Moon and Barlow Afocal!

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

After Paul (1ponders) placed his great pic of a close-up of the Moon I was determined to give it a go!

We finally had a fog free night for a change so I pulled the scope out and gave the new Barlow a test run.

These Moon pics are all with the Barlow. You will have to excuse the 4 posts I use up to show them to you as I don't know how to get more than one pic in each post. All pics are untouched, just reduced in size to fit on here.

<b>Pic 1.</b> 2" 30mm SuperView Barlowed to 15mm and Kodak digital pocket camera. 12" GS Dob.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

<b>Pic 2.</b> Same EP etc.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

<b>Pic 3.</b> 15mm Plossl barlowed to 7.5mm

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

And the last one. This one was hard to catch in the camera as I used my 9mm Plossl and the Barlow. I am very surprised at how well it came out!!

Comments welcome.

<b>Pic 4.</b> 9mm Plossl barlowed to 4.5mm. (pushing the limit of an f5)

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

WooHoo Your offically an astrophotographer Ken. Nice shots. You'll be amazed how they will come out in photoshop if you have a play with the levels, contrast and brightness. Nice job.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Thanks Paul,

I don't have Photoshop. Just PaintShop Pro.

I still need to make a mounting bracket. These are all hand held.

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

well isnt your first astrophoto a real buzz..nice pictures btw

and now before you know it you will be heading down the slippery slope of astrophotography..aka the bottomess money pit

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

LOL, not until I get a job I won't.

Had a good laugh tonight. While Cheryl (the missus) was looking at Jupiter she said "and there's Ios, Phobios, Peebos and Domesticus".

Don't ya just love 'em.

[Mick (Michael)]

Nice Work Ken. The Moon is a fine subject and your off to a good start.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Thanks Mick.

No matter how many times I look at the Moon I can't get bored with it.
There are too many features to study and each night the terminator creates more interesting shadows and highlights differing from the previous night.

[astro_south (Andrew)]

I love the 4th shot Ken - very erie right at the terminator...could be the view out of the porthole on the LEM as its coming down (I can only dream )

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Hey Yeah! never noticed that before Andrew.

Looks like a snapshot from the window of a Lunar lander!

p.s. That's not the terminator Andrew. It is the edge of my EP! LOL. Unless you mean the ghostly looking craters at the top of the pic.

[RAJAH235]

Nicely done Ken. Great first shots. Now, if you can only find that darn 'Money tree'! L.

[iceman (Mike)]

Well done Ken, wait till you have a go when the moon is much less than full - you'll get a lot more detail along the terminator. The full moon is best to shoot in its entirety, that is, use a 32mm eyepiece (or your GSO 30mm) and shoot the whole thing. It can look really pretty if the rays come out properly.

Nice work.

[ving (David)]

nice one ken. you just have to get to making that camera holder. make life alot easier
you can use the LCD screen to align your shots and to focus

once i network my laptop to my desk top I'll have to upload some of the shots I have taken recently of the moon

btw, I use paintshop pro to process my pics so give that a shot ken, it works just as well as photoshop

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Thanks Guys, will do. Hopefully clear sky tonight? Light rain forecast but we need it.

At least I know my Barlow works very well after the long wait to try it.

[xelasnave]

Good one Ken. Now all you need is a guide scope, an equatorial fork mount, an illuminated reticle, a guide camera etc etc and of course the tree..without which nothing will move. Great work.
alex

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Ha! Even if I had the money tree, this drought would kill it. Murphy's Law.

[ving (David)]

or a flood... I need one of those money trees!
but I kill plants

[xelasnave]

Money trees being harvested by heicopter????