Eta Carina complex

[TheAstroChannel]

Hey everyone, this is my first ever attempt of capturing the Eta Carina nebula!
If there is anything i can do to make this picture better, can you please tell me? thanks a lot!

-Sean

[LewisM]

Here's a shot I took recently of Eta Carinae complex. Don't remember the total exposure now, but something like only 25 minutes I think.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/822/eta2iisf.png/

NOT showing off - just showing you what can eventually be done. and what it looks like in all it's glory (and that's NOT all it's glory yet!)

Tips for yourself, using the equipment I think you have is lengthen exposures (sub-5 minutes won't show much at all), get an equatorial mount etc. Using a modded point-and-shoot through a scope in what I think is alt-az won't go very far unfortunately - typically sub-15 seconds exposure. No matter how many 15 secs you stack, you won't get much out of it.

Keep going- have fun. Save $$$ for the next step - you'll need it!

[Mighty_oz]

I think u hare using a dob ? goto ? Helps us if u say what u are using how long the images taken where ?
See this post for what u can do http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=100476

Now, i think shorter exposures but lots added will show more and reduce the trailing. Also what did u focus with ?
Mike has a great post in the howto section on the main page link http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-201-0-0-1-0.html That explains what how etc.
Welcome to the wonderful and often frustrating world of astrophotography :)

Marcus.

[TheAstroChannel]

Hey thanks for the reply, and no i use a standard 70EQ refractor on an equatorial mount, and used a canon IXUS (Added a few things)
I simply put the camera into the telescope, set the ISO to 1600 and pressed the shutter button. thats all i know how to do!

The camera i used is on the link below. Also, please like the page aswell as it is my dedicated Astronomy facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/TheAstroChannel99/176299359130134

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=380194875407247&set=a.380194805407254.94257.1762993 59130134&type=1&theater

[Mighty_oz]

Get deep sky stacker for free, did u press the button while at the camera ? U can set it to take a photo by itself probably. No guiding means maybe 15 secs for photo, take a few at diff lengths and see what u come up with.

Marcus.

[TheAstroChannel]

Alright thanks a lot, i shall try when the sky's clear up! :)

[Ross G]

Hi Sean,

Good try.

As Marcus said, get a clamp to hold the camera steady at the telescope.
Take lots of exposures.
Then stack and process them in Deep Sky Stacker.

You'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Good luck.

Ross.