A novice to rival Nasa? Incredible images of colourful nebulae taken by an amateur in his back garden observatory

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Out of this world: The Rosette Nebula as captured by surveyor Gordon Rogers from the state-of-the-art observatory in his Buckinghamshire garden


These astonishing images show psychedelic nebulae across the Milky Way.

They might look like the latest images from a Nasa satellite, but the colourful pictures were actually taken by an amateur astronomer from his back garden.

Surveyor Gordon Rogers spent tens of thousands of pounds building a state-of-the art observatory at his home in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire.

Mr Rogers even converted his garden shed to include a roll-top roof.

Not one to do things by halves, he built the three-storey construction with his builder son Chris five years ago when his stargazing hobby developed into a full-blown passion.

Mr Rogers has been capturing incredible images like these ever since.

He said: 'My passion for astrophotography has become all consuming - I wanted to build something which was the bee's knees.


Orion Nebula: Each of Mr Rogers's images takes around nine hours to expose


'It's a real labour of love. I have spent tens of thousands on this but if you were to put a figure on time invested - it's probably about a million pounds worth.

'I used to take pictures of galaxies but you need to be up a cliff in Arizona for those sort of things - so I started investing more time in pictures of the Milky Way.'


Dedication: Mr Rogers converted his garden shed to include a roll-top roof


Mr Rogers' love of astrophotography developed when he observed 'something dramatic on the moon' through a three-inch Zeiss refractor telescope he bought in a sale.

He said: 'Back in 1994, I observed something happening at the moon. It was so dramatic that I got my wife and neighbours to look and in my determination to speak with an astronomer there and then I made 14 telephone calls, the last four to Hawaii.

'I was then determined to update to something that would permit photography.'


Enthusiast: Mr Rogers poses next to his telescope inside his garden observatory


Astrophotography is the practice of recording images of astronomical objects in minute detail.

Mr Rogers' photographs of nebulae - clouds of dust, gas and plasma that form stars - are for aesthetic value rather than scientific research.

He said: 'My photographs pick up the different types of atoms that produce red, green and blue colours.

'It was worth all the effort. I am pleased with the choice I made.

Many of Mr Rogers' images are available to buy in his astronomy book, My Heavens!


source: dailymail