This image was taken in my back yard in Hornsby (North of Sydney so I was shooting into light from the city) last night, I am very new to astrophotography so please feel free to comment.
I used a Meade ETX90 with autostar polar mounted with Cannon 20D piggyback. Kit lens at 55mm and F8, 5*4mins exposures at ISO 1600 stacked with Registax 3 and levels and sharpeninig up and compression in Photoshop Elements and cleaned with Neat image. Cannon inbuilt noise removal.
to the forum! And that's a great shot to introduce yourself! I love widefield star shots.. The coalsack looks great.
It was however, over the image posting guidelines so i've resized it for you. If you want to display a larger image, please provide a link to an offsite version. I had to compress it quite a bit to get it down to 60k, so feel free to upload it and replace with a link if you want.
You're in hornsby? There's a few of us from around that area, Greg Bryant is in Hornsby, Gary Kopff is from Mt Kuring-gai and there's a few of us on the central coast. You should come up to the IceInSpace Star Party on the central coast on the 7th of May.
I spotted the 800*600 ans 60Kb guideline to late - my apologies - and glad you like the shot and thanks for cleaning it up! Good to know I am not alone out here...
I am very pleased that you like the image, it is the first I have dared to show (except to my family!). I have been a lurker for a bit and have learnt loads by reading these forums and also the Mighty Meade site and the digital astro mailing groups.
I am totally blown away by the images being produced, the amount of knowledge and advice available and the software that have been built by enthusiats around the world.
I am also astonished by the 20D which is a far better photographer than me and mostly responsible for the image.
I am struggling through the astrophotogratphy learning curve learning the limits of my kit and the dark arts of image processing...so much to learn....
John Drummonds image made me go back an see what was in my RAWs...I am such a beginner at this...amazing difference...I am not sure which version I prefer the original emphasises the cross better.
Is there a good guide to image processing out there - I am not sure which order to do the processing in, eg
to the forum! And that's a great shot to introduce yourself! I love widefield star shots.. The coalsack looks great.
