Some early attempts

xelasnave · #1 08-01-2018, 08:20 PM

This stuff I processed as best as possible. Some thru 200 mm some thru * inch 800 iso Nikon 24 meg.
CLumsy uninformed processing but very happy to start.
I had to go 30 secs but it probably helped keep stars round ish.
alex

xelasnave · #2 08-01-2018, 08:23 PM

The first one you can see the stack of date and time,,,top left..
alex

xelasnave · #3 08-01-2018, 08:28 PM

That wasnt the one I expected for the first photo..
I think there is a less red version..
I cant find the one I wanted to post.
alex

xelasnave · #4 08-01-2018, 11:43 PM

This is another 400 iso

xelasnave · #5 08-01-2018, 11:49 PM

And so much for newtonians being needing adjustment. The 8 inch was driven from Sydney to Tabby and never collminated.
It is as it came from the shop Andrews and 750 klms car ride.
The focuser is a pain it needs something and the camera slopes in the focuser. A bit of felt maybe ..but the thing can drop out I suspect and needs some safty thing if nothing else...but pretty happy. My lining the scope up at stationary home got csp in no time.
I think I got 2 minutes and it was not bad but it was real close for the way i did it. But a auto guide would have been happy I think.
Flaw in the system was the battery charger ..it did not work and I was going to take the solar apanel...and need a table and chair. The eq6 and everything is a bit heavy but I take it easy and I can manage it really ok..its a bit like hard work but with my legs and lazy age I be happy to pay someone to set it up...Gotta be worth $50 ...yes I might try and get my daughter to set up and pay her money that I would give her normaly..good way to instill work ethic maybe.
But not having power saw me using the car battery and I did not feel good risking draining the battery by using the lap top...I had no jumper leads. I think I will instal a solar panel on the roof of the car and carry a battery which charges from the drive and then the solar panel to top it up. I had a small genny but the charger packed it in...so no charger no panel and thats my excuse...plus I could not set up with out a table.

alex

xelasnave · #6 09-01-2018, 12:04 AM

Just need a way to remove the brush like marks and get the colour right but I am happy with the focus and detail.
It needs good procesing really.
But I love the spikes..used to photograph thru a newtionan newt..a 6 inch meade which have no spikes..I had one with the focuser mast and I think add another coupe of crosses and get eigth point difraction spikes.
anyways I was tickeled when I spotted them.
Great birth day all night all day just playing with this stuff and only five hours wasted in sleep.
alex

xelasnave · #7 09-01-2018, 12:39 AM

and another
alex

LostInSp_ce · #8 09-01-2018, 01:11 AM

Hi Alex,

These are looking good. The 200 mm has a nice field of view something a little different from the norm and you're picking up a lot of detail with the newt. I really like the diffraction spikes for they add character. Regarding the banding issue/brush marks, are you adding bias and dark frames in your stack? They usually tend to help with reducing this problem. Another thing that might help is some noise reduction. How this is done depends on the software you're using but whichever you choose to do it in just be sure to apply it subtly, otherwise it can over smooth the image and destroy all of the fine details.

xelasnave · #9 09-01-2018, 01:55 AM

Dark but no bias and high temps.
But so far with out flocking or baffling and the little extention I will add it will do me.
I must check collimation be interesting see if it is lined up ..
Its got a coma corrector the tube needs strengthening as the four rings crush the tube so it needs something maybe ply lining ???
Flock it sort the focuser so it works with the electric focuser...all these shots were focused manually but with that madk and the blow up screen on the camera is luxury from what I remember ..camera is pretty good I think.

There is a nikon astronmy dslr about $4500 but it shounds the wsy for me I cant see doing narrow band.
Self powered single shot approach is what I will settle for.
I get a kick so I am happy.
Tweek it up with light control etc...all good.
Alex

xelasnave · #10 09-01-2018, 02:31 AM

A crop of the capture via the 200 mm lens
I am amazed the lens did this well. Probably better than I could do with the 6 inch back when...
Anyways lots of fun.
Alex

Anth10 (Anthony M) · #11 09-01-2018, 11:44 AM

Nice results Alex, good to see you getting out there, you definitely have the right approach and I'm sure your processing skills will develop with more practice and research. I too like your stars something the Newtonians have on the refractors IMO. A little too much magenta showing through but overall as you say very rewarding for your efforts. Well done.
PS...getting your daughter to setup the rig would be one way of of building a solid work ethic but perhaps at the expense of scaring her away from the hobby hehehehe. maybe a team effort to lighten the load.We all loath setup but hey it's all part of it. Keep up your good work Alex.

Cheers
Anth

xelasnave · #12 09-01-2018, 02:41 PM

That last shot was about 20% of the frame as shot.
I am very happy with the 50 to 200 mm lens.
I could see having fun if you wanted to start astro photograpy with just tha camera lens set up and a basic moter drive no goto mount...which is how I use the eq6.
Makes starting relatively in expensive.
I think my two old mounts could run well with 30 second exposures ...it was steady straking some times so with short exposure you should get a few...just a higher throw away list.
Must set something up table mounted maybe.
Alex

bigjoe (JOSEPH) · #13 09-01-2018, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

This stuff I processed as best as possible. Some thru 200 mm some thru * inch 800 iso Nikon 24 meg.
CLumsy uninformed processing but very happy to start.
I had to go 30 secs but it probably helped keep stars round ish.
alex

Nice Alex..Enjoy..Looks like you'll be starting on the slippery slope of Astrophotography. Hopefully not ..because some of us are never happy ourselves, or with the comments on them, and end up spending vast sums , never coming near the HST images we can see for free.

Hope you just ENJOY your accomplishments with what youve got...As most should..If you can afford it .. then go for it!
Look how many people here end up selling their expensive AP gear for peanuts ...and never image or
look in an EP anymore...Astronomy is finished for some.
Nice images for sure , but you may get hooked, and it will be costly.
PS: At the end of the day do what YOU WANT and enjoy, not what others tell you to do.
bigjoe

bigjoe (JOSEPH) · #14 09-01-2018, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Dark but no bias and high temps.
But so far with out flocking or baffling and the little extention I will add it will do me.
I must check collimation be interesting see if it is lined up ..
Its got a coma corrector the tube needs strengthening as the four rings crush the tube so it needs something maybe ply lining ???
Flock it sort the focuser so it works with the electric focuser...all these shots were focused manually but with that madk and the blow up screen on the camera is luxury from what I remember ..camera is pretty good I think.

There is a nikon astronmy dslr about $4500 but it shounds the wsy for me I cant see doing narrow band.
Self powered single shot approach is what I will settle for.
I get a kick so I am happy.
Tweek it up with light control etc...all good.
Alex

Alex theres a good article here on Flats
https://photographingspace.com/how-t...rophotography/

May in future need to dither because of DSLR.
bigjoe

xelasnave · #15 09-01-2018, 04:13 PM

Thank Bigjoe.
Yes there is much to do thats for sure.
I rang Bintel and have to get in before Micheal leaves.
Alex

bigjoe (JOSEPH) · #16 09-01-2018, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Thank Bigjoe.
Yes there is much to do thats for sure.
I rang Bintel and have to get in before Micheal leaves.
Alex

Thats Mike Chaytor?..great isnt he
Dithering for later.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astro...-astro-images/
Keep going Alex ..looking forward to your steady progress..one step at a time.
bigjoe

xelasnave · #17 09-01-2018, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigjoe

Thats Mike Chaytor?..great isnt he
Dithering for later.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astro...-astro-images/
Keep going Alex ..looking forward to your steady progress..one step at a time.
bigjoe

I liked to think the mount was tracking a little so that may have given a bit of a dither.

He is going on Friday I hope that is public news he has a filter and only one 80 mm left.

Should I wait for a new batch will there be a new batch?

alex

bigjoe (JOSEPH) · #18 09-01-2018, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I liked to think the mount was tracking a little so that may have given a bit of a dither.

He is going on Friday I hope that is public news he has a filter and only one 80 mm left.

Should I wait for a new batch will there be a new batch?

alex

Thanks for the info Alex may head down before then...Not sure about their filter situation.
bigjoe.

xelasnave · #19 09-01-2018, 05:44 PM

I am dithering but not in an astronomy sense.
Thanks for your help.
Alex

xelasnave · #20 20-01-2018, 06:37 PM

From last night in the city using 8 inch f5, nikon unmodified and unguided.

Tried to use guiding but it did not seem to work and I think that is because the last time I put the mount together I made it rather tight and probably too tight for it to respond to controls from computer...another day I will sort it out.

30 secs about 14 minutes no proper processing yet but to get something in Sydney I was very happy.

Hopefully will do some more tonight...Objects are only visable for 60 minutes and after mucking about with various issues managed only about 14 minutes that deep sky stacker saw fit to use.

Anyways done on the relatively cheap side..$500 scope $300 coma corrector $200 filter ( not used in this shot) dslr unmodified and not cooled my point is for not that much cash one can produce satisfying results..well for me but my expections are not that high yet... plus a mount in my case a very old eq6.

I know the shot has major issues but for the city and what I expected this is better than I hoped for and it seems I should be able to do much better.

alex