I Did It! I Actually Did It! Deep Space without tracking!!!

[ballaratdragons]

Well, I did it!

Deep Space using a Dob without Tracking !!!!

I captured with the Toucam until 4:15am and Processed in Registax and Photoshop until 6:00am.

The first one is hard to make out but it is 47tuc!

The second one I am really pleased with. It's the Trapezium in Orion Neb!!!

I also got my first Saturn but this thread is for Deep Space so I won't put it in here.

Pic 1. 47tuc

Pic 2. Trapezium in Orion nebula

[iceman]

Well done Ken! I know I was excited the first time I got 47Tuc with my digicam through the eyepiece :)

[ballaratdragons]

Ta Mike. Sure was hard work but I'm getting there! My eyes are hanging out of my head and I need to get to bed but I'm too excited :lol:

[Dennis]

Hey Ken

You done good mate! You have captured at least 5 stars in the Trapezium - a fine accomplishment.

Cheers

Dennis

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Trevor. Bit hard for me to focus on it at the moment. I'll have another look after some sleep :zzz2: :lol:

[ving]

lol ken!!!

you go boy!!! :)

you got more gas in m42 than i got with my 1st attempt! have you tried uping the brightness and contrast ?(the result more neb but burnt stars.)

[ballaratdragons]

Yep, tried that David. Got more nebula but the whole pic looked terrible so I just left it.

When I get my tracking happening I will be able to bring the neb out (I hope). I am pleased with my results so far considering it is only the 2nd time I have tried the Toucam and the first time I tried DSO's.

Onwards I go!

[atalas]

Congrats on your first DSO's Ken !

[davidpretorius]

yup i tried for the trap after mars last night, but no good.

i reckon 5 stars is awesome!!!

[Striker]

Make sure you keep this one Ken...you will be laughing at it in a few months time.

Well done mate.

[ballaratdragons]

That's funny Tony. Today I was thinking "I must keep a copy of these first pics so I can look back in years to come and have a laugh at my beginnings".

And here you are talking in months, not years. :lol:

[janoskiss]

Go Ken! Tracking is overrated, I reckon.

[ballaratdragons]

Steve, after last nights frustrations and hair-pulling (not that I have much) I am REALLY looking forward to tracking!!!!!

[janoskiss]

But that was on planets, wasn't it?

[ballaratdragons]

And Orion Neb & 47tuc & Tarantula (Tarantula didn't work though). Only Planet I tried last night was Saturn, the rest were DSO's.(see pics at start of this thread)

[janoskiss]

I thought DSOs in a wide field would be easier. But I wasn't thinking straight; of course you are stuck with the fixed narrow field the Toucam+scope give you. :doh:

[xelasnave]

Nothing is impossible, this guy on astronomydaily.com uses a 8 inch dob and gets a few.
alex

[ving]

yeah, i caught 47tuc on my 2mp digicam :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/ving68/8inch_dob/Dsc03950.jpg

and the jewelbox cluster
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/ving68/8inch_dob/Dsc03621.jpg

[xelasnave]

I must admit the only good shot I got thru the 150 ar was a hand held 2 meg during a demonstration at the school. Pity you havent got a eq mount ???
alex

[ving]

I do have one now alex :)
just waiting for some counterweights to come in :D

[xelasnave]

I knew that you had one, lucky lucky but you deserve it, my way of saying whats the current position, I expect I missed you saying that here. Been working on an English Equatorial mount design with a guy from astronomydaily cause I cant see buying a titian or the like.. their cost equals the cost of three cars for me
alex

[ving]

english EQ... never heard of it.

yeah I am just ironing out a few bits and pieces off having it going. the mount was made for a 10"

[xelasnave]

The concept is that the polar axis is supported at each end, which means in most cases with this design one cant see the pole. Ours is a little different but here is a drawing I found on http://home.earthlink.net/~indig/DesignMusings/text/Design_Mountings.html

[ving]

i know i say this just because its different, but man that loks weird! :)

[xelasnave]

Here is the thread we have been chatting with others in the forum you can see our specific approach. I see the advantages as being greater stability.. plus these Germans have had the lime light for too long.. chuckle chuckle
http://forums.astronomydaily.com/viewtopic.php?t=4170&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
alex

[ballaratdragons]

What happened to getting some weightlifting weights, David? :confuse3:

[xelasnave]

Make some with lead you can make a mold out of anything and get the exact weight desired in lead scrap melt and cast it, add some tin if avaialable, paint it or cover it with resin. You can cast in a nut (or two) I plan to do this as in the process I recon you can lose a few pounds from standard weights. (one is not enough and two is heavier than needed...and every little reduction helps I believe.
alex

[asimov]

Nice job Ken. I've only managed 4 in the trap with the unmodded toucam. Is that taken with the long exposure mod mate or not?

[ballaratdragons]

No John. It was taken in normal mode in Philips Vrecord. I haven't worked out how to use Desire (DSO program) yet.

These are the settings I had the Toucam set on for Orion & 47Tuc:

Image Settings
Frame rate - 5
Brightness - 100%
Gamma - 30%
Saturation - 100%

Camera Settings
Auto
Shutter - 1/33rd
Gain - 80%

As you saw, 47 Tuc came out terrible but I have re-stacked it in Registax and then reprocessed it in Photshop and fixed it. I will be posting it in another thread.

[Striker]

You should get some tips of Ken...he just posted a much better image then yours.

[ving]

:lol: rebel ran out so they are getting them in :P

[ballaratdragons]

Hey David,

Must be a lot of people who read your counterweight thread and went and bought them all for their EQ mounts LOL!

I can imagine the headlines in the newspaper: Weightlifting amongst Astronomers gains popularity as Rebel Sports report claims "all our weights sold out to the Star-gazer fraternity"'

:lol2:

[ving]

:lol:
i love it!:D

[TidaLpHasE]

;)Good on ya Ken, i was stoked at my first ever pic of the Orion Neb, it was a really bad pic, but the buzz i got made up for it.

You are now on your way, and your images will only get better and better:)