Eta attempt

[xelasnave]

This was a desparation job.

Clouds every where so rather than set up 80mm or take the nikon off with it I dug out my 10 year old canon with its 70 to 300 mm then $200 lens.

And managed 10 30 second captures a few darks and a Deep Sky Stacker stack and a play in gimp.

The lens was at 70 mm but I cropped this image.

My daughter helped me get the colour as good as possible from my first attempt that was very green...and it was not easy to get rid of the green so I wonder does the fact the object was near the trees introduce a lot of green.

And although not what I had hoped to be using the old camera at least got me out there...I was really happy that the focus was reasonable as I did not use a mask and just eye balled it.

But the message is for folk thinking of having a go I say that given the value of this camera and lens it allows very cheap entry...admittedly it was on an heq5 but I recon I could have done as well on an old mount I have that is fit for the tip...probably $100 value.

Earlier that night I used the lens at 300 mm fl and took several shots of the Moon at 2000 shutter speed and stacked then in registax to see just what I could do hand held..they were reasonable but I deleted the final image but I should have shown it to encourage others that you can even get something hand held.

I am going to try a hand held with short exposure on Orion for fun if I get a chance.

Alex

[m11]

Hey Alex,

I like your eta shot. Nice colours on the stars

Also jealous you have a helper as well. :thumbsup:

[xelasnave]

I must say she got more out of it than I could but she could not get the colour just right and was not happy with it but its ok for me.
But it was really bad to start with as it was so green.
And thank you for your kind words.
Alex

[gb44]

Thats a good start, having captured a good number of stars and good colour.
The red nebulosity side of things is probably not there in the data. That would require a more sensitive camera, or a modified one.
What would be interesting to see is the associated histogram.
Keep up the good work!
GlennB

[xelasnave]

I was surprised really.
At first it was black and white and took a bit to get any colour and than it was so wrong but after I got some colour my daughter pointed out the problems and fixed them as best she could...But the message is for others who may have an old camera to give it a go...
I just hope I get a chance to use the 80mm and the 8 inch before I have to go back to Sydney..and the auto guide...it is so frustrating day after day just rain..
We went to Casino yesterday and on the way out and home spotted a cloud that hearalded the end of the Earth it was so mean looking...well went back in to day and told that it was near the end of the world..100 mil in no time such that one car was floating in the main street apparently...
I have everrything here ready to go but just looks as though I wont get anything...thats why the little effort on eta was so uplifting...but still I want more having spent so much for this trip.
alex

[m11]

The other positive is you got to spend some time with your daughter doing something together you both enjoy.

I think you done well, your shot definetely kills any feeble attempt I have tried on Carina. :lol:

Keep up the good work.

M11

[raymo]

Alex, funny that you should have tried a hand held, as my latest post is
just that, except that it is a single frame.
How did your stack go?
raymo

[xelasnave]

Hi Raymo
The stack went relatively fast as the a canon was 12 meg and I think it was set to medium.
As I said I was trying to neat the cloud.

After the stack the image looked black and white really and blotchy somehow.
But as it was all that I had to play with I played with in ... it will probably clear up now that the Moon is around ...but I would be happy even to photograph the Moon just to try out the gear.
Alex

[xelasnave]

I have just had a horrible thought.
That image was so black and white I cant see how it could be saved...yet a day later it became respectable and I am starting to wonder if it was my image...Raymo you know how you did some adjustment with the eta image to help bring out colour I am starting to think maybe I had a go at the same image and its got into my files and that is what I have pulled out to play with...I cant remember even downloading it but I did think I will have a go like Raymo did but in gimp and see what I can do...
So I might check all that ... and if unsure start over with another stack...I am just now worried given the image seemed so bad at first...maybe I was tired...certainly old age is showing thru.
In the rush to get up here I didnt tepack my walking frame but I have been getting around father well without.
Alex

[xelasnave]

And again confusion you asked me about the Moon and I talked about eta...maybe I should not have those knives ...looking after Dad has me thinking I am alright but now I wonder.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Well I stacked it again..and the details are 36 offered to Deep Sky Stacker and it stacked 27 and 14 darks.

No matter what we did this was a good as the colour got..for us.

But there was colour so I guess my worry that I had pirated something may be wrong...I will compare this to the above...

This has not been cropped.

I am still getting my head around downsizing to post cropping then downsizing seems to preserve something...still I really have no idea yet.

Alex

[xelasnave]

Cropped similar now I am not sure but at least these last two are definitely mine.
alex

[gb44]

These 2 are stretched a lot further and youve lost the colour. The nebulosity that was there, in red, has been washed away in stretching. About half way between the first and 3rd would be about it. Then you could try to bring out the background....

The background doesnt need to be black.
GlennB

[xelasnave]

Thank you Glen I will probably play around more later as there is little to do here today...but if you saw the colour I had I think you would be happy to get rid of it...anyways sadly I have little idea but until I buy pixinsite and or learn how to use it things wont get that serious for me.

But thanks again for your input I will bear in mind your suggestions when I try again.
I was never meant to go too far as what I really wanted was to capture eta with the 80 mm and the 8 inch but ...did I mention it has been cloudy?
My life is under a cloud it seems.
alex