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88143808970?pwd=ghdmxJxatGKl3j6oa3AxFGVHQoVtbP.1 I'll post a reminder a few days before, and all Nebula Photos events (online or in-person) are also posted to this calendar: <...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #37, July 7, 18:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, July 7th at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm UK time, 18:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

Agenda:

-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Sneak preview of something Nico will announce on Patreon soon
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there is usually plenty of time for more advanced question...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #36 Recording

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #36 that took place on Sunday, June 2. Thanks to all who participated - a good mix of topics were covered.

The next Sunday Chat will take place on July 7th at 18:00 UTC at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83712885721?pwd=SbIbxqUsuHwYDkiX7KuSSuzWgLAiAj.1 I'll post a reminder a few days before, and all Nebula Photos...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #36, June 2, 18:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, June 2nd at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm UK time, 18:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

Agenda:

-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there is usually plenty of time for more advanced questions and discussions.

Hope to see you there! ~Nico

2024-05-30 18:56:22 +0000 UTC View Post

NEAF Meetup Tomorrow - Saturday, April 20, 3pm

If you are attending NEAF tomorrow, you can meet me and other members of the Nebula Photos Patreon community in-person. At 3pm ET, we will be meeting up on the lawn in between the Solar Viewing Party and the Mezzanine. I will bring snacks and drinks, and it's just an informal meetup, no set agenda. We can chat about cool stuff we've seen at NEAF, and share eclipse stories. Hope to see some of you there!

(Looks like we wi...

A great eclipse from Vermont and NEAIC/NEAF next week!

Quick post to say I had a GREAT eclipse from Northern Vermont! Here's a still from a video I was taking during it. I am taking a quick break (a couple days) to recharge and then will work on an advanced processing tutorial using my 2024 Eclipse data (177 GB in total!) I've already posted a basic processing tutorial with my 2017 Eclipse data here: https://youtu.be/ILi9qcfp_dE 

Also wanted to mention that next week ...

4/9 Meetup CANCELLED and My Current Eclipse Plan

Unfortunately, I have to cancel the post-eclipse meetup as I won't be able to make it down to Texas due to the evolving weather situation for eclipse day. I'm sending out emails and texts to everyone who signed up, but wanted to post in as many places as possible so that everyone gets the message.

My current eclipse plan for anyone interested (subject to change):

Saturday April 6th
Decide between Indiana/Illinois or New England based on current forecasts. If ...

My Evolving Eclipse Plan (1 week out)

The eclipse is now seven days away, and I'm open to being anywhere from Mexico to Maine depending on the weather! (Remember to sign up for Astrospheric Pro - free for all Nebula Photos Patreon members for the eclipse)

My primary plan is still to be in Texas, but in the event I'm nowhere near Texas on eclipse day, I did want to give some advanced warning that I may need to cancel 2024-04-01 20:06:42 +0000 UTC View Post

Recording of Preparing for the Eclipse (Nebula Photos Themed Chat #3)

We had a nice 2 hour chat last night on 'Preparing for the Eclipse.' As I said at the end, I'm still available for the next week to answer questions through messages here on Patreon. In the five days leading up to the eclipse, I'll be mostly unavailable as I'll be driving down to Texas from New Hampshire.

Reminders/Resources

My video series on photographing the eclipse: 2024-03-28 02:45:22 +0000 UTC View Post

Tonight (3/26): Solar Eclipse Preperations on Zoom

The third Nebula Photos themed chat will take place tonight: Tuesday, March 26th at 23:00 UTC (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 11pm UK) and the topic will be 'Preparing for a Total Solar Eclipse.' After a short presentation by me, it will be open discussion and Q&A, but only on the topic of Solar Eclipse preparations and imaging. This chat will be recorded and posted on Patreon.

Zoom Link:

2024-03-26 15:18:57 +0000 UTC View Post

Sunday Chat #35 Recording and Date/Time for Themed Chat #3: Solar Eclipse Prep

This is the recording for Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #35 that took place on Sunday, March 3. (Sorry for the delay, thought I had already posted this)

Towards the end of this meeting I mentioned wanting to do one more chat before the Eclipse, but wouldn't be able to make our normal meeting time (April Sunday chat is cancelled due to eclipse travel). I now have a date/time for that meeting. The third Nebula Photos themed chat will take place on Tuesday, March 26th at 23:00 UTC (7pm ET, 4p...

Nebula Photos Sunday Chat #35, Mar. 3, 18:00 UTC

The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will take place this Sunday, March 3rd at 1pm ET (10am PT, 6pm UK time, 18:00 UTC) on Zoom (link below). 

NOTE: 1 hour earlier than the usual time! 

Agenda:

-Announcement: April 9th meetup - Volente, Texas
-Introductions for anyone new to the Sunday Chats
-Open Q&A and discussion

I like to start with questions from beginners or those new to the Sunday chats, but don't worry there ...

CANCELLED: April 9th Meetup, Volente, TX, 1 - 3:30pm CDT

Unfortunately, I have to cancel the post-eclipse meetup as I won't be able to make it down to Texas. Due to the unpredictability of weather with eclipse chasing, my plan has changed. I currently plan to be either in New England (first choice) or Indiana/Illinois (backup) for the eclipse. Since neither of these locations are close enough for me to make it to Volente, TX by 4/9, I've made the hard decision to cancel the event. I hope you understand.

Good luck everyone!

Nico

April 9th Texas Nebula Photos Meetup?

Good morning, 

We are 53 days out from the April 8th eclipse. It's crunch time for me, as I'm going to try to put out 5-6 more videos on preparing for the eclipse between now and then. 

I have a feeling several of us may be in Texas for the eclipse, so I am gauging interest in a Nebula Photos meetup the day after. We can share eclipse stories and pictures, and maybe even do some eclipse processing. If you will be in Texas on April 9th (the day after the eclipse), and wou...