First couple of weeks with new ED80

[dugnsuz]

Hi all,
Here are some of the first images I've got out of the Skywatcher ED80 I recently bought from leon.
Been struggling a bit framing the subject as you might notice!!!!:P
Still, I'm having fun.:D
Most images are stacks of 30sec iso800 exposures, some are iso1600.
Processing these for too long to care anymore!!:screwy:
Went crazy with software spikes too(First M6 looks like a dog's dinner - had to ReDo!!!):doh:
1.M8/M20
2.Eta Carina
3.M22
4.M6 - Butterfly Cluster
5.M7 - Ptolemy's Cluster
6.Antares
7.M6 - ReDo

Cheers and be gentle...
Doug:thumbsup:

[Garyh]

Good first light Doug! looks like you had some fun that night!!! I like the m20,m8 one.
cheers

[jase]

Great selection of first light images there Doug. Well done mate.:thumbsup: You're M22 image is starting to show signs of colour balance - may need to boost saturation a little to bring the colour out a little. Not sure about those software diffraction spikes... I think a bit of fishing line, cotton or string does a better job.

[leon]

Hi Doug, well you are certainly getting the hang of it and for your first lights, well done mate. :thumbsup:

Now I'm not being silly here, but how come they are purple, it is a real question, and i would like to know, is that from the processing. :shrug:

Great effort mate.:thumbsup:

Leon

[ballaratdragons]

Doug,

The stars in your images are spot on
Nice and round and crisp. :thumbsup:

The nebulas do look slightly over-processed though. It is very easy to get carried away in the processing, coz it's fun. Try a re-process and keep all the processing levels a bit lower, then when you have it looking just right, hit it with 'Brightness/Contrast' adjustment to finish it off. It might help, but I don't know what you did, so I can't suggest which part to tone down.

Other than that, they are great images! Wish I could get Lagoon and Trifid in the one FOV. :)

Nice work mate :thumbsup:

[[1ponders]]

You do know Doug that by posting so many images in one go you have doooommeed your fellow astronomers in SA to a bout of truely horrible weather for at least the next full moon (after this one ;) ) :D

Just jealous :lol: Good to see you making great use of a fantastic little telescope, especially considering the light weight mount you are using. Top stuff!! :drink: Here's to many many more. ;)



ps. I don't like spikes either :)

[dugnsuz]

Thanks for all the comments and constructive criticism.
Leon, just can't seem to get reds out of the Pentax - it just doesn't seem to
be as red sensitive as the Canons for example. That and a hefty slice of overprocessing!!! (well spotted Ken:lol: )
Any ideas?:shrug:
Sorry, cant help but try out the spikes on those open clusters! I'll try to refrain!!!
Cheers all
Doug:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

Spikes are good, as long as they aren't over-done! :thumbsup:

Like I do :ashamed: :whistle:

[dugnsuz]

I like the one big diffraction spike on Antares, the rest are overkill:doh:
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

No Doug, this is overkill!!!! :lol:

Poor old Carina!

[erick]

VERY starry starry night! :D

[dugnsuz]

I think I like it Ken.:confuse3:
God help me!!!!!:scared2:
Now, where did I put the old Hoya Starburst filter!?:P
Doug:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

So do I Ken!!!:lol: :lol:
Doug:thumbsup:

[Dr Nick]

Quite a nice collection there... ;)

[leon]

Ken, you idiot, :lol: :lol: :lol:, all in good fun mate.

Leon:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

The 1st time I tried Star Spikes I accidentally ended up with an image like my over-done one above. I had to learn how to get just a touch of spike.

I think Doug has done it tastefully, not too over-done.

[leon]

Only stirring mate, you do some fantastic work with that little Toucam Ken.

Leon

[Tamtarn]

Hi Doug

Great set of first light images from the Skywatcher ED80.
Especially like the M8/M20 image and nice to see all those nice round stars.

Look forward to your future images. :thumbsup:

David & Barb