Chasing The Stars From Northern Arizona: Drew Evans
Explore Drew's astrophotography journey, the dark skies of NAZ Observatory, and the equipment, techniques, and discoveries behind his images.
Read the featureAbout NAZ Observatory
Situated in pristine Bortle 2 night skies of Northern Arizona, NAZ Observatory incorporates an 18'x18’ electronic roll-off roof, which can be accessed remotely to image from anywhere. The very low humidity and 8000 feet elevation makes astrophotography ideal at this location.
A most recent SQM (Sky Quality Meter) reading of 21.93 mag/arcsec² indicated an exceptionally dark, pristine night sky. This value is close to the theoretical limit of natural darkness on Earth (around 22.0).
Custom built in 2021 and owned by astronomer/astrophotographer Drew Evans, NAZ Observatory incorporates 3 permanent piers allowing amazingly dark skies from horizon to horizon, showing bright unobstructed stars.
Equipment ranges from several refractors, SCTs, reflectors, and camera lenses ranging from 14mm to 2800mm. I also test for several major astro manufacturers due to the dark skies I have, which I provide results and input on their new gear before distribution.
Latest Astrophotography:
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NASA APOD Award Selections:
Near to the Heart Nebula
A deep view captured over 57 nights reveals the Heart and Fishhead nebulae amid faint, intricate filaments of glowing gas.
M100: A Grand Design Spiral Galaxy
A 21-hour exposure near Flagstaff reveals M100's sweeping spiral arms, blue star clusters, and dust lanes, 56 million light-years away.
M44: The Beehive Cluster
Some 600 light-years away in Cancer, the Beehive Cluster showcases bright blue stars and cooler yellowish giants.
Features:
Drew Evans — William Optics Collaborative Explorer
Discover Drew's wide-field and deep-sky imaging from NAZ Observatory, his collaboration with William Optics, and a gallery of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters captured with their telescopes.
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Astrophotographer's Story: Drew Evans
Drew shares the story behind his ASIWEEK-winning Trifid Nebula image, his remote observatory and ZWO equipment, and advice for fellow astrophotographers.
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Imaging the Butterfly Nebula IC1318
An interview with Drew about capturing the Butterfly Nebula, his imaging equipment, and the processing techniques behind its intricate detail.
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Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
A comet image processed by Adam Block using seven hours of data captured by Drew with a William Optics SpaceCat 51 and ZWO ASI2400MC Pro.
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How to Find M81 and M82 in Your Telescope, Binoculars, or Camera
A guide to Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy featuring Drew’s wide-field image and the equipment used to capture this dusty region.
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The Perma-Noon Super Highway
Drew joins the Light Pollution News conversation about light pollution, dark skies, and the changing relationship between artificial light and the natural world.
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Special Guest Drew Evans
A conversation about Drew’s astrophotography journey, his move to Flagstaff’s dark skies, and the remote observatory and equipment behind his images.
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Drew Evans on AAPOD2
Explore Drew’s astrophotography featured on AAPOD2, including nebulae, galaxies, and other views of the night sky.
View the featuresAstronomy Discoveries:
A New Planetary — Sam's Nebula
Astronomy features a likely planetary nebula discovered by Drew Evans, Jeffrey Horne, Brian Fulda, and Jaša Rebula. Nicknamed Sam's Nebula in honor of Drew's late father, it appears in an image captured over 41.3 hours.
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New Planetary Nebula Discovery — Don's Nebula
The story of planetary nebula candidate HorFulEvReb 2, discovered by Jeffrey Horne, Brian Fulda, Drew Evans, and Jaša Rebula. Named in honor of Jeff's late father, Don's Nebula was imaged in greater detail from NAZ Observatory.
Read About the DiscoveryCurrent All-Sky Image:
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